How to not show online on telegram
How to Hide Your “Last Seen” Status on Telegram
By Shan Abdul
Don’t want people to know the last time you were on Telegram? Follow this guide to hide your “last seen” status from some or all of your contacts.
Image Source: CanvaTelegram allows its users to hide their “last seen” status, which refers to the last time they used the app. You can hide it from all of your contacts at once, or hide it from a select few contacts. By concealing your last seen time, you can ensure no one knows when you were last online on Telegram. We’ll show you how to do it on an iPhone or Android device below.
In both Android and iOS, hiding the “last seen” status is virtually the same, except for the different location of the settings option. Therefore, no matter which device you’re using, you can hide the status the same way.
To hide your “last seen” status on Telegram, follow these steps:
- Open the Telegram app.
- Navigate to the settings. On an iPhone, tap the gear icon located in the lower-right corner. On an Android device, tap the three lines in the top-left corner.
- Tap on the Privacy and Security.
- Then, go to Last Seen & Online.
3 Images
Here you’ll have three options to choose who can see your timestamp. Let’s briefly discuss what each option does:
- Everybody: No one will be able to see your “last seen” status with this option.
- My Contacts: This option hides the “last seen” status from only your contacts.
- Nobody: Anyone will be able to see your “last seen” status.
Related: Why You Might Want to Stop Using Telegram
To hide your last seen status from certain contacts, follow the steps below:
- Navigate to Settings > Privacy and Security > Last Seen & Online.
- Tap on Add Users, under Exceptions.
- Select the exact contacts you want to hide the “last seen” status from, then hit Done in the top-right corner.
3 Images
Adding contacts to the exception list will hide Telegram’s “last seen” status for those contacts. To add new users to the exception list, tap Add Users or Groups. To remove one, tap on the Edit option in the top-right corner of the Never Share window. Then, tap on the minus sign (–) located in front of the contact name and hit Delete.
3 Images
Hopefully, you’ll now be able to foolproof your privacy by hiding your online status in Telegram. Prying eyes will no longer be able to see the last time you were online. Although you might consider Telegram more secure than other instant messaging apps, that’s not necessarily the case. With the end-to-end encryption off, numerous disclaimers in the privacy policy, and many other reasons, it’s not always as safe as you think.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Related Topics
- Social Media
- iPhone
- Android
- Telegram
- iPhone Tips
- Android Tips
- Privacy Tips
About The Author
Shan Abdul is a Staff Writer at MUO. Having used Windows for over a decade, he's accumulated plenty of experience with the OS. He's been writing on a variety of Windows topics for over three years, incorporating his expertise to teach readers how to get the most out of their Windows devices and resolve issues with the operating system.
How to Hide Your Online Status in Telegram
All online apps and sites seem to be tracking people’s activity and status. In some cases, this can be convenient, but most of the time it feels intrusive and an infringement on your privacy. Basically, there is no privacy, not anymore.
If you’re online, you’re clearly visible to almost everyone. The same goes for Telegram; a great new messaging app. But by default, all your connections can see your online status. This can be slightly annoying and unwelcome.
Keep reading to find out how to hide your online status on Telegram across all major platforms (Android, iOS, Mac, etc.).
How Online Status Works in General
Telegram is becoming a very popular messaging app. It’s incredibly fast and secure, which is attractive to many people. Since Facebook had many privacy fiascos, including leaked personal info, etc. many users decided to stop using it.
Some people still use Messenger, but ditching Facebook altogether seems like a smarter move. Instagram has the same problems as Facebook, and the same goes for WhatsApp. Essentially, all of these apps are owned by Facebook, and therefore present the same problems.
Telegram picked up a thing or two from these major players. Their online status works the same way as it does on every other social media platform. Whenever you’re connected to Telegram, your connections can see that you’re online.
This could be easily compared to stalking because modern technology is, in fact, doing just that. We all choose not to pay too much attention to it, but if you give it a little thought, it’s rather unpleasant and unnecessary.
How Online Status Works on Telegram
You can easily avoid this, and change your online status settings on Telegram. If you do, instead of showing your online status to all your connections, Telegram will show them that you were recently active.
Recently active status can mean a number of things, and isn’t as accurate as of the alternative. You should know that this goes both ways, meaning that if you disable your online status, you also won’t be able to see the online status of your contacts.
This only seems fair. If you want people to mind their business, then mind your own business too. If you want to have a conversation in real-time, phone calls seem like a better option. Texting is a good alternative, the person will reply when they have the time. The same goes for messaging on Telegram.
People have really unrealistic expectations and expect an answer right away. If you’re a busy person, or you value your privacy, consider disabling your online status.
How to Hide Online Status on Telegram
You can use Telegram on many operating systems, including Android, Windows, macOS, iOS, etc. Make sure to download the latest app version from Telegram’s official website. When you’re ready, follow the steps to hide your online status on Telegram on iOS and Android devices:
- Launch Telegram on your smartphone or tablet.
- Tap the hamburger icon the top-left corner of the screen (three horizontal lines).
- Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
- Then, choose Privacy and Security.
- Select the Last Seen & Online option.
- Choose between Everybody, My Contacts, and Nobody. We suggest selecting Nobody. Confirm the change by selecting the checkmark icon.
- Confirm the prompt with OK.
How to Hide Online Status on PC
Follow the steps to change your online status on Telegram if you’re using a Mac or Windows computer:
- Open the Telegram app.
- Click on the hamburger menu.
- Select Settings from the list of options.
- Then, choose Last seen & online (Privacy and Security tab).
- Select Nobody (or my contacts).
- Click on Save.
- Confirm the prompt with Continue.
That’s how you disable the online status on Telegram. As mentioned before, this will go both ways. If you chose Nobody, therefore, then you won’t see anyone’s online status on Telegram, but you will also stay hidden yourself.
If you only select My Contacts, then you’ll still be able to keep track of who’s online. Personally, I don’t find that ability to be worth the price of having your online privacy stripped down. Maybe that will suit you, but each to their own.
Stay Under the Radar
Online privacy is a myth. Not to sound paranoid, but you should take care when sharing personal information online. Your online status is a great giveaway as to your current activity. Sure, it’s great to let your friends and family know where you are at all times, but that information shouldn’t be given to strangers.
People can easily track your IP and find your actual physical location if you’re careless. It’s best to disable your online status on all apps and social media. You can go a step further, and use a VPN service to ensure your privacy.
Feel free to comment in the section below.
How to hide your online status in Telegram
It seems that all online applications and sites track people's activity and status. This can be handy in some cases, but most of the time it feels intrusive and a violation of your privacy. Basically, there is no privacy anymore.
If you are online, you are visible to almost everyone. It's the same with Telegram; great new messaging app. But by default, all your contacts can see your online status. This can be a bit annoying and undesirable.
Keep reading to learn how to hide your online status on Telegram on all major platforms (Android, iOS, Mac, etc.).
Programs for Windows, mobile applications, games - EVERYTHING is FREE, in our closed telegram channel - Subscribe :)
How online status works in general
Telegram is becoming a very popular messaging application. It's incredibly fast and secure, which appeals to many. Because Facebook has had many privacy issues, including leaking personal information, etc. Many users have decided to stop using it.
Some people still use Messenger, but moving away from Facebook seems like a smarter move. Instagram has the same problems as Facebook and the same with WhatsApp. Essentially, these apps are all owned by Facebook and therefore present the same problems.
Telegram has adopted something from these big players. Their online status works just like it would on any other social media platform. Whenever you are connected to Telegram, your connections can see that you are online.
This can easily be compared to persecution, because that's what modern technology does. We all prefer not to pay too much attention to it, but if you think about it a little, it's rather annoying and unnecessary.
How Telegram online status works
You can easily avoid this and change your Telegram online status settings. If you do this, instead of showing your online status to all your contacts, Telegram will show them that you've been active recently.
Recent active status can mean several things and is not as accurate as the alternative. You should be aware that this works both ways, meaning that if you disable your online status, you won't be able to see your contacts' online status either.
It only seems fair. If you want people to mind their own business, don't forget yours. If you want to talk in real time, phone calls seem like the best option. Text messages are a good alternative, the person will respond when they have time. It's the same with messaging in Telegram.
People really have unrealistic expectations and are looking forward to an answer right away. If you are a busy person or value your privacy, consider turning off your online status.
How to hide your online status in Telegram
You can use Telegram on many operating systems, including Android, Windows, macOS, iOS, etc. Don't forget to download the latest version of the app from the official Telegram website.
When you're ready, follow these steps to hide your online status on Telegram on iOS and Android devices:
-
- Launch Telegram on your smartphone or tablet.
- Touch icon in the upper left corner of the screen ( three horizontal lines) .
- Select " Settings " from the drop-down menu.
- Then select Privacy and Security .
- Select the option " Last seen and online ".
- Choose between " All ", " My contacts " and " Nobody ". We suggest choosing Nobody . Confirm the change by clicking the tick icon .
- Confirm the request with OK .
How to hide your online status on PC
Follow the instructions to change your online status on Telegram if you are using a Mac or Windows computer:
- Open the Telegram app .
- Click on the menu ( three horizontal lines) .
- Select Settings from the list of options.
- Then select " Last seen and online " (tab " Privacy and security ").
- Select Nobody (or my contacts).
- Click Save .
- Confirm the request by pressing " Continue ".
This is how you disable the online status in Telegram. As mentioned earlier, this will happen in both directions. Therefore, if you have selected "No one", then you will not see anyone's online status in Telegram, but you will also be hidden yourself.
If you only select "My Contacts", you can still keep track of who's online. Personally, I don't think this ability is worth cutting back on your online privacy. It might work for you, but to each his own.
Stay under the radar
Online privacy is a myth. To avoid appearing paranoid, you should exercise caution when sharing personal information online. Your online status is a great indication of your current activity. Sure, it's great to have your friends and family always know where you are, but this information should not be shared with strangers.
People can easily trace your IP and find your real physical location if you're not careful. It is best to disable your online status in all apps and social networks. You can go further and use a VPN service to ensure your privacy.
Feel free to comment in the section below.
Programs for Windows, mobile applications, games - EVERYTHING is FREE, in our closed telegram channel - Subscribe :)
Record marks: # Telegram
how to hide the status "online" in Telegram. This may be necessary in situations where you want to be invisible so that no one knows that a person is online and does not specifically read the message.
CONTENT OF THE ARTICLE:
Why and when should you hide "online"?
The online status can be classified at any time if necessary. This function will come in handy in cases where, for example, it is necessary that the boss does not find, or there is no desire to respond to incoming messages, but at the same time you do not want the interlocutors to think that they are being ignored.
Thanks to the “invisible” mode, you can use Telegram in such a way that other people will not notice it. Although a person is online, others see him only offline.
Privacy settings
There is nothing complicated in the privacy settings of a Telegram account, although at first glance they may seem confusing. To add the necessary changes, open the “Settings” item, and then go to the “Privacy and Security” group. There you can choose the "online" or "offline" mode.
Stealth mode
In fact, there is no mode called "stealth". If a person wants to make his presence in the messenger invisible, he just needs to open a special menu. There it will be possible to establish for whom the status "online" and the time of the last visit will be visible, and for whom not. At the same time, those who are not lucky enough to be on the blacklist see not an empty line, but the approximate time the user was present. As a result, the “online” status itself is hidden.
Was online recently
If you don't know when the person last logged in, this is often inconvenient. Because of such privacy, it is difficult to understand how a person uses Telegram. Therefore, if the status is hidden, usually the inscription "was recently" is displayed under the nickname. Thanks to her, it is easy to understand that from time to time the user enters the application, while remaining invisible.
Self-destructing accounts
Large companies often create user bases and save them to send spam, advertising. There is no such thing in Telegram. Messenger owners prefer to use server space for more useful things. In order to save free space, they created self-destructing accounts.
So, if a person does not use the application for 6 months, then his page, as well as all correspondence stored on it, photos, videos and contacts, will be deleted. If the profile is removed in this way, then it will be impossible to restore it. To continue using Telegram, you will have to register and verify again.
A six-month period of inactivity is automatically set, after which the account will self-destruct. If the account owner wants, he can set a different time period, starting from 1 month and ending with a year.
How to make "invisible" in Telegram?
As for setting "invisibility" in Telegram, it's very easy to do. It only takes a few clicks to activate the option. Turning it off is easy too. True, here it is worth considering that the algorithm of actions may differ slightly, depending on which device the program is used on. Therefore, it is worth considering all options.
On the phone
Activation of anonymity should, first of all, be considered on gadgets with Android and iOS operating systems. Even those who do not have much experience in using devices can do this. It is enough to open the application and follow the established algorithm.
Android
You can hide your "online" on Android like this:
- Open the main Telegram page and open "Settings".
- Among all the tabs available there, stop on "Privacy", click on it.
- Next, go to the "Last activity" tab.
A new window will open where you can set the status. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that if a person hides “online” from others, then he will not be able to see the time of their stay on the network. Only the approximate time of finding will be written, like “was recently” or “this week”.
iPhone
As for the iPhone, it will be possible to hide your activity in Telegram on it in the same way as on android. However, since the application is adapted for operation on iOS, turning on the "invisibility" turns out to be slightly different.
On the iPhone, you can hide your presence on the network like this:
- Open the "Settings" tab, and then find the "Privacy" item.
- Find the column "Last Activity".
Then the section opens, with the help of which you can edit your status "Online". As in Android phones, if a person hid the status from everyone, then he will not know the exact time spent on the network of other personalities.
On a computer
On a PC, removing the "online" status is just as easy as on the aforementioned devices.