How to Turn Off Active Status on Instagram (2025 Guide)

Ever feel like Instagram is a little too good at letting people know when you’re online? That tiny green dot next to your name in DMs, yep, that’s your active status.

It tells your followers and friends when you’re online or when you were last active. If you’re seeking a bit more privacy like me or just want to scroll in peace without being seen, turning off your active status is a smart move. I also turn it off when I want to scroll through the feeds for getting content ideas or enjoy my favorite Instagram Reels.

Here, I will break down how to turn off active status on Instagram and why it might be the best move for your digital well-being.

• Find the Instagram application on your mobile and open it.
• Log in to your account by entering your credentials. Skip this step if you already have access to your account.

• On the homepage, find the profile icon at the right-bottom corner of your mobile.

• Upon reaching your Instagram profile section, locate the horizontal lines at the top right of the mobile screen and click on them.

• If you have a personal account, a pop-up will appear. You must choose the Settings and Privacy menu. This will take you to the settings panel. On the other hand, if you have a professional account, clicking three horizontal lines will directly take you to the settings panel.

• Scroll down the settings menu until you see the Messages and Story Replies section under the “How others can interact with you” menu. Tap on it to access a new page.

• Find the Activity Status button and click it.

• Toggle the round head button to turn off the activity status on Instagram.

By disabling the activity status, other users will no longer see your online status as well as the last time you visited Instagram. Hence, you can keep your privacy intact.

• Open your desired browser and search for Instagram. Access the official website.

• Enter the correct credentials to log in to your account. 
• After entering your account, you will be able to see the homepage.

• Click on the More button found on the bottom left of the screen.

• Choose the Settings from the pop-up.

• Scroll the settings panel to reach the Message and Stories Reply option.

• In the new window, click on Show activity status on the right bar.

• Toggle the button to shut down the activity status on the Instagram website.

While turning off activity status on Instagram is a good privacy measure, you can also try the other settings options provided by Instagram. Some of the key tactics include turning your public account into a private one.

In this way, you can limit your interactions with the public and allow only a few users to view your posts. The second option is archiving the posts so that they remain visible only to you. You can always make them visible to the general audience by changing the settings.

1. Set Your Account to Private

When your account is private, only approved followers can see your posts, stories, and followers list.

• Go to Settings and Privacy > Account Privacy
• Toggle on Private Account

This is especially useful if you want to avoid random strangers viewing your content.

2. Limit Who Can Interact With You

Instagram lets you control who can comment, tag, or mention you.

• Navigate to Settings and Privacy > Interactions
• Adjust settings for Comments, Tags, and Mentions

You can restrict interactions to people you follow or block them entirely.

3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

This adds an extra layer of security to your account.

• Go to Settings and Privacy > Accounts Center > Password and Security
• Tap Two-Factor Authentication and follow the steps

Choose between text message or an authentication app for verification.

4. Review Login Activity

Check if any unfamiliar devices have accessed your account.

• Go to Settings and Privacy > Accounts Center > Password and Security
• Tap Where You’re Logged In

If you spot anything suspicious, log out and change your password immediately.

5. Manage Third-Party App Access

Apps connected to your Instagram can access your data.

• Visit Settings and Privacy > Website Permissions
• Remove any apps you don’t recognize or no longer use

This helps prevent data leaks from external sources.

6. Block or Restrict Problematic Users

If someone is bothering you or behaving inappropriately, use Instagram’s block or restrict features.

• Tap the three dots on their profile
• Choose Block or Restrict

Restricting lets you limit interactions without notifying the person.

7. Clean Up Your Instagram Followers List

Regularly review who follows you and remove anyone you don’t trust or recognize.

• Go to your profile > Followers
• Tap Remove next to any follower you want to delete

This keeps your audience curated and safe.

Turning off your active status is a small tweak that can make a big difference in how you use Instagram.

Instagram, being a highly popular social media platform, provides you with all the necessary tools to keep your experience intact and secure in this highly inflated digital world. Besides dismissing the online status, you can also have your hands on some other privacy measures, such as private account creation or archiving posts for an enhanced experience.