What Active Status Does and How to Turn It Off

Active status is a feature that shows your friends and contacts when you are currently using Facebook or Messenger. When it is on, a green dot appears next to your name in chat lists, and people can see roughly when you were last active. You can turn it off entirely, hide it from specific people, or keep it on — the choice is yours and takes about 30 seconds to change.

Many people turn off active status for privacy reasons, to avoid the expectation of when ready replies, or straightforward because they do not want others tracking their online habits. Facebook lets you control this at the account level (affecting all your contacts) or customize it so some people see your status and others do not.

Key Takeaways

  • Active status can be turned off completely in Facebook settings, or you can hide it from specific people while keeping it visible to others.
  • On mobile, go to Settings and Privacy > Settings > Apps and Websites > Active Status; on desktop, use the same path from the menu icon.
  • If you turn off active status, you also stop seeing when other people are active — it works both ways.
  • Turning off active status does not hide your profile or past posts; it only stops showing when you are currently online.

Turn Off Active Status on Mobile (iPhone or Android)

Open the Facebook app and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right of the screen. Scroll down and tap Settings and Privacy, then tap Settings.

Scroll to the Apps and Websites section and tap Active Status. You will see a toggle switch next to "Show when you are active." Tap it to turn the feature off. Facebook will ask you to confirm — tap Turn Off to finish.

Once you turn it off, the green dot will no longer appear next to your name, and your last-active time will be hidden from everyone. The change takes effect when ready.

Turn Off Active Status on Desktop or Web Browser

Log into Facebook in your web browser. Click the menu icon (downward-facing arrow) at the top right of the page. Select Settings and Privacy, then click Settings.

In the left sidebar, click Apps and Websites. Look for the Active Status section and click on it. You will see a toggle switch labeled "Show when you are active." Click it to turn the feature off, then confirm your choice.

Hide Active Status From Specific People Only

If you want to stay active for most contacts but hide your status from certain people, you can customize this instead of turning it off completely. Go to Settings and Privacy > Settings > Apps and Websites > Active Status (same steps as above on either mobile or desktop).

Instead of using the main toggle, look for the option that says something like "Who can see your active status" or "Show active status to." Tap or click it, and you will see a list of your contacts. You can then choose to hide your status from specific people, specific groups, or everyone except certain people. Save your choices when you are done.

This approach is useful if you want to appear active to close friends or family but not to coworkers or acquaintances.

What Happens When You Turn Off Active Status

When you turn off active status, you stop showing a green dot or last-active timestamp to anyone. People can still message you, and you can still message them — turning off active status does not block communication or hide your profile.

One important side effect: when you turn off active status, you also stop seeing when other people are active. You will no longer see green dots next to your friends' names or know when they were last online. This is a trade-off built into the feature — it works both ways for privacy reasons.

Your past posts, photos, and profile information remain visible to whoever could see them before. Active status only controls the real-time "online now" indicator.

Turning Active Status Back On

If you change your mind, you can turn active status back on using the same steps. Go to Settings and Privacy > Settings > Apps and Websites > Active Status and toggle the switch back on. You can also adjust your custom settings at any time to show your status to different groups of people.

There is no waiting period or penalty for turning the feature on and off — you can change it as often as you want.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off active status hide my profile or make me invisible on Facebook?

No. Turning off active status only hides the green dot and last-active time. Your profile, posts, and photos remain visible to whoever could see them before. People can still find you, message you, and see your activity history.

Can I hide my active status from one person but show it to everyone else?

Yes. Use the custom settings option in Active Status to choose specific people or groups who cannot see your status. Everyone else will still see the green dot when you are online.

If I turn off active status, can people still message me?

Yes. Turning off active status does not affect your ability to send or receive messages. People can message you anytime, and you will receive notifications as usual.

Will my friends know I turned off my active status?

No. Facebook does not notify people when you change your active status settings. They will straightforward stop seeing the green dot next to your name, but Facebook does not tell them why.

Does active status affect Messenger separately from Facebook?

Active status applies to both Facebook and Messenger — they use the same setting. When you turn it off, it hides your status in both apps.