Instagram hack: Tailor your online status like a pro
What's the story
Ever wondered how to keep your Instagram life a little less public or spy on when your friends are active without making it too obvious?
Well, Instagram's "Activity Status" feature is your ultimate tool for balancing privacy and staying in the loop.
Whether you're dodging certain DMs or just curious about your friends' late-night scroll sessions, this guide breaks it all down for Android users.
Ready to take control of your Instagram vibes? Here's how to tweak this underrated feature.
Settings navigation
Accessing and adjusting your online presence
To start personalizing your Activity Status, first open the Instagram app on your Android device and navigate to your profile page by clicking the profile icon located at the bottom right.
Then, click the three horizontal lines located at the top right of your profile page and choose Settings from the available options.
You will land on a page with options related to privacy and messaging.
Privacy controls
Managing your visibility
Go to Settings, then Privacy, then Messages and Story Replies or Privacy.
Look for Show Activity Status or Activity Status.
Turn this off to hide your online status. If you want to be seen as active, turn it on.
This way, you can choose who sees your online status or recent activity on Instagram, maintaining privacy or openness as you desire.
Online indicators
Understanding signs of activity
If you have "Show Activity Status" turned on, a green dot will be displayed next to your name in direct messages, signaling to others that you're online at the moment.
Also, markers like "Active Now" and "Active Today" let people know when you've been recently active - with "Active Now" indicating that you're currently using the app and "Active Today" showing that you've been active within the past 24 hours.
Social interactions
Observing others' activity states
To check if someone else is online on Instagram, go to your DMs by clicking the paper airplane icon at the top right corner of Instagram's main page.
Active users will be indicated by a green dot next to their profile picture.
Note that this is based on mutual settings, meaning you can only see someone's active status if they have also opted to share it.
Problem solving
Troubleshooting visibility issues
If you can't find the "Show Activity Status" option due to a potential app update glitch, make sure Instagram is updated to its latest version through the Google Play Store.
If issues continue even after trying to update, uninstall and reinstall Instagram. This often fixes hidden bugs that block access to features like activity status customization.