How to Appear Offline on Facebook

The Offline/Online status on Facebook lets friends know when you are active on the platform and when you are not.

While for business users and creators this can be a useful tool with regards to customer service and engagement, for regular users it can feel quite invasive if friends and other users wait until you’re online and then expect instant replies.

Because of this, an increasing number of Facebook users are switching the function off or setting themselves to appear as ‘Offline’ constantly. Here’s how to do it.

3 Steps to Set Your Profile to Appear Offline

1. Click on the menu button in the bottom right hand corner of the screen and select ‘Settings and Privacy’
2. Click on ‘Settings’ and then scroll down until you find ‘Active Status’ under the ‘Audience and Visibility’ heading
3. A toggle at the top of the page will be switched on to enable your status to appear as online when you use the app. To set yourself as offline, turn the toggle off

NOTE: Switching your status to offline does not affect your ability to use the app and platform as normal.

How to Appear Offline on Messenger

Facebook offers a connected experience across Facebook and Messenger, despite the two operating under separate apps.

Having said that, and while friends are pulled from Facebook onto Messenger, when it comes to setting your active status, you need to head into your Messenger settings directly to ensure that you benefit from the same anonymity when online.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the Messenger app and click on the three horizontal lines icon in the top left hand corner
2. Click on the cog icon in the top right of the menu window
3. Select ‘Active Status’
4. Switch off the toggle next to ‘Show When You’re Active’ to hide your status on Messenger

You will notice a section option in this menu, that allows you to inform friends if you are both online and active at the same time. This is a good tool for those you want to stay connected with – though can be adjusted as per your preference.

We hope this helps to alleviate some of the pressure of friends and connections knowing whenever you are online on Facebook. Happy browsing!