Feature
Activity status: meaning on Instagram
Also called: “green dot”, “active now”, “last active”
Definition
Activity status is the Instagram setting that shows a green dot or an "Active now" / "Active Xm ago" label next to your name in DMs and the inbox, telling contacts when you were last online. You can turn it off in Settings, but doing so also hides everyone else's activity status from you — the feature is reciprocal, not one-directional.
Activity status is only visible to people you follow or have messaged. It's a common source of relationship friction ("you were active but didn't reply"), which is why many people switch it off.
Turning it off is the trade-off: you gain privacy about your own online times but lose the ability to see when others were last active.
Frequently asked
Who can see my Instagram activity status?
Only accounts you follow or have DM'd with. It's not shown to strangers or accounts you don't interact with.
If I turn off activity status, can I still see others'?
No. Hiding your activity status also hides everyone else's from you — it works both ways.
Related terms
Last reviewed July 3, 2026
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