Written By Deepti Ratnam
Published By: Deepti Ratnam | Published: Feb 28, 2026, 10:42 AM (IST)
Instagram displays your online status in the Active Status feature. When you send a message via direct messages, a green dot will appear next to your profile. This feature does not appeal to some users as it puts pressure on respondents to respond quickly. Unless you need to make your use of the app completely private, you can switch off Active Status in a few easy steps. When you are disabled, others will not be able to see when you are online or when was the last time you were active.
Active Status is on by default. This implies that your followers and friends are able to see that you are using the app. Most individuals like to look at the messages and scroll without anyone noticing that they are on. By switching off this, you can respond at your pace.
You can also no longer see when people are online after you turn Active Status off. This setting works both ways. When you turn it off, it remains inaccessible on all the devices you are logged into your account.