Facebook’s activity status feature allows your friends and connections to see when you’re online or were last active on the platform. While this feature can be useful for staying connected, some users may prefer more privacy and wish to turn it off. Disabling your activity status ensures others won’t know when you’re active, offering a greater sense of discretion while using Facebook. To turn off this feature, you need to navigate to your settings, locate the “Active Status” option, and toggle it off. This change applies across the Facebook app and Messenger, though it must be manually adjusted for each device you use. Understanding how to manage this feature not only helps you maintain privacy but also gives you better control over your online presence, marking a small yet meaningful step towards personalizing your social media experience.
Disconnect Activity status
On desktop:
Turning off Active Status on Facebook ensures that others cannot see when you are online or your last active time. This can enhance your privacy and prevent unwanted interruptions. Here’s how you can do it:
- Open your Facebook and go to the messenger.
- Click on tree dots for settings.
- Tap on active status.
- Here you can turn it of or limit your active status and then save it.
On mobile
On Facebook App:
- Open your Facebook app on your mobile. Go to the three lines of menu and then settings.
- Scroll down and find active status.
- Turn off active status.
On Facebook Messenger:
- Open your messenger App on your mobile. Click on three lines.
- Tap on the settings icon.
- Select Active status.
- Here you can turn off the active status.
Unfriending on Facebook
When you unfriend someone Their reaction remains on your post unless you also adjust privacy settings. They won’t see your future posts if your privacy settings are set to “Friends Only.” Unfriending is less permanent than blocking and still allows limited interaction.
Follow these easy steps to unfriend someone:
- Open your Facebook App, and go to the person’s profile and click on friends button. Select the “unfriend” option.
Restricting contacts
Removing non-friends from your Facebook Messenger active list involves either restricting or blocking them to ensure they no longer appear in your active contacts. Restricting someone limits their ability to interact with you without notifying them, making it an effective way to control your Messenger list. Here’s how to do it:
The method mention below to block someone:
On Facebook App:
- Open your Facebook and go to the menu and click on Settings & privacy.
- Then select Settings.
- Scroll down and tap on blocking and then restricted list click on edit and select the profile you want to restrict.
On Facebook messenger:
- Open your messenger App on your mobile. Click on three lines.
- Tap on the settings icon.
- Scroll down and find Privacy safety.
- Tap on Restricted contact to change the settings.
- Here add the profile to hide your activity on Facebook.
Block contact
When you block someone their reaction and any other interactions (comments, likes, tags) on your posts are automatically removed. They can no longer view your profile, posts, or send you messages.
The method mention below to block someone:
On Facebook App:
- Open your Facebook and go to the menu and click on Settings & privacy.
- Then select Settings.
- Scroll down and tap on blocking and then block user click on edit and select the profile you want to block.
On Facebook Messenger:
- Open your messenger App on your mobile. Click on three lines.
- Tap on the settings icon.
- Scroll down and find Privacy safety.
- Tap on the block account to change the settings.
- Here add the profile to block the person on messenger.
Message request
Message requests are messages sent by people who are not on your Facebook friends list. Instead of going directly to your main chat inbox, these messages are filtered into a separate folder for you to review. This feature gives you control over whether to engage with or ignore messages from strangers or non-friends.
The method to control message requests:
On Facebook App:
- Open your Facebook and go to the menu and click on Settings & privacy.
- Then select Settings.
- Scroll and find How people find and contact you and see How can you get message requests from Friends on friends and people from groups or from others. Select the audience you want.
On Facebook Messenger:
- Open your messenger App on your mobile. Click on three lines.
- Tap on the settings icon.
- Scroll down and find Privacy and safety.
- Tap on Message delivery. Change the settings to don’t receive requests..
People with your number
On Facebook App:
- Open your Facebook and go to the menu and click on Settings & privacy.
- Then select Settings.
- Scroll and find How people find and contact you and click on people with your phone number.
- Then select the audience according to you.
On Facebook Messenger:
- Open your messenger App on your mobile. Click on three lines.
- Tap on the settings icon.
- Scroll down and find Privacy settings.
- Tap on Message delivery.
- Click on people with your number and change the settings to don’t receive requests.
What happens when you turn off activity status?
When you turn off your activity status on Facebook or Messenger, others can no longer see when you are online or your last active time. This applies to all users, including friends and connections, offering you greater privacy. However, the change is mutual—while your status is hidden from others, you also lose the ability to view their activity status. This setting must be adjusted separately for each device you use and does not affect your ability to send or receive messages. Turning off activity status is a discreet way to use the platform without broadcasting your availability.
What is the difference between restrict and block on Messenger?
Restricting and blocking on Messenger are two different privacy features with distinct effects. Restricting moves the conversation to a separate folder, hides your Active Status from the person, and prevents them from knowing if you’ve read their messages. However, they can still send you messages, and you can remove the restriction at any time. On the other hand, blocking entirely cuts off communication—blocked users cannot message you, call you, or see your Active Status. Blocking is a more permanent and absolute measure compared to restricting, which is designed for subtler boundaries.
Comparison Chart: Restrict VS Block on Messenger
| Feature | Restrict | Block |
| Moves Chat to Folder | Yes (Message Requests/Restricted folder) | No |
| Hides Active Status | Yes | Yes |
| Read Receipts | Hidden from restricted user | Not applicable (user cannot message you) |
| Can Send Messages | Yes | No |
| Can Call You | Yes | No |
| Notifications | None; the user is not notified | None; the user is not notified |
| Reversible? | Yes (can remove restriction easily) | Yes (must manually unblock the user) |
| Visibility on Facebook | Still visible to each other unless restricted on Facebook | No visibility (if blocked on Facebook too) |
Conclusion
Disabling your activity status on Facebook provides the result of enhanced privacy and greater control over your online visibility. Once turned off, others cannot see when you are online or last active, allowing you to browse and interact discreetly. This simple adjustment ensures a more personalized and comfortable social media experience, empowering you to manage your digital boundaries effectively while maintaining the freedom to engage on your own terms.
Frequent ask question
Will the person know when they are removed on Messenger?
No, the person will not be notified when you remove them on Messenger. However, they may notice if they try to contact you and cannot find your chat or see your Active Status.
Why do I see unknown people in Messenger?
You see unknown people in Messenger because they may have sent you message requests, been added through group chats, or are connected via your phone contacts if you’ve synced them. They could also appear if they interacted with your Facebook posts or profile.
Can you see someone’s active status on Messenger if you’re not friends?
Yes, you can see someone’s active status on Messenger even if you’re not friends, but only if they haven’t turned off their active status and allow message interactions with non-friends through their privacy settings.
Why can strangers message me on Messenger?
Strangers can message you on Messenger if your Message Delivery settings allow it. By default, non-friends can send message requests unless you change these settings in the privacy section of Messenger.
