Facebook is quite open about its goals: the company dreams of a world in which everyone is connected at all times. Perhaps that's why it's so difficult to appear offline on Facebook. The very idea of "offline" or "invisible" is the antithesis of everything the social network believes in.
However, being "invisible" isn't for everyone. Thankfully, it's possible to maintain a veil of privacy while still letting your closest friends and family know that you're available to talk.
Here's how to decide which Facebook friends see you online and which don't...
How Do People See Who's Online on Facebook?
When it comes to showing your online status on Facebook and Messenger, the company uses something called Active Status.
Active Status appears as a green dot next to your profile picture on Facebook and Messenger when you're online or have been recently active.
The information Meta gives on Active Status is a bit unclear, differing according to the device you use Facebook on.
On its help article for Active Status on computer, the company notes:
The settings you choose will be updated everywhere you use Meta products, including where you haven't yet changed your Active Status.
But for the same help article, switched to the Android app help, the company notes:
When you turn Active Status off, you'll still appear active or recently active from any other places where you're using Facebook or Messenger, unless you turn off Active Status in those places, too.
We assume that Active Status audience settings on computer apply to all computer sessions. However, your online status settings need to be changed individually for every device on the mobile app.
Read more: How to Hide "Typing" and "Seen" on Facebook Messenger
Active Status also has different settings on the desktop browser version of Facebook and the Facebook app. On the browser version, you can edit your Active Status settings to allow only specific people to see you online.
However, on the mobile app, you can only turn Active Status on or off—with no option to select specific people or lists.
Here's how to adjust your Active Status settings so that only certain people can see you online...
How to Change Who Can See You Online on Facebook
To alter the specific people who can see you online on Facebook, you should adjust your Active Status settings on the browser version of the platform.
However, it's unclear whether these settings will apply if you use the Facebook app to log into the social media site. So if you really don't want certain people to see you online, we recommend switching off your Active Status on the app (which we will show you later in this tutorial).
So how do you edit your active list?
To change your Active Status settings on Facebook, follow these steps...
- On the bar to the right, where your Contacts are shown, select the button with three horizontal dots for Options.
- In the dropdown menu, select Turn off Active Status.
- This will bring up a popup where you can select your options: Turn off Active Status for all contacts, Turn off active status for all contacts except, or Turn off Active Status for only some contacts.
- Select whichever setting you prefer, enter names or lists into the text box, and select OK to save the settings.
If you choose to Turn off active status for all contacts except, select the specific people or lists you want to see you online.
If you choose to Turn off Active Status for only some contacts, select the people or lists you don't want to see you online. For example, you may want to add your restricted list here, as well as lists such as business contacts or people you have on your friends list just because you didn't want to offend them by rejecting their friend request.
How to Switch Off Facebook Online Status Completely
So what if you don't want anyone to see you online on Facebook? You can appear offline or invisible on Facebook at all times if you want to.
You can switch off your Active Status completely on the browser version of Facebook by selecting Turn off Active Status for all contacts.
When it comes to the mobile app, you only have the option to turn your Active Status on or off—there are no edited or custom options available.
To change your active status on the Facebook mobile app, follow these steps:
- Select the Messenger icon to the top right of your screen.
- Select your profile picture in the Chats menu.
- Tap on the Active Status tab.
- Toggle the options for Show when you're active and Show when you're active together to off.
- When Facebook asks you to confirm, select Turn Off.
Switching off your Active Status also prevents you from seeing when other people are online.
In our test, switching off Active Status on the mobile app did not carry over to the desktop browser version of Facebook.
You can also switch off your online status on the Windows Store app.
Read more: How to Use Messenger Without Facebook
How to Stop Someone Seeing Someone Seeing You Online on Facebook
If you're worried about Facebook not turning off Active Status for all your sessions and really don't want someone specific to see you online, a surefire way to prevent this is to block them from messaging you.
This is different to a full Facebook block.
As Facebook notes:
Blocking messages from someone is different from blocking them on Facebook. If you block messages from someone, but you don't block them on Facebook, you'll still be able to see their Facebook profile.
If you block messages from someone on Facebook, they also can't see when you're online.
To block messages from a contact, and therefore prevent them from seeing whether you're online, follow these steps:
- Open a chat with the contact.
- Select their name to bring up a menu of settings.
- Select Block.
- Choose the option for Block messages and calls.
This will prevent the person from seeing your online status. It will also prevent them from messaging you and calling you on Facebook.
Control Who Sees You Online on Facebook
Online privacy and Facebook are far from synonymous. But there are ways you can gain more control over who can see you online on the platform—and whether you appear online at all.
Use the settings in this article to regain some privacy when it comes to whether or not your contact list can see if you're online.