How to Turn Off Active Status on Instagram

To turn off active status on Instagram, open Settings and privacy → Messages and story replies → «Show activity status» and switch the toggle off. After that, people you message in Direct will no longer see that you are online or «active N min ago».

What «active status» on Instagram actually is

Active status is the small green dot and a label such as «active now» or «active 10m ago». It is visible to people you have messaged in Direct, and in some parts of the app to people you follow. Many users find it intrusive: it reveals when you open the app, even if you are just scrolling your feed and do not want to chat with anyone at that moment.

How to turn off active status on Instagram: step by step

The exact wording of each item may vary slightly by app version, but the logic is the same:

1. Open your profile and tap the menu icon (three lines) in the top right corner.
2. Go to «Settings and privacy».
3. Find «Messages and story replies» (in some versions it is simply «Privacy» → «Activity status»).
4. Locate the «Show activity status» toggle.
5. Switch it off — the slider should turn grey.

That is it. Changes apply immediately; you do not need to restart the app.

An important catch: this works both ways

This is the key point people often miss. Active status is a mutual feature. The moment you hide your own online indicator, you also stop seeing other people's activity status. In other words, you will no longer know who of your contacts is currently online. If seeing your friends' online status matters to you, you will have to weigh which is more useful — your privacy or that information about others.

Does this hide read receipts?

No. That is a separate feature. Turning off your activity status does not hide the fact that you have seen a message in Direct. If you open a chat and view the text, the sender will still get a «Seen» mark. Unlike activity status, read receipts in Direct cannot be disabled with the same toggle. The only reliable way to avoid showing that you read something is to not open the chat fully (for example, reading the start of a message from the notification).

Third-party «who viewed you» apps — avoid them

Everything above is done inside Instagram itself and for free. If you come across services or apps that promise to «show who viewed your profile» or «who saved your photo», be aware that the official Instagram does not share that data, so such promises are mostly bait. Never enter your Instagram login and password on third-party sites or in such apps — that is the most common way people lose access to their accounts. Manage your privacy only through the app's built-in settings.

A quick note on growing your account

If your goal is fast growth, check out Instagram followers on SMM Hub: safe, no password, with gradual delivery.

Privacy is about comfort, but if you run an account for an audience, reach and engagement matter more. There is no magic button here: content, consistency, and genuine interaction with followers do more than anything else. If you need a starting push for your base metrics, buying engagement can be one option, but it is an add-on rather than a replacement for real audience work — and it comes with its own risks. We covered this honestly in our article on is it safe to buy followers. If you want to test the waters for free first, take a look at our free Instagram services, and the bigger picture is laid out in our guide on how to grow Instagram.

In short

• Path: Settings and privacy → Messages and story replies → «Show activity status» → off.
• It is mutual: you also stop seeing other people's online status.
• The «Seen» mark in Direct is not disabled by this toggle — it is a separate feature.
• «Who viewed your profile» apps are bait — never enter your login and password into them.
• Menu wording may differ depending on your app version.