Glossary
What is active status, and who can see it?
Active status, which Instagram calls Activity Status, is the setting that tells certain people when you’re online or how long ago you used the app. You can switch it off in your settings, but then you can’t see anyone else’s status either.
Updated 6 October 2026
Active status is the setting that lets certain people see when you’re online (“Active now”) or when you last used Instagram (“Active 3h ago”).
Who can see your active status
Instagram’s Help Center says that when your Activity Status is on, two groups can see it:
- Accounts you follow. Following someone lets them see your status, even if they don’t follow you back.
- People you’ve sent a direct message to.
That leaves some odd corners. Your followers can’t see your status unless you follow them back or you’ve messaged them. And someone who messages you first can’t see yours until you reply, although their message has already let you see theirs. Instagram’s separate article on seeing who’s active words the same link from the viewer’s side: you can see an account you follow, or anyone you message, when you both have the setting on. If what your app shows differs from this page, trust your app.
Tip: To stop one person seeing when you’re online without hiding it from everyone, restrict their account. Restricted accounts can’t see your activity status.
How to turn it off
- Open your settings: from your profile in the app, or from More at the bottom left on a computer.
- Under “How others can interact with you,” choose Messages and story replies.
- Tap Show activity status and switch it off.
Turning it back on works from the same screen. If the menus have moved, typing “activity” into the search bar at the top of your settings finds it.
What you give up when it’s off
Instagram makes the setting a two-way trade. With your status hidden, you lose sight of everyone else’s: no green dots in your inbox, no “Active 10m ago” at the top of a chat, and no sign that someone is in the same chat as you at that moment.
Read receipts aren’t part of the trade. They have their own switch, so people still see “Seen” under messages you’ve opened unless you turn that off too.
Active status on a business account
For a shop or creator, the people who can see the status are mostly customers you’ve replied to and accounts you follow. Two things are worth knowing before you decide whether to show it.
- If several people use the same login, “Active now” only means someone has the app open, perhaps to post a Story, not that anyone is watching the inbox.
- The setting doesn’t affect replies sent automatically through Meta’s messaging API. An auto-reply goes out whether your status shows or not.
An example
You follow a bakery but have never messaged it. The bakery can see when you’re online; you can’t see the bakery’s status until it follows you or sends you a DM.
Questions people ask
If I turn off active status, can people tell I read their message?
Yes, unless you also turn off read receipts. Activity status hides when you’re online; read receipts control the “Seen” under messages you’ve opened. Each has its own switch.
Why can’t I see someone’s active status?
One of four things: they don’t follow you and you’ve never chatted, they turned their status off, you turned yours off, or they’ve restricted your account.
Does active status work the same on Facebook?
Facebook and Messenger show the same kind of green dot and “Active” time stamps, but under their own Active Status setting. Turning it off on Instagram doesn’t change it there, and the reverse is true too.
Do my followers see when I’m online?
Only the ones you follow back or have messaged. Someone following you doesn’t, by itself, get to see your status; the rule works the other way round.
Sources
Related terms
- Green dotA green dot on someone’s photo in your Instagram or Messenger chats means they’re in the app right now. When they leave, it becomes a note like “Active 20m ago.”
- Read receiptsA read receipt tells the sender you’ve opened their message: “Seen” under an Instagram DM, or a tiny copy of your profile photo under a Messenger message.
- RestrictRestrict quietly limits one Instagram account: their comments on your posts are hidden from others, and they can’t see when you’re online or have read their DMs.
- MuteMute hides an account’s posts, Stories or Notes from you, or silences a chat’s notifications, without unfollowing them. The account isn’t told.
- Vanish modeVanish mode lets people send disappearing messages, photos and videos in an Instagram chat. They disappear when someone leaves the chat or turns vanish mode off.
- Response timeResponse time is how long a customer waits between messaging your business and getting your reply, usually measured to your first reply.
More terms
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