- To appear offline on Instagram, you will need to turn off your active status (or the green dot) that appears when you are online.
- On Android and iOS, go to Instagram profile -> hamburger icon -> Settings and privacy -> Messages and story replies -> toggle off Show activity status.
- Meanwhile, you will find the hamburger icon on the bottom left side of the website, and the rest of the steps remain the same as the mobile apps.
Whether you are uninterested in talking to someone or too lazy to reply to DMs, it is just harder to do either with your Instagram activity status turned on. Activity status on Instagram refers to you being shown as currently online (🟢) or recently active. However, the Instagram UI has changed a LOT over the years. This has made something as simple as turning off your activity status to appear offline on Instagram unnecessarily complex. To make things simpler for you, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to turn off active status on Instagram.
Note: When you turn off your active status on Instagram, do note you won’t be able to see anyone else’s active status as well. This includes not being able to see whether they are currently online or have been recently online.
How to Appear Offline on Instagram (Android & iOS)
Whether you are on Android or iOS, the steps to appear offline on Instagram are the same. So, I used my Android device in this case to show you how to go about it. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Open the Instagram mobile app and head to your profile from the bottom bar.
- Then, tap on the hamburger menu in the top right corner and select Settings and privacy.
- Here, scroll down to find the ‘How other can interact with you’ section. Under this, tap on the Messages and story replies option.
- Then, select the Show activity status option and toggle off the setting on the next page.
Doing this will instantly stop showing your online status, thereby, making you appear offline on Instagram for other users.
How to Turn Off Instagram Active Status on Web
Yes, you can even toggle off your activity status on Instagram from the web version as well. It is mostly similar to the mobile version, except for a couple of differences. However, to avoid any confusion, follow these steps:
- Head over to the Instagram website and log into your account.
- Now, you will see a “More” hamburger menu at the bottom left corner. Click on it, and then click on Settings in the pop-up menu.
- Now, scroll down and click on the Message and story replies option.
- Similar to the mobile version, you will then see the Show activity status option on the next page.
- Click on “Show activity status” and toggle off the setting.
Now that you know how to appear offline on Instagram, you can avoid conversing with unwanted users on the platform. Furthermore, this also provides a discreet way of browsing Instagram without the fear of having your friends find out that you are online and not responding to the memes they’ve sent.
However, if you want an anonymous browsing experience, there are even ways to view Instagram without an account. So, in case that’s something you are looking for, it’s very much possible. With that being said, let me know in the comments section if this guide helped you.
If you have turned off your active status on Instagram, you won’t be able to see someone else’s last seen either. Another obvious reason is that the other person has probably just turned off their active status on the platform.
Whether online or offline, you can easily use Instagram and all the features that it has to offer. When you head over to settings to toggle off your active status, Instagram displays a small message that reads, “You can continue to use our services if Active Status is off”.
Instagram also includes a feature called Vanish Mode. Using this, people can send disappearing messages, photos, and videos to each other. Whatever you send with the vanish mode turned on automatically disappears when you leave the chat or turn off the mode. To use the feature, open the Instagram mobile app -> open a chat -> swipe up till you see the release option -> release to turn on vanish mode.
