How to Turn Off Active Status on Instagram
One toggle hides your green dot and last-active time, and hides everyone else's from you. The steps, read receipts, and how to hide from one person.
To turn off your active status, open Settings and activity, tap Messages and story replies, and switch off Show Activity Status. Instagram's Help Center says to "Tap Toggle next to Show Activity Status to turn on or off your activity status" there. It's a two-way switch, though. With it off, "You also won't be able to see anyone else's Activity status," the Help Center says.
We read Instagram's Help Center as Google shows it on October 23, 2026. We didn't flip these settings on a live account.
How do you turn off your active status?
- Open your profile and tap the menu. It's the three lines in the top right.
- Tap Settings and activity. Then scroll to Messages and story replies.
- Tap Show activity status. It's under who can see you're online.
- Switch it off. Your green dot and your last-active time stop showing.
Instagram's topic page says that when it's off, "other people cannot see the green dot" next to your name.
What does each switch hide?
| Switch | What it hides |
|---|---|
| Activity status off | Your dot and last-active time |
| Read receipts off | "Seen" in that chat |
| Restrict someone | Your status from that person |
Instagram's Help Center and topic pages as Google showed them on October 23, 2026, and Proton VPN of July 14, 2026.
Can you hide your active status from one person?
Not with the activity switch. iGeeksBlog says "Instagram still doesn't allow selective active status visibility," so it's on for everyone or off for everyone. Restrict is the one per-person tool. Instagram says "The restricted person won't see when you're online," and Proton VPN adds they "won't know if you've read their messages" either. Our guide to knowing if someone blocked you compares block, restrict and mute.
How do you turn off read receipts?
| Setting | Where |
|---|---|
| One chat | Chat name, then Privacy and safety |
| All chats | Messages and story replies |
| Activity status | Messages and story replies |
Instagram Help Center and topic pages, as Google showed them on October 23, 2026.
For one chat, the Help Center says: open Messages, tap the chat, tap the chat name, then "Tap Privacy & safety" and switch off Read receipts. For every chat at once, Instagram's topic page says it "released an update allowing users to disable read receipts across all chats," in Messages and story replies.
Does this change your Threads status?
No. The Threads Help Center says "Your Instagram activity status doesn't impact your Threads online" status. Threads has its own switch, with the same trade: "When you turn off your online status, you won't see when others are online."
Does hiding your status hurt your reach?
Instagram doesn't say it does. Activity status is a messaging setting, and nothing in the Help Center ties it to how your posts are shown. If you're growing an account, Hclout's free tier gives 12 free Instagram likes and 100 free Instagram views on a public post, with no password, on the free page.
Frequently asked questions
How do you appear offline on Instagram?
Turn off Show Activity Status in Messages and story replies. Your green dot and last-active time disappear for everyone.
If I turn off my active status, can I see others'?
No. With yours off, you won't see anyone else's activity status either.
How do you turn off "Seen" on Instagram messages?
Turn off read receipts, either in one chat's Privacy and safety settings or for all chats in Messages and story replies.
Can I hide my active status from just one person?
Restrict them. A restricted person won't see when you're online or when you've read their messages.
Does turning off active status hide it on Threads too?
No. Threads has its own online status setting.
Sources
- Instagram Help Center pages on Activity Status and read receipts, and the Threads online status page, as Google showed them on October 23, 2026
- Instagram's topic pages and a reel of July 6, 2026 on the settings path, as Google showed them on October 23, 2026
- About Instagram, guide to Restrict, Mute, Block and Report, November 22, 2024, as Google showed it on October 23, 2026
- Proton VPN, July 14, 2026, read October 23, 2026, and iGeeksBlog, July 22, 2026, as Google showed it
- Google results for "how to turn off active status on instagram," US, October 23, 2026 (our read)
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