How to Turn Off Active Status on Facebook

Are you tired of constantly being shown as active on Facebook? Do you want to regain your privacy and take control of your online presence? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will guide you to turn off active status on Facebook, allowing you to browse and use the platform discreetly.

Now, you may wonder what green dots mean on Facebook. Those small green dots next to your friends’ names indicate they are active on Facebook. While the active status feature helps connect with friends, some users may prefer to hide it. Let’s begin with understanding what happens when you turn off your active status on Facebook.

What Happens When You Turn Off Active Status on Facebook

When you turn off your Facebook active status, other users won’t see if you’re currently active on Facebook or when you were last active. This feature provides you with more privacy and control. By turning off your active status, you can browse Facebook without appearing online to others.

When your active status is disabled, you also won’t see the active status of other users on Facebook. This means you won’t see the green dot or indicator showing if someone is online. It’s important to note that turning off your active status doesn’t affect your ability to send or receive messages, and you can still engage with content and interact with others on the platform.

Also Read: How to turn off your birthday on Facebook

How to Turn Off Active Status on FB Using Desktop

Turning off your active status on Facebook will prevent your friends from seeing you online and when you were last active. If you use Facebook Messenger on your desktop, here are the steps to follow:

Note: You must turn off your active status on all the devices you’ve logged into to go offline on Facebook Messenger entirely.

Step 1: Open Facebook from your preferred browser and click on the Messenger icon in the upper-right corner of the page.

Step 2: From the drop-down menu, click on the three-dot icon.

Step 3: In the Chat Settings menu, select Active Status.

Step 4: You will see an Active Status pop-up; toggle off the slider and press the Save button.

There you go. You have successfully turned off your green light on Facebook with ease. Sometimes, you will be shown as available even after turning off the active status. Well, in these cases, we recommended logging out from your account. 

How to Turn Off Online Status on the Facebook App 

If you want to be invisible on Facebook, you should disable your Active Status in the Facebook app on your Android or iOS device. Follow the below steps.

Step 1: Open the Facebook app on your device and tap on your profile picture in the upper right corner.

Step 2: Scroll down and select ‘Settings & Privacy.’ From the drop-down, tap on Settings.

Step 3: Under the ‘Settings & privacy’ screen, scroll to the ‘Audience and visibility’ section and tap Active Status. Toggle off the ‘Show when you’re active’ option on the next screen.

Step 4: In the ‘Turn off Active Status?’ pop-up, tap on Turn Off.  

That’s it. The green dot indicating your availability will be disabled, and you will appear offline on FB. If you want to turn off your active status on your mobile, continue reading. 

How to Turn Off Active Status on Messenger

Turning off Active Status in the Messenger app is no different than turning the Status off in the Facebook app on your mobile device. However, you must install the Messenger app on your device for this method. With that, follow the below-mentioned steps.

Step 1: Open the Messenger app on Android or iOS devices. Navigate to the three horizontal lines icon in the top left corner.

Note: Alternatively, open the Facebook app and tap on the Messenger icon in the top right corner to open it. 

Step 2: Tap the Settings (gear) icon from the side pane. In the Me screen, tap on Active status under Profile.

Step 3: On the next screen, toggle off ‘Show when you’re active.’ From the drop-down menu, select your preference and tap Pause. 

There you go. You have disabled the active status from the Messenger app with ease. Continue reading if you don’t want to disable the active status completely, but only allow a few of your Facebook friends to see it.

Also Read: Can I see who viewed my Facebook Story

How to Control Who Can See You Online on Facebook From Web

Control over your online visibility can be crucial in a time of need. The steps are simple. Note that you don’t have the same options to execute using Facebook or Messenger apps. So, it would help if you stuck to the web browser to execute the method.

Step 1: Open Facebook from your preferred browser and click on the Messenger icon in the upper-right corner of the page.

Step 2: From the drop-down menu, click on the three-dot icon.

Step 3: In the Chat Settings menu, select Active Status.

Step 4: You will see an Active Status pop-up toggle on the slider. Enable it. 

Step 5: Click on Edit next to ‘Active Status: ON for some.’

Note: Instead, you can select the ‘Active Status: OFF for some’ option and be invisible to selected profiles.

Step 6: In the Add people pop-up, search, add friends, and click Save. 

Step 7: Finally, click Save to make yourself visible to selected profiles. 

There you have it. You have turned your profile off from everyone’s eyes. If you have any queries we missed addressing, check out the FAQ section below. 

FAQs on Turning Off Your Facebook Active Status

Keep Your Peace of Mind

Now that you know how to turn off active status on Facebook, you have the tools to stay hidden, allowing you to engage with the platform on your terms. If ready, you can take it further and uninstall Facebook and Messenger.