Instagram, a widely utilized social media platform, allows individuals to share images, videos, and messages with friends and followers. One of its features is the “Active Status,” which shows whether you are online or were active previously. Even though the feature can be helpful in staying connected, it is also a privacy concern for some users. If you do not want to share your online status, you can turn off the active status on Instagram. This tutorial will show you how to turn off this feature on the mobile application and web platform.
Understanding Active Status on Instagram
Active status on Instagram tells you whether a user is online or was last online. It informs this data to the individuals whom you are following or whom you have directly messaged. Once you turn the active status on, a green dot will appear next to your profile image on the direct message screen, and the followers can determine when you were last online. As helpful as the feature may appear to enable individuals to have a conversation, not everybody requires or desires it, especially those who prefer keeping things regarding their personal lives confidential.
Why Deactivate Active Status?
There are a number of reasons why you may want to disable your active status on Instagram:
- Privacy Issues: If you want your online activity to remain private, deactivating the active status can assist you in doing so.
- Spam Message Avoidance: Deactivating the active status can make it difficult for individuals to locate you online and thus minimize the chances of receiving spam messages.
- Focus and Productivity: By deactivating the active status, you will no longer be distracted by incoming messages and can focus on other things without constantly being required to respond to messages.
How to Turn Off Active Status in Instagram Mobile App
These are the steps to deactivate the active status in the Instagram mobile app:
- Open the Instagram App: Open the Instagram app on your phone and log in to your account if you have not yet.
- Go to Your Profile: Press on your profile picture at the lower right corner of the screen.
- Go to Settings: Tap the top right side three-line menu (the hamburger) on your profile page to get to the menu. Tap on “Settings” from the menu.
- Go to Privacy: Within the Settings menu, tap on “Privacy” to get privacy-related options.
- Choose Activity Status: Under Privacy, find and tap “Activity Status.”
- Disable Show Activity Status: Besides “Show Activity Status,” there will be a toggle switch. Disable the toggle switch in order to disable your active status. If the switch is disabled, your online status will not be shown to others.
How to Switch Off Active Status in Instagram Web Version
If you access Instagram on your computer through a web browser, then disabling the active status can also be done by following the steps mentioned below:
- Open Instagram Website: Open the official website of Instagram and sign in to your account.
- Go to Your Profile: Click on the profile icon which is situated at the top right corner of the screen.
- Access Settings: In the dropdown menu, click on “Settings” to get to the settings page.
- Go to Privacy and Security: On the left of the settings page, tap on “Privacy and Security.”
- Disable Activity Status: Scroll down to the “Activity Status” option. There is a checkbox next to “Show Activity Status.” Uncheck the box to turn off your active status.
Tips for Managing Your Privacy on Instagram
Shutting down your active state is just part of what you can do to protect your privacy on Instagram. Following are some tips that will guide you through controlling your privacy settings:
- Control Who Can View Your Posts: You can private your account, and only verified followers can see your posts. To private your account, go to Settings > Privacy > Account Privacy and switch on “Private Account.”
- Control Who See Your Stories: Control who sees and responds to your Instagram Stories in Settings > Privacy > Story. You can hide your story from specific people there and choose people who are allowed to reply to your stories.
- Restrict or Block Users: If you do not want interactions from certain people, you can restrict or block users. To restrict someone, go to their profile, touch the three dots on the upper right side, and select “Restrict.” To block a user, touch “Block” instead.
- Turn Off Read Receipts: Instagram will automatically show if you have read a message. To turn off read receipts, you can use the “Restrict” mode, which does not enable the sender to see if you have read their message or not.
Conclusion
Deactivating active status on Instagram is a simple yet effective way of enhancing your privacy and online identity management. Regardless of using the mobile or web version of Instagram, you can deactivate it easily. Through maintaining the control of active status and other options of privacy with yourself, you will be having a less distracting and more personal experience on Instagram.
Remember that turning off your active status provides you with more privacy but at the expense of not knowing whether other people are online or offline. According to your own preferences, choose the most appropriate settings for you. By these guidelines, you can take back control of your Instagram privacy and have a safer and more enjoyable social media life.