# Instagram activity status and “last active”, explained > How Instagram’s activity status and “Active 5m ago” work, who sees yours, how to turn it off, and why you can’t see when some people were last active. Canonical: https://www.peekdapp.com/guides/instagram-activity-status/ Last updated: 2026-11-04 Languages: [Deutsch](https://www.peekdapp.com/de/ratgeber/instagram-aktivitaetsstatus/), [English](https://www.peekdapp.com/guides/instagram-activity-status/), [Español](https://www.peekdapp.com/es/guias/estado-de-actividad-instagram/), [Français](https://www.peekdapp.com/fr/guides/statut-activite-instagram/) Instagram’s activity status shows people you follow and anyone you message when you were last active, or that you are online now. You can switch it off under Messages and story replies, but then you can’t see anyone else’s status either. This guide explains what the status shows, who can see it, how to turn it off on the app and on the web, and the common reasons you can’t see when someone was last active. Details are from Instagram’s Help Center as of November 2026. ## What activity status shows When activity status is on, Instagram shows it in a few places, mostly inside messaging: - **A green dot** next to someone’s profile picture means they are active now. - **A timestamp** such as “Active 25m ago” or “Active yesterday” in your direct inbox shows when they were last active. - **In-chat status** such as “In the chat” or “Typing…” when you have a conversation open. It shows *that* someone was using Instagram, not what they were doing. It does not reveal who they were talking to, what they looked at or how long they stayed. Instagram doesn’t document how precisely the timestamp is updated, so treat “Active 5m ago” as approximate. ## Who can see your activity status According to Instagram’s Help Center, when your activity status is on, **people you follow and anyone you message** can see when you were last active or are currently active. It is not shown to random visitors of your profile. The rule is reciprocal. You can see someone’s status only when **both** of you have activity status turned on, and only for accounts you follow or have direct conversations with. Instagram is explicit that if you turn yours off, you won’t see anyone else’s. | Situation | Can you see their status? | | --- | --- | | You follow them or have chatted, and you both have it on | Yes | | They turned activity status off | No | | You turned your own activity status off | No, for anyone | | You don’t follow them and have never messaged | No | | They restricted or blocked you | No | ## How to turn activity status off **On iPhone or Android:** 1. Tap your profile picture in the bottom right to go to your profile. 2. Tap the menu icon in the top right. 3. Under “How others can interact with you”, tap **Messages and story replies**. 4. Tap **Show activity status** and switch the toggle off. **On a computer:** click **More** in the bottom left, then **Settings**. Under “How others can interact with you”, click **Messages and story replies**, then **Show activity status**, and switch it off. You can turn it back on at any time. Keep in mind the trade-off: while yours is off, you won’t see when anyone else is active, including in shared chats. ## Why you can’t see when someone was last active If someone’s green dot or “Active” time has disappeared, the most common reasons are ordinary ones: 1. **They switched activity status off.** Many people do this for privacy. 2. **You switched yours off,** which hides everyone’s status from you. 3. **You don’t follow each other or haven’t chatted,** so Instagram doesn’t share it with you. 4. **They restricted you.** Restricted accounts can’t see when the other person is active (see [how to tell if someone restricted you](https://www.peekdapp.com/guides/how-to-know-if-someone-restricted-you-on-instagram/)). 5. **They blocked you**, in which case their profile also disappears for you (see [how to tell if someone blocked you](https://www.peekdapp.com/guides/how-to-know-if-someone-blocked-you-on-instagram/)). 6. **They simply haven’t opened Instagram** recently, so there is no recent activity to show. No single reason can be confirmed from the outside. A vanished status is a weak signal, especially in a relationship. If “Active now” while they aren’t replying to you is what’s bothering you, our guide to [signs of cheating on Instagram](https://www.peekdapp.com/guides/signs-partner-cheating-on-instagram/) explains why that kind of signal rarely means what we fear. ## “Last seen” trackers, and what Peekd shows Some apps promise to show when anyone was last online, or to log someone’s activity status over time. Instagram only shows activity status inside its own app, to people the user follows or messages, and only when both have it on. An outside service can’t read it for an account that hides it. Be careful with apps that ask for your Instagram login to try. **Peekd does not show activity status or last-active times.** It tracks public accounts and records new follows and unfollows with the date it first saw each change, sends real-time alerts, shows who doesn’t follow back and lets you view public stories anonymously. It cannot see private accounts, DMs or likes, and it never asks for a password. If you want to know when a public account’s following list changes, try the [Instagram follower tracker](https://www.peekdapp.com/instagram-follower-tracker/). ## Frequently asked questions ### Who can see my activity status on Instagram? People you follow and anyone you have messaged, as long as your activity status is on. It is not shown to everyone who visits your profile. ### If I turn off activity status, can I still see others’ status? No. Instagram hides everyone else’s activity status from you while yours is off. ### Can someone see that I was active if I only viewed their story? Activity status shows that you used Instagram, not what you did. Story views are separate: the person who posted can see you in their list of story viewers. ### Why does Instagram say someone is active but they don’t reply? Being active only means the app was open. They may be scrolling, replying to others, or just not ready to answer. It is not a signal about you. ### Can Peekd show when someone was last active on Instagram? No. Peekd doesn’t show activity status or last-active times. It tracks follows and unfollows of public accounts, dated from when tracking starts. ## Keep exploring - [Instagram follower tracker](https://www.peekdapp.com/instagram-follower-tracker/) - Look up a public account, then track who it follows and unfollows, with dates. - [Anonymous Instagram story viewer](https://www.peekdapp.com/instagram-story-viewer/) - Check an account, then watch its public stories without leaving your name. - [Did someone restrict you?](https://www.peekdapp.com/guides/how-to-know-if-someone-restricted-you-on-instagram/) - What Restrict hides, the indirect signs people look for, and why none of them is proof. - [Signs of cheating on Instagram](https://www.peekdapp.com/guides/signs-partner-cheating-on-instagram/) - The signals people notice, what they can and can’t mean, and how to talk about it.