How To Look Offline on Instagram?
Social media can be a peculiar realm.
At one moment, a user you follow is active and posts daily updates.
Then, they suddenly vanish, and you start to wonder if they’ve been absent for a long time.
However, this may not necessarily be the case, as some Instagrammers are skilled at flying under the radar.
So, how can you appear offline on Instagram?
The activity status feature tracks the time you spend online, allowing your friends to know when you’re active or offline on the platform. If you’ve been using these platforms for a while, you’re aware that they can invade your privacy.
Fortunately, Instagram only reveals these details to users you privately message or follow. Nevertheless, it’s useful to hide your activity status when you want to play tricks on your followers. Here’s how you can appear offline on Instagram even if you’re actually online.
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What Appearing Offline on Instagram Does?
Appearing offline on Instagram while being online can have various implications, all of which revolve around your activity status.
By disabling your activity status to appear offline, you effectively conceal your online presence from your followers and other users:
- Your online activity, including browsing newsfeeds, stories, reels, and IGTVs, will not be visible to anyone.
- Your followers will not see when you were last online. Many individuals employ this tactic when they wish to avoid interactions with their followers or when they are too occupied to respond to messages promptly.
- It allows you to hide nearly all aspects of your activity status on your profile. Conversely, you will also be unable to see the activity statuses of others.
In essence, appearing offline on Instagram by disabling your activity status grants you the ability to maintain a level of privacy and control over your online presence.
What Is a Public Figure on Instagram?
Reasons for Wanting To Appear Offline on Instagram
There are several reasons why individuals opt to appear offline on Instagram. Here are some situations that may prompt you to consider turning off your IG activity status:
- Dealing with persistent individuals who bother you when they see you online, but you don’t want to block them.
- Wanting to prevent people you have previously connected with from taking advantage of your online activity status.
- Simply experimenting with the feature for amusement and to explore how it works.
Regardless of your motivations for switching to offline mode, the Instagram feature can prove beneficial. You always have the option to change your status and reveal your online presence again.
How To Change the Activity Status on Instagram?
The majority of people use Instagram on their mobile devices. While the menus may vary depending on the device you’re using, the procedure remains the same across all platforms.
Method #1: Turning Off the Instagram Activity Status on a Smartphone
Here is the process for users of Instagram on smartphones or tablets, applicable to both Android and iOS devices:
- Open the Instagram app on your mobile device and log in.
- Tap on the profile tab located in the bottom right corner.
- Tap the hamburger menu icon situated in the top right corner.
- Select “Settings and Privacy.”
- Scroll down and tap on the “Show Activity Status” option found under the “Who Can See You’re Online” section.
- Turn off the toggle switch next to the “Show Activity Status” option. The color of the toggle switch should change from blue to gray.
- Your activity status has now been toggled off, meaning you will appear offline until you decide to turn it on again. The process for toggling the status remains the same as mentioned above.
Method #2: Turning Off the Activity Status on Your PC
Initially, Instagram primarily focused on developing its mobile application. However, the developers have now expanded the features available on the Instagram desktop website, aiming to create a user experience that closely resembles the mobile app.
To toggle off your activity status on Instagram’s desktop website, follow these steps:
- Open your preferred web browser and navigate to Instagram. Log in to your account.
- Click on your profile picture located in the top right corner of the screen.
- Next to the “Edit Profile” button, click on the settings icon.
- Select the “Settings and Privacy” option.
- Uncheck the “Show activity status” option under the “Activity status” section.
- By toggling off your activity status, you will no longer display your online status to others. However, when you turn off your activity status, you won’t be able to see the online status of other users as well.
- Rest assured, you can modify this setting as frequently as you desire.
On Instagram, a light green dot appears next to a user’s profile picture to indicate their online status. If a user has recently been online and then logged off, a timestamp will display the last time they were active on Instagram.
Wrap Up
The majority of Instagram users are present on the platform to connect with friends and family, create and share content, or promote their businesses.
