How to Turn Off Active Status on Facebook to Appear Offline

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 want better 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 of Facebook’s 2.89 billion users log 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. On your favorite browser, go to Facebook.com and log in using your credentials. 
2. Select the Messenger icon located on the top-right corner of the webpage. 
3. Next, select the three-dot icon (…) at the drop-down menu below the Messenger icon. 

4. Then. under the Chat settings tab, select Turn off Active Status.
5. A pop-up will be displayed asking what you want to do with your Active Status. Here you can choose among the three options:

• Turn off active status for all contacts: If you don’t want any of your friends to see that you are online.  
• Turn off active status for all contacts except: If you don’t want to be seen online by most of your contacts. However, the ones you listed as exceptions will still be able to see your online status. 
• Turn off active status for only some contacts: If you still want most of your friends to see whenever you’re online while keeping it from people on the list.    

6. Select one of the options by ticking the circle next to it. Select Okay to 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 your online 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.

1. On your mobile device, tap the Facebook app. 
2. Next, tap the “hamburger menu,” which is the three horizontal lines icon. For Android devices, it’s located at the top right corner of the page. Meanwhile, iPhone devices usually have this icon at the bottom right corner. 

3. Tap Settings & Privacy. Then, tap Settings. 
4. Scroll down and under the Privacy section, tap Active Status. 
5. Then, move the slider to the left to turn off the Show when you’re active. A pop-up window will then appear asking if you want to Turn Off Active Status. Select Turn Off.

Facebook Messenger App 

As the social media platform’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. 

1. On your mobile device, tap the Facebook Messenger app. 
2. From the app’s main chat page, tap your profile’s avatar located at the upper-left corner of the screen. 

3. Next, tap Active Status.

4. To turn off your active status, toggle the slider next to the Show when you’re active . Finally, tap Turn Off in the pop-up notification. 

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:

• Disabling your active status on Facebook using its app or browser will not turn off your active status on Facebook Messenger. Hence, you also have to log in to Facebook Messenger and turn off your active status from there. 
• Turning invisible on the Facebook app will not automatically disable your active status on the web version. As such, you also need to turn off your status while being logged in to a browser. 
• Hiding your active status only applies to the specific device or app that you are using. Thus, if you want to remain invisible on all the devices you use, make sure you log in using each one and turn off your active status from each desktop, smartphone, or tablet. 

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.