Active Status shows people when you were last online or whether you are active right now. It builds trust for some businesses and creates pressure for others. Here is how to control it.
How To Turn Off Active Status
- Go to your profile and open the menu, then Settings and activity.
- Tap Messages and story replies.
- Tap Show activity status and switch it off.
The setting works both ways: if you hide yours, you will not see other people’s status either.
Should A Business Hide It?
Keep it on if you want customers to see you reply quickly. A green dot can encourage a message. Turn it off if your team shares one account and you do not want people to see long gaps, or if you would rather answer at set hours.
Set Expectations Instead
Whatever you choose, state your reply time in your bio or in an auto-reply, for example “We reply within working hours”. Fast, polite answers matter far more than a status dot.
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When It Makes Sense To Turn Off Active Status
Active status is helpful for friends, but for a business it can create an unspoken promise of an instant reply. If your team is small, or if the account is managed from several phones, the dot often says more than you intend. Turning it off keeps conversations on your schedule.
What Changes After You Turn It Off
People will no longer see when you were last active. You will not see it for them either. Your account, posts, stories and direct messages work exactly as before, so nothing else needs to change in how you post.
- You can switch it back on whenever you like.
- The setting is per account, so check each one if you manage several.
- It does not hide your likes or comments.
Do Not Forget The Other Privacy Settings
Active status is just one setting. It is worth a few minutes to look at who can message you, who can tag or mention the brand, and whether story replies are open to everyone. A business account usually wants to stay open to new customers, so be careful not to lock things down so much that real enquiries get filtered out.
Tips For Teams
If more than one person handles the account, agree on who replies and when. A shared note with common answers saves time, and it keeps your tone consistent whoever is typing.
