What Activity Status Does and How to Turn It On or Off
Your activity status on Instagram is a small indicator that shows your followers when you were last active on the app. When it is turned on, people who visit your profile or message you can see a timestamp like "active now" or "active 2h ago." Turning it off hides that information — your followers will not know when you last used Instagram.
You control this setting separately for each person or group. You can hide your activity from everyone, show it to everyone, or choose specific people to hide it from. The setting takes effect when ready once you save it.
Key Takeaways
- Activity status is found in Settings and Privacy, under the Activity Status section, and you can turn it on or off for all followers at once.
- You can hide your activity from specific people without hiding it from everyone by using the "Hide activity from" option in the same menu.
- When you turn off activity status, you will no longer see other people's activity status either.
- The setting works across Instagram, Instagram Direct Messages, and the Facebook app if your accounts are linked.
- Turning off activity status does not delete your past activity history — it only stops showing new activity going forward.
Steps to Turn Activity Status Off for Everyone
Open Instagram and tap your profile icon in the bottom right corner. Then tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) in the top right, and select Settings and privacy.
Scroll down and tap Activity status. You will see a toggle switch next to "Show activity status." Tap it to turn the setting off. The toggle will turn gray, and your activity status is now hidden from everyone on Instagram.
Once you turn it off, your followers will no longer see when you were last active. If someone visits your profile or opens a direct message conversation with you, they will see no timestamp at all.
How to Hide Activity From Specific People Only
If you want to keep your activity visible to most people but hide it from certain followers, use the "Hide activity from" option instead of turning the setting off completely. Open Settings and privacy, then tap Activity status again.
Below the main toggle, you will see Hide activity from. Tap it and select the people or accounts you want to hide your activity from. You can add multiple people to this list. Your activity will remain visible to everyone else, but those specific accounts will see no timestamp when they check your profile or message you.
This approach is useful if you want privacy from certain people — a boss, an ex, or someone you do not want to know your habits — while staying visible to your regular friends and followers.
What Happens When You Turn Activity Status Off
When you disable activity status, two things change when ready. First, your followers cannot see when you were last active. Second, you will no longer see activity status for other people either — their profiles and messages will show no timestamps.
This is a trade-off built into Instagram's design. You cannot hide your activity while still seeing everyone else's. If privacy is more important to you than knowing when others are online, this is the right choice.
Your past activity history is not deleted when you turn the setting off. Instagram straightforward stops displaying new activity going forward. If you turn activity status back on later, the feature will work normally again.
Activity Status on Instagram Direct Messages
Activity status appears in your direct message conversations the same way it appears on your profile. When you turn off activity status in Settings and privacy, it hides your activity in both places at once.
In a direct message thread, you will see a timestamp under the other person's name if activity status is on for both of you. If you have hidden your activity, they will see no timestamp under your name. If they have hidden theirs, you will see nothing under theirs.
The setting also applies if your Instagram account is linked to a Facebook account. Your activity status will be hidden across both apps when you turn it off.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The most common mistake is thinking that turning off activity status is permanent. It is not — you can turn it back on anytime by going to the same menu and toggling it on again. Some people turn it off and forget they did, then wonder why no one knows they are online.
Another mistake is assuming that hiding activity status hides your read receipts (the checkmarks that show you have read a message). Activity status and read receipts are separate settings. You can turn off activity status but still have read receipts on, or vice versa. If you want to hide both, you will need to change the read receipts setting separately in Settings and privacy under Messages.
Do not assume that turning off activity status makes you invisible on Instagram. It only hides the timestamp. People can still see your posts, stories, and profile — they just will not know when you last used the app.
Turning Activity Status Back On
If you change your mind and want to show your activity status again, the process is the same. Go to Settings and privacy, tap Activity status, and toggle the switch back on. It will turn blue, and your activity status will be visible to your followers again.
If you used the "Hide activity from" option to hide your activity from specific people, you can remove them from that list by tapping Hide activity from again and unchecking their names. Once you uncheck them, they will see your activity status again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can people tell if I have turned off my activity status?
No. When you turn off activity status, people straightforward see no timestamp — they cannot tell whether you have disabled the feature or just have not used Instagram recently. There is no notification that tells them you have hidden your activity.
Does turning off activity status affect my stories or posts?
No. Your stories and posts will still be visible to your followers as usual. Turning off activity status only hides the timestamp that shows when you were last active on the app. It does not hide your content or make your profile private.
What is the difference between activity status and read receipts?
Activity status shows when you were last active on Instagram overall. Read receipts show whether you have read a specific direct message. They are separate settings — you can turn one off without affecting the other. Both are found in Settings and privacy.
If I hide my activity from one person, can I still message them?
Yes. Hiding your activity from someone does not block them or prevent you from messaging them. It only hides the timestamp that shows when you were last active. You can still send and receive messages normally.
Will my activity status turn back on automatically?
No. Once you turn off activity status, it stays off until you manually turn it back on. Instagram does not reset this setting, even if you log out and log back in or update the app.