How to Appear Offline on Instagram
Instagram is a great app if you want to chat with other users and make new friends, but most people just want to post photos and videos, and that’s it.
So, is there a way to hide that you are online on the Instagram app, or are you condemned to show Activity Status forever?
Fortunately, you can indeed appear offline on Instagram, and worry not - we are going to show you how to do it!
Today’s article on our website will guide you through the following matters:
- How to appear offline on Instagram;
- How to use the activity status feature on Instagram (phone and computer browser version);
- Things to know before you appear offline on Instagram.
Can You See Online Status On Instagram?
Yes! Instagram includes many different features and privacy settings that any person can use on their accounts.
Although it’s not natively possible to turn off read receipts on IG, for example, you can indeed see if another person is active, online or offline, just by checking their activity statuses on the app screen.
It works like this:
- When you check direct conversations, the activity status appears on the right side of the profile icon of other users right on the messages page;
- If someone is online, a green dot will appear next to their names - this applies to your followers and other people who decide to show activity status;
- You can take advantage of this feature to check if other users are offline or online within the app, both on Android, iOS, and PC versions;
- The feature will show “recently active” if someone has just opened the app, “Last Seen,” and “Online in the same chat” as well.
How to Appear Offline On Instagram
Although any person can use the appear online and offline feature on Instagram, it is also possible to hide your online status and disable it on your Instagram profile.
Appearing offline on Instagram allows you to send an Instagram direct message privately, surf the app without other users knowing, open videos without your followers sending you messages, and more.
So, without further ado, let’s learn how to appear offline on Instagram in just a few steps.
Step 1: Open Instagram and Tap Your Profile Picture
First of all, launch Instagram on your mobile device and tap on your profile picture at the bottom right corner of the screen.
Once you tap on your profile icon, your Instagram profile page will open. Here, look for the hamburger menu icon at the upper right corner of the screen and tap on it.
In the next menu, browse Instagram options and select Settings.
Step 2: Go to Settings and then Select Privacy
After you tap on the Settings icon that appears at the top right corner of the screen, select the Privacy option.
Here is where the magic happens - while developing Instagram, the developers ensured to make this Settings Menu as intuitive as possible.
Step 3: Tap On Activity Status Under Interactions
After you select Privacy, scroll down to the Interactions tab and here, select Activity Status.
Step 4: Turn Off Instagram Activity Status
At last, you will see a switch that says “Show Activity Status.” Toggle this switch off, and the second switch will also automatically turn off.
From now on, you will appear offline on Instagram. Therefore, everyone that decides to browse through the IG Inbox to look for your profile, will not know whether you are active or not on the platform.
You can always turn your activity status on again if you please from this same menu.
The activity status feature is also available whether you have a private or a public account on Instagram, so worry not.
Can You Check Someone Else’s Activity Status After Turning Yours Off On Instagram?
No. After you turn off your activity status, you will not appear online anymore. On top of that, other users will start appearing offline as well.
This means that if you appear offline, everyone else will do so as well. There are other ways to appear offline to certain users.
For instance, you can restrict Instagram accounts, and those users will not be able to check your activity status on the platform.
Nonetheless, when you entirely turn off your activity status, this applies to all users.
Wrapping Up: Turn Off Activity Status On Instagram
Appearing offline on Instagram is quite useful, and the best thing is that everyone can enable this feature!
It doesn’t matter if you have a public or a private profile - when it comes to privacy, Instagram lets you manage everything at your will.
For more Instagram tips and guides, check out all the articles that GrowFollowing has crafted especially for you!
FAQ
Can I Reverse Appearing Offline On Instagram?
Yes - according to Instagram, you can always turn your activity status “On” again. This means that toggling this feature is possible from the Settings menu whenever you want, so do not despair.
Karen is a senior technical writer and copywriter here at GrowFollowing. Her area of expertize are social media apps and new media.