Social media can be an odd place. At one point in time, a user you follow was active and posted on a daily basis. They go under the water after a while, and you almost assume they logged out a long time ago. That is unlikely since some Instagrammers are experts at operating under the radar. The activity status keeps track of how much time you’ve spent online. It informs people when you are active or inactive on Instagram. If you’ve been using these platforms for a while, you’re aware that it can be invasive. Fortunately, Instagram only reveals these details to users you contact privately or follow. However, hiding the activity status is useful when you want to fool your followers. Here’s how to turn off active status on Instagram and make yourself look offline even though you’re online.

What Does Instagram’s Offline Status Mean?

Appearing offline on Instagram while being online does multiple things. They all revolve on your activity level. Turning off the activity status to appear offline conceals your whereabouts from followers and other users.

• When you are online and actively exploring newsfeeds, stories, reels, and IGTVs on the network, no one will be able to see you.
• Your followers won’t be able to tell when you were last online. Most individuals use this trick when they want to ignore their followers or when they are too busy to react to messages.

This implies that you can hide practically all parts of your IG activity status on your profile. However, you will not be able to observe other people’s activity statuses. If you want to continue watching someone’s activity status, you must also allow them to see yours.

Reasons for Wanting to Appear Offline on Instagram

Some people want to seem offline on Instagram for a variety of reasons. Here are a few scenarios in which you might want to switch off your IG activity status:

• If you have annoying people that won’t let you be when they see you online and you don’t want to block them.
• When people you’ve previously connected with wish to take advantage of your online activity status.
• You could do it for fun to see how the functionality works.

Regardless of why you want to use Instagram in offline mode, the feature can be useful. You can always change your status to display your current online status.

How Do I Change My Instagram Active Status?

Instagram is mostly used on mobile devices. Menus may differ based on the device being used. However, the technique is the same for all.

Method #1: Turning Off the Instagram Active Status on a Smartphone

The steps are outlined below for everyone who uses Instagram on their smartphone or tablet. It is compatible with both Android and iOS smartphones.

1. Log in to Instagram on your mobile device.
2. In the lower right corner, tap the profile tab.
3. In the upper right corner, tap the hamburger menu icon.
4. Choose “Settings.”
5. Select “Privacy.”

• Scroll down to “Interactions” and choose “Activity status.”
• Turn off the toggle next to “Show Activity Status.” It should go from blue to gray.

You have now turned off your activity status. This means you’ll appear offline until you switch it back on. Toggling the status is the same as described above.

Method #2: Turning off the Active Status on Your Computer

Instagram’s first focus was on developing Instagram for mobile devices. However, the developers have enhanced the IG desktop website. The goal is to make it look like a mobile application. On Instagram’s desktop page, here’s how to turn off your activity status:

1. Log in to Instagram using your preferred web browser.
2. In the upper right corner, click on your profile image.
3. From the drop-down menu, choose “Settings.”
4. In the left menu, select “Privacy and Security.”
5. Uncheck the box next to “Show Activity Status” in the “Activity Status” section.

By turning off your activity status, you are not displaying your online status to anyone. When you turn off your activity status, you have the option of showing people when you are active. Don’t worry; you can change it whenever you want. If an Instagram user is online, a light green dot displays underneath their profile picture. If the user has been online and then logged off, a timestamp will appear to reflect when the user was last active on Instagram.

Conclusion

The majority of Instagram users are there to connect with friends and family, create content, or market their companies. Nobody is forcing you to display your presence on this site. It also does not prevent you from communicating and sharing stuff on the network. Instagram allows you to choose when you want to appear online. You can turn off active status on Instagram and use Instagram while you are offline. However, you will not be able to see the activity status of your followers or the individuals you search for or follow. It’s not a big concern in my opinion, especially if you want to keep a bit more privacy. Toggling the activity status will keep suspicious people away from you. Also, if you are an introvert, take advantage of it, even on social media. You’ll be online yet seem offline, and no one will bother texting you until you reply. How amazing is this feature?