With the help of Instagram you can add friends and tag your followers.
Nevertheless, there are cases when you want to be incognito. The “Active Status” that is present on the application helps the users know whether the particular friend is online or was last active at what time.
This is a great opportunity, however, it can at times feel rather invasive. Instagram equally does not carry your online status as a badge for others if that is what you wish to avoid.
Fortunately, deactivating this feature is also very simple. I will show you the details of how to hide active status on Instagram in this article.
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What Is the “Active Status” on Instagram?
The Active Status is located within Instagram’s Direct Messages (DMs). It indicates a green dot beside your profile whenever you are signing to the website. It also tells when you were last online.
For example:
- “Active now” means you are currently online. A green dot appears next to your profile when you are online.
- “Active 10 minutes ago” means you were online 10 minutes ago.
This status is only visible to people you follow, or to people who follow you and to whom you have sent a message. But, you might want to hide it for a little more privacy.
Why Hide Active Status on Instagram?
There are several reasons to hide your status:
Privacy
They may not wish others to know when they are online.
Avoid Unwanted Messages
Some users trigger a message as soon as they see you are online. This does not happen when you hide active status on Instagram.
Focus on Tasks
This way you have no distractions and can spend a lot of time without being noticed.
Control Your Visibility
It also means that you can use Instagram openly without the feeling of someone seeing you.
How to Hide Active Status on Instagram
If you are wondering how to hide active status on Instagram, here are the steps to follow:
Open the Instagram App
Open Instagram on the phone to be used. Ensure you are logged in.
Go to Your Profile
Press on your Instagram profile icon at the bottom right of Facebook.
Access Settings
Click on the three horizontal lines icon (menu) on the extreme right side of the website. From the menu, choose the “Settings and privacy” option.
Find Activity Status
Go down the page until you find the “How others can interact with you” section. Tap on “Activity status”
Disable Show Activity Status
To do that, you need to turn the slider next to “Show activity status” to the off position. This will make you disappear from the online status of your friends and some people.
Optional: Stop Reading Messages Receipts
For even less visibility, do not open messages. This is not to mention how it helps a sender not to see the “Seen” icon on the message.
What Happens When You Hide Your Online Status?
Now that you know how to hide active status on Instagram, you might wonder the repercussions. So, let’s find out.
You Stay Invisible
These people will not be able to see the green dot or when you were last seen online.
You Cannot See Others’ Status
Conversely, if you’re anonymous, you also cannot view when others are online as a sign of your online status.
DMs Still Work
However, you will not be able to send and receive messages in the same way as before.
Your Stories and Posts Remain Unaffected
This change only applies to your interactions in Direct Messages.
Additional Tips for Maintaining Privacy
- Turn Off Notifications
You can escape distractions by silencing notifications. You will find it under Settings > Notifications if you want to adjust it.
- Restrict Certain Users
To avoid people you are not comfortable with, you can take advantage of the restricted option.
- Block Persistent Contacts
If you’re annoyed, there is a blocking feature still to get rid of a person who happens to message you incessantly.
- Use Quiet Mode
Recently, Instagram has introduced the Quiet Mode that diminishes notifications from active users, so you can concentrate.
- Control Story Views
Skip a story if you need to discreet some people from the list of followers.
Common Questions About Hiding Online
Can I Turn the Status Back On?
Yes. You can enable the Active Status anytime you want by turning it on again.
Does This Affect My Friends?
No. Friends can send you messages but they cannot see your status.
Is This Setting Permanent?
No. They can be modified as often as you want.
Hidden Status – Does It Impact Engagement?
Not directly. However, users who depend on your an online status notification will barely communicate with you.
Alternatives to Hiding Online
If you don’t want to disable your Active Status completely, try these options:
Limit Who Can See Your Status
Some users make it to follow only the friends or people they are acquainted with. This restricts the amount of people that can see their activity feed.
Use Instagram Less Frequently
Whenever time spent on the app is decreased, this directly results into decreased visibility.
Create a Close Friends List
Post updates and activities from only a list of friends you are comfortable with.
Why Instagram Offers Active Status
Currently, Active Status enhances communication which has been disrupted before. It allows the user to find out when their friends are online. However, Instagram also values user’s privacy. That is why they let you bury your status.
Over time and up to this present day, keeping your profile anonymous or incognito on Instagram is well operational. This is perhaps not so desirable simply because it provides the user with more control over his privacy.
By using the above guidelines, the user shall remain invisible when in the course of using the application.
Just to remind you, it is always possible to enable the feature if necessary in the future. The advantage of having varieties of experiences is that you can always use Instagram in the way most appropriate for you.
Have fun using Instagram without any restrictions!