Social Media · Platform not recorded
Turn Off Activity Status on Instagram
Source-checked About 10 minutes
Answer
In Instagram settings, open Messages and story replies > Show Activity Status, then turn it off. You will also stop seeing when other accounts are active.
Understand what the setting hides
Activity Status controls the active dot and timestamps shown to people you follow and accounts you message. It does not hide likes, comments, story views, read receipts, posts, or other activity, so it is not a complete invisible or offline mode.
Open the intended Instagram account
Open Instagram, go to the profile, and confirm the username before changing privacy settings. If several accounts are signed in, Activity Status may need to be reviewed separately for each one.
Open messaging privacy settings
Open the profile menu > Settings and activity. Under How others can interact with you, choose Messages and story replies, then open Show Activity Status; labels may differ slightly between the app and web interface.
Turn Activity Status off
Disable Show Activity Status. If a second control for showing when you are active together appears, review it too, then leave settings and reopen the screen to verify the main switch remains off.
Check the reciprocal limitation
After turning it off, Instagram also prevents you from seeing when other eligible accounts are active, recently active, or active in the same chat. Send no test message if avoiding visible activity is important, because messaging creates other signals.
Video walkthrough
If it does not work
- If the switch is missing, update the official Instagram app, verify you are editing the correct account, and check Settings search for Activity Status. On a managed or supervised account, available communication controls may differ; do not use third-party 'invisible mode' apps or give them your Instagram password.
Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: Platform not recorded.
Follow the linked first-party guidance if labels differ after a platform or app update.