How to turn on Instagram activity status (both sides need it)
iLS can read someone's status only when you both have activity status on and already share a DM thread. How to check both before you add a contact.
By instagram Last Seen5 min read
iLS can read a contact's status only when both of you have activity status turned on in Instagram and you already share a DM thread in which you've sent at least one message. Check both before you add anyone, because if either is missing, the reading comes back empty and nothing on the iLS side can fix it.
This guide shows where the setting lives, how to tell whether the other person has it on, and what changes if one of you turns it off later. If you haven't set up iLS yet, start with how to set up iLS and come back here before you add your first contact.
What two things does iLS need before it can read anyone?
iLS doesn't have its own way of seeing someone online. It opens your DMs as you and reads the same line Instagram shows you under a conversation: a green dot with Active now, or a time such as Active 25m ago. So it needs exactly what you would need to see that line yourself:
- A DM thread with them. A conversation where you've sent at least one message. The Tracker says the same thing in its "Before you add someone" box.
- Activity status on, on both accounts. Instagram shows that line only when you and the other person both have Show activity status switched on.
If you can see "Active now" or "Active 25m ago" under your chat with them in the Instagram app, iLS can read it too.
How do you turn on activity status on Instagram?
In the Instagram app:
- Tap your profile picture at the bottom right.
- Tap the three lines at the top right to open Settings and activity.
- Under How others can interact with you, tap Messages and story replies.
- Tap Show activity status and switch it on.
On a computer, click More at the bottom left of instagram.com, then Settings. Under How others can interact with you, click Messages and story replies, then Show activity status, and switch it on.
Instagram moves its menus now and then. If the path above doesn't match your app, search for "activity status" in the Settings search bar, or check Instagram's own help page, which keeps the current path.
The setting is one switch for everyone. You can't show your status to some people and hide it from others.
How can you tell whether the other person has it on?
You can't open their settings, but Instagram tells you indirectly. Look at your chat list or open your conversation with them:
- You sometimes see "Active now" or "Active 25m ago" under their name. Their activity status is on.
- You never see either, even though they reply to you. Their activity status is most likely off. It's also possible they simply haven't used Instagram recently, so check again over a day or two before deciding.
Remember that this check only works if your status is on. With yours off, Instagram hides everyone's status from you, so their line would look empty either way.
What counts as an existing DM thread?
A conversation in your Instagram inbox where you've sent them at least one message. The username you type into iLS has to be theirs exactly, and the conversation has to be one iLS can find in your DMs.
If you've never messaged them, iLS can't add them. The Tracker answers "We couldn't find that person in your Instagram DMs" and asks you to check the username and that you've messaged them before. Sending a message just so iLS can find them is your call; the other person sees that message like any other.
What happens if one of you turns it off later?
Instagram stops showing the line, so iLS has nothing to read. Nothing breaks; the readings simply change:
- The Tracker card shows No presence to show yet, with a reminder that both of you need activity status on.
- On the Report, those checks appear as No signal instead of Active now or Last seen.
- No alert fires, because iLS never sees them come online.
If the status comes back on, the readings pick up again on the next check. Readings from before it was turned off stay in your Report.
What can't iLS do here?
- It can't get around a switched-off status. If they turn activity status off, iLS sees exactly what you'd see: nothing.
- It can't read anyone you haven't messaged. No DM thread, no reading.
- It can't read anyone who has blocked you. Instagram doesn't show you their status, so there's nothing to read.
- It can't tell you why their status disappeared. A switched-off setting and a person who simply hasn't opened Instagram look the same from the outside.
FAQ
Why can't I see someone's active status on Instagram?
Usually because one of you has activity status off. Instagram shows the status only when both accounts have it on, and only to accounts that follow them or have a conversation with them. If yours is on and you still never see theirs, their setting is most likely off.
If I turn my activity status off, can I still see other people's?
No. According to Instagram's help page, turning your activity status off means you won't see when accounts you follow or have conversations with are active, and you won't see anyone else's activity status. That also means iLS stops seeing it, since it reads through your account.
Does it work with a private account?
The privacy setting isn't what decides it. If you already have a DM thread with them and both of you have activity status on, Instagram shows you their status in that conversation, and iLS reads the same line.