How to Disable Instagram’s “Activity Status” Feature on Social Media

Instagram’s Activity Status functionality allows other Instagram users – the people you follow as well as the users you have personally messaged – to see whether you are currently using the application.

If you recently logged out of Instagram, then the functionality will inform other users the time when you were last active. This means that if you opened the Instagram app and closed it 15 mins ago, then other users can see that you were active 15 mins ago.

Now, admittedly some users, like social media influencers, need to announce their presence to their followers. Therefore, it’s an excellent feature to help this user base. However, there are people who enjoy their personal space and don’t want to broadcast when they are on the application.

Pros & Cons of Disabling Activity Status

As it is your social media, you should use it any way you see fit, but you should also be aware of your options. There are a few benefits and drawbacks when it comes to hiding your activity status, and they mainly boil down to your privacy concerns and if you are a casual user or you use your Instagram as a marketing platform.

If you want to use your Instagram account as a marketing platform, you might want to read the Instagram Secrets by Jeremy McGilvery that talks about the ways you can go about raising your Instagram popularity.

 

You may feel that privacy isn’t that big a deal and users who would not prefer the functionality don’t need to turn it on. Well, that’s the actual problem, the feature is turned on by default, and most people don’t know how to disable it.

If you would like to keep your online status private then you have come to the right place. We have prepared a step by step guide to help you Disable Instagram’s “Activity Status” Feature on Social Media.

Let’s Get Started

Step 1: Open the Instagram App, tap on your Profile Icon located at the bottom corner of the screen.

Step 2: Go to the Settings icon (the gear shaped icon) located on your profile page.

Step 3: Here you will find options. Scroll down to the “Show Activity Status” button. By default, it is turned on, you need to toggle it off.

Step 4: Now exit and use Instagram as usual. Your fellow users will not be able to see that you are online/active anymore.

One of the side-effects of disabling the “Activity Status” Feature is that you won’t be able to see when other people are active or the time they were last active. But that is only fair – if you prefer your own privacy, then you should be willing to give other people their anonymity as well.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the “Activity Status” feature needs to be disabled with each of your Instagram accounts and isn’t a one-time fix for multi-account holders.

If you are running multiple Instagram accounts from a single App, then you will have to disable the functionality on all your accounts individually, one by one.