How to Turn Off Active Status on Facebook to Appear Offline

Read this guide to make it easier

Most messaging apps like Skype and WhatsApp allow you to switch between active and invisible status quickly. However, that isn’t the case with Facebook, as you will need to complete a set of actions before you can turn off your active status.

Having the ability to be invisible to some or most of your contacts is quite helpful in controlling your online visibility. It also allows you to concentrate on browsing social media with fewer distractions. This post will show you how to turn off active status on Facebook using different platforms.

Why Turn Off Your Active Status?

Some users benefit from becoming temporarily invisible on Facebook whenever they go online. After all, people use Facebook in different ways, and some wantbetter privacy. Meanwhile, some don’t want specific users or Facebook friends to know they are currently logged in to the social media platform.

Turning off your active status also prevents your Friends or specific contacts from seeing when you were last active on Facebook Messenger. However, turning the status off also prevents you from seeing when your friends or contacts have been last active as well.

The main challenge for most less-tech savvy Facebook users is finding out where to find this option on their user menu. While the location of the active status button is less conspicuous, you will find it is easy to navigate once you’ve read our guide.

Facebook in Web Browser

It is estimated that roughly 20-percent ofFacebook’s 2.89 billion userslog into their accounts using desktops and laptops. If you feel that you don’t want to be bothered by some or most of your contacts, here’s what you should do while using Facebook on your web browser.

  1. Select one of the options by ticking the circle next to it. SelectOkayto implement the changes.

While the options are pretty self-explanatory, a text on the bottom part of the pop-up further explains what each option does. The last two options also allow you to enter your contact’s names that you want to exempt or include to see youronline status.

Facebook Mobile App

Aside from desktops, you can also access your Facebook account through mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. However, you need to download the app first. Once you do, here’s how to turn off active status on Facebook.

Facebook Messenger App

As thesocial mediaplatform’s messaging service assistant, Facebook Messenger is one of the best ways to never miss a message from your friends. However, if you want to heighten your privacy for a short time, here is how to turn off active status on Facebook through this app.

Some Reminders About Turning Off Your Active Status on Facebook

Hiding your online status and remaining invisible to some of your Facebook friends offer some advantages and disadvantages. It’s a great way to deter people from contacting you so that you can concentrate more on other activities on Facebook.

However, it could also mean that some people might not contact you immediately after seeing you are inactive on the platform.

Below are some things you should also be wary of when turning off your active status:

Turning Off Your Active Status Won’t Hide You Completely

At some point, we all want to hide our active status from our Facebook friends or specific contacts. While people have different reasons for doing this, note that turning off your active status doesn’t mean you are completely hidden.

Even if you turn off your active status, there are still various ways people will know if you are offline or not. Case in point, people can still check your recent activity or post updates and from there figure out your actual status.

Do you also sometimes use Facebook while hiding that you are online? Please share with us your stories or experiences by commenting below.

Emma Collins is a freelance writer based in Croatia. She’s been writing articles on Windows, Android, Mac, iOS, social media, gaming, and more as a tech writer for over four years. Before starting as a writer, Emma used to be an English Language Teacher and cultural ambassador in Hokkaido, Japan. Currently, Emma and her husband run a digital marketing agency while doing freelance writing on the side.Read Emma’s Full Bio

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