Facebook may be responsible for putting the word "social" in social media, but there are times when you don't want — or don't have time — to engage with friends.
If you want to log into Facebook without your friends knowing you're online, you can easily turn off your "active status" so you appear offline.
There are three different places where you can control your active status: on Facebook in a web browser, in the Facebook mobile app, and in the Facebook Messenger mobile app.
To turn off active status and appear offline on Facebook:
1. Open Facebook in a browser and log in, if you're not already.
2. Click the circular Messenger icon in the top-right corner.
Click on the Messenger icon in the corner. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider3. Click the three-dot icon at the top of the Messenger drop down.
Click the three-dot icon at the top of the Messenger sidebar. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider4.
Click Turn off Active Status in the drop-down menu.
5. A pop-up will appear asking if you want to Turn off Active Status for all contacts, Turn off Active Status for all contacts except, or Turn off Active Status for only some contacts. When you click the latter two options, a box will appear where you can enter the names of specific people.
Choose who you want to hide your active status from.
Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider 6. Click OK when you're done.
Note: You can also do this by clicking the Messenger icon in the top-right corner and clicking See all in Messenger at the bottom of the drop-down menu. Then, on the full-screen Messenger page, click the three-dot icon in the top-left corner, choose Preferences, click Turn off Active Status in the pop-up, and choose your active status.
1. Open the Facebook app on your phone.
2. Tap the three horizontal lines (called the "hamburger menu") in the top-right corner on Android or the bottom-right corner on iPhone.
3. Tap Settings & Privacy, and then tap Settings.
Tap "Settings" in the "Settings & Privacy" drop-down. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider4. Tap Active Status under the Privacy section.
5. Turn off Show when you're active by moving the slider to the left and then confirm by tapping Turn Off in the pop-up.
After swiping the slider to the left, select "Turn Off" in the pop-up. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider1.
Open the Facebook Messenger app on your phone.
2. Tap your profile's avatar at the top-left of the screen.
Tap your profile icon in the upper-left corner. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider3. Tap Active Status.
Select "Active Status." Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider4.
Turn off Show when you're active by moving the slider to the left and then confirm by tapping Turn Off in the pop-up.
Dave Johnson
Freelance Writer
Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.
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Facebook is the quintessential social network, but you may not always feel like being social every time you log in to your Facebook account. Whether it's because you don't have the energy or the time to engage with friends, you do have the option to browse Facebook without anyone knowing you're online.
The way to achieve this is by turning off your "Active Status," which can be done within the Facebook mobile app or on the Facebook website. The same global setting also lives in the Facebook Messenger app, allowing you to check your latest messages without friends jostling for your attention while you do. Keep reading to learn how it's done.
Note that there are a couple of additional options in the Active Status window that allow you to appear as active for some friends, but not others, and vice versa. Simply tap the edit button to select which friends you want to include in either list.
Note that when you turn off your Active Status in Facebook or Facebook Messenger, you won't see when your friends and connections are active or recently active either.
Tags: Facebook, Facebook Messenger
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February 11 Social media instructions
Contents:
Any user of the social network Facebook can have one of three online status options:
This article will walk you through all the options available to you to change your privacy settings.
If you access your Facebook profile using a computer, that is, the full version of the site www.facebook.com, then the sequence of actions to set up your online status will be as follows:
If you use the Facebook App mobile application to access the Facebook social network, that is, you log in via a smartphone or tablet, then in order to hide whether you are online or not, and, therefore, the time of your last visit, you need to perform the following steps:
In addition to the social network Facebook itself, the time of your last visit can also be tracked in the Messenger messaging application. In order to enable privacy settings in Messenger, you will need to follow these steps:
IMPORTANT.
Your Online status, as well as the time you last visited Facebook, can also be tracked in Messenger. If you hide this information on your profile page, don't forget to hide it in the messenger as well.
You may have already noticed that as soon as you turn off the "Online" display in your settings, you no longer see if your friends are online and when they last visited. The contact list, if you open Facebook from a computer, becomes a little dark.
And if you open the Messenger app for messaging, you won't see anyone marked "Online" in the "People" tab. But you can read a reminder from Facebook that in order to track the online status of your friends, you yourself must open your status for viewing.
This is a Facebook prerequisite: by hiding online information about yourself, you stop seeing the "Online" and "Recently visited" statuses of your friends.
CAUTION . If you block access to information about YOUR online presence, you will not be able to see the online status of other users.
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Finally, one more important tip, which at first glance is not entirely obvious.
Remember to adjust your privacy settings on ALL devices and ALL apps that you use to access your Page.
If you use both a computer, a tablet, and a smartphone to log into your Facebook page, and also messaging in Messenger, you need to hide the Online setting on each device. Otherwise, other users will see your presence online from those browsers where the status is not closed.
TIP . Check online privacy settings on all your devices and apps. If you are logged into an account with public access in any browser, then other users will see whether you are online or not and when you last logged in.
If you still have any questions about the privacy settings of the "Online" status, or you just would like to watch a video on this topic, then quite up-to-date information is displayed at the following links:
Post Tags: Facebook
Content:
Do you have no choice but to reply to someone and want to hide the time last seen online? If you want to hide Facebook's last activity time, you can do so after reading this article.
The "last active" timestamp is really, really annoying when everyone on your friends list knows about your login and usage schedule. And that green dot! This shows that you are currently available online. In the age of social media and tech savvy, it's important to have a few tips and tricks up your sleeve to help you maintain your privacy and avoid embarrassing situations.
As you know, you can disable your Facebook activity status, which also hides your online status in Messenger by default. To directly turn off the last active or last visited status in Messenger, you just need to click "Accessibility" in your profile settings and then click the "TURN OFF" button.
Facebook messenger is easy to use, except for your usual application to relax from time to time and even play games if you feel like it.
You can always hide the actions you do in the messenger, all you need to know is how.
Hiding online status by blocking someone on Facebook is not a good idea, you have a decent choice. Here we will share with you a step by step guide to hide your last visited status in messenger:
Step 1
Open your Facebook messaging app or go to messenger.com and sign in there. If you are not logged in, you will have to do so. This is a one-time process. After that, you can read and read without worrying about logging in again and again.
Step 2
In the upper right corner, click on your profile picture icon, which will redirect you to your profile settings.
Step 3
There you will see the "Availability" option. Just click on it.
Step 4
You now need to move the switch to the left to the off position.
A confirmation popup will appear. Just click "OFF". Once this is successfully completed, your active status will disappear.
This function works in both directions. If people can't see your online activity status, then the same applies to you. You will not be able to track their activities. However, you will remain active. You will receive all your messages on time, however your profile will be disabled.
In addition, the timestamp next to your profile name will indicate the time frame in which you disabled the activity status. And here you can freely work with your messenger without annoying people by finding out how long you have been online and when.
Note: In Messenger lite, this process is quite simple. The app has three tabs. On the latter, you will find that the first option is your profile name. Clicking the profile name will give you three options:
1. Edit in profile.
2. Disable online presence.
3. Active now.
There are slider buttons next to the second and third options.
Drag them to the left to hide your activity status. If you mainly use Facebook for chatting and nothing more, then Messenger Lite is for you. It is small in size and takes up relatively little space on your mobile phone compared to Facebook messenger.
Whether you're using an iPhone or Android device, you can easily hide your last activity or last seen time on Facebook or Messenger. Here in this article both methods will be introduced for your iPhone or Android to hide your online time for your Facebook account.
The best part is that you can see other people's status when your status is hidden from everyone.
If you want to see other people's online status and hide yours, you need to install two applications, Messenger and Facebook Lite on your iPhone.
After installation, follow these steps:
Step 1:
First of all, open your Facebook messenger and go to the chat section. You will see all people with an active status in their name. Now, in order to hide, you need to go to Messenger settings and manually turn off the active status.
As you know, previously on iPhone 6 you could see your name in the chat section where you could turn it off directly, but now after a recent update you need to do it manually in settings.
Step 2:
After you turn off the active status for yourself, you will have to return to the Facebook application and go to the chat section. There you will see that all active people will be listed there.
Don't worry, they won't be able to see your online status. It's all simple for your iPhone.
Note: settings may be slightly different for your iPhone 6, 7, or 8. That's why it's a good idea to check the settings tab in your messenger to find the "Active status" option in the privacy section to set it to "OFF".
If you are using Android, you may also need to Hide Last Seen on Facebook, Viber and WhatsApp.
The Unseen app for Android has made it much easier to use your apps in incognito mode.
Works well for Facebook Messenger, Facebook Lite, Viber and WhatsApp. One app to solve all your time stamping problems.
Install an application called "Unseen- No Last Seen or Read".
No fourth step! You're good to go.