Green is the colour most often used to indicate that something is active or moving – with Facebook no different.
When you see a green dot next to a user’s profile picture on Facebook or in the Messenger app, then it means that they are active – or were active a short time ago. While there is some lag between active status and the green dot, in terms of it disappearing when a user goes offline, typically if you see the green dot then you know they are or have been active very recently.
How to Interpret the Green Dot
Of course, it’s easy to see a green dot and assume that the user will instantly respond if you send them a message or comment on their post. After all, if they’re currently online then what reason could they have for not immediately picking up on a notification?
However, the green dot must be viewed with caution. It could still be in place despite the user clicking off Facebook moments before, or they may be busy doing something on the platform and unable to respond to you.
Another thing to note is that sometimes the green dot appears and remains in place if a user receives a notification from Facebook – even if they don’t open the app to view the notification. This is because Facebook reads the delivery of that notification as Facebook activity.
Can You Turn the Green Dot Off?
If you keep receiving messages from users and friends who see the green dot and assume you are active and ready to chat, then you may decide to turn the icon off.
To do so, simply head into your Messenger app the click on the menu button in the top left hand corner. From there, click on the cog icon in the top right to enter your settings, and select ‘Active Status’. Turn the toggle off if you don’t want to other users to be able to see when you are active on Facebook.
We hope this helps! The green dot is a valuable tool when it comes to identifying which users are online – but it is not concrete evidence that they will respond immediately. As such, switching the green dot off on your own account can help with privacy and with controlling how visible you are on the platform.
