How to Turn Off Active Status on Instagram

Last Updated on April 17, 2026 by Himanshu Rawat

Don’t want people knowing you’re scrolling Instagram at midnight? The good news is that you can turn off your Active Status in under 30 seconds. 

Instagram’s Active Status feature lets others see when you’re online or when you were last active. While this can be useful for quick communication, not everyone is comfortable sharing their activity in real time. If you prefer more privacy, turning off your Active Status is a simple and effective solution.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how to do it on every device and what changes once you disable it.

Quick answer — 4 steps

• Go to your profile and tap the three-line menu
• Select “Messages and story replies.”
• Tap “Show activity status.”
• Toggle the switch “OFF.”

What Is Active Status on Instagram?

Active Status is Instagram’s way of showing others when you’re online or recently active on the app. It appears as a green dot next to your profile photo in DMs, or as text like “Active 10 minutes ago” in your friends’ chat lists.

Important: Disabling active status is a two-way setting. You won’t be able to see others’ active status either once it’s off.

If you’re looking for even more control over your Instagram experience, you can also mute someone on Instagram to hide their posts and stories without unfollowing them.

How to Turn Off Active Status on Instagram (Android & iPhone)

Turn off Active Status on Instagram easily. Hide your online status and last seen on Android and iPhone with this quick step-by-step guide. The steps are the same for both Android and iOS:

• Open the Instagram app on your device and make sure you’re logged in
• Tap your profile icon in the bottom right corner to go to your profile page
• Tap the three-line menu in the top right corner to open settings options

• Select Messages and story replies from the list of settings

• Tap on Show activity status to open the settings

• Toggle the switch OFF to disable it

Once you turn it off, your active status (green dot and last seen) will no longer be visible to others.

You can also explore other Instagram settings, like how to turn off your business account on Instagram for a different account experience.

How to Turn Off Active Status on Instagram (Web/Desktop)

If you’re using Instagram on a browser, you can easily turn off your active status by following these steps:

• Go to instagram.com and log in to your account using your credentials.
• Once you’re on the home page, click the “More” menu located in the bottom left corner of the sidebar.
• From the menu that appears, select “Settings.”
• In the settings panel, navigate to “Messages and story replies.”
• Look for the “Show activity status” option.
• Toggle the switch OFF to disable your active status.

After turning this off, your online status and last seen activity will no longer be visible to others. These changes are synced across your account, so you won’t need to repeat the process on your mobile device.

Why Turn Off Active Status?

Here are a few reasons why many users choose to disable it:

• More Privacy – You can browse Instagram, watch Stories, or scroll through Reels without others knowing when you’re online or recently active
• Less Pressure to Reply – Since people can’t see that you’re active, you won’t feel obligated to respond to messages immediately
• Better Focus – Helps reduce distractions, especially if you’re using Instagram for work, research, or casual browsing
• Ideal for Creators – Great for researching competitors, trends, or content ideas without signaling your availability to followers or customers

Note: You can turn your Activity Status back on at any time. Simply follow the same steps and toggle the Show Activity Status option back ON.

If you’re looking for more ways to manage who sees your activity, Instagram’s Close Friends feature is another useful option worth exploring.

Also on Threads? Here’s How to Hide Your Status There Too

If you use Threads (which is linked to your Instagram account), note that active status settings are independent on each platform. Turning it off on Instagram does not automatically hide it on Threads.

To manage your online status on Threads:

• Open the Threads app
• Tap your profile icon
• Go to Settings
• Tap on Privacy
• Look for Online Status
• Toggle it OFF to hide when you’re active

Keep in mind:

• Turning off your online status means you won’t be able to see when others are active
• Your Threads and Instagram activity statuses are controlled independently, so you may need to update both apps separately

This helps you maintain consistent privacy across both platforms if you’re using them together.

Tip: Keep your settings consistent on both apps if you want complete privacy across the Meta ecosystem.

Troubleshooting: Active Status Option Not Showing?

Update the Instagram app

• Instagram regularly moves settings around. Visit the App Store or Google Play and install any pending updates.

Restart the app or your phone

• Close the app completely and relaunch. If the toggle still doesn’t respond, restart your device.

Instagram’s cache (Android)

• Go to Settings → Apps → Instagram → Storage → Clear Cache. This won’t affect your account data.

Double-check the navigation path

• Instagram sometimes redesigns its settings layout. The correct path is: Profile -Menu – Messages and story replies -Show activity status.

Log out and log back in

• A fresh login can refresh settings sync and fix toggles that appear stuck.
• Check all your devices

If you use Instagram on multiple devices, verify the setting is applied everywhere — syncing can occasionally be delayed.

Wait a few minutes

• Even after disabling, Instagram’s algorithm and background activity tracking may take a short while to fully stop broadcasting your status.

Final Thoughts

Turning off your Active Status on Instagram is a quick way to take control of your privacy and use the platform on your own terms. Whether you want to avoid the pressure of instant replies, browse quietly, or simply maintain a more private online presence, this feature gives you that flexibility.

Just remember, it’s a two-way setting. Once disabled, you won’t be able to see others’ activity status either. If that trade-off works for you, it’s a small step that can make your Instagram experience more comfortable and distraction-free.

Frequently Asked Questions