• You can turn active status on or off on the Facebook website, mobile app, and Messenger mobile app.
• When your active status is turned off, you will appear offline even when you’re online.
• You can also choose to appear offline only for certain people that you select.

Facebook may be responsible for putting the word “social” in social media, but there are times when you don’t want — or don’t have time — to engage with friends.

If you want to log into Facebook without your friends knowing you’re online, you can easily turn off your “active status” so you appear offline.

There are three different places where you can control your active status: on Facebook in a web browser, in the Facebook mobile app, and in the Facebook Messenger mobile app.

How to turn off active status on Facebook in a web browser

To turn off active status and appear offline on Facebook:

1. Open Facebook in a browser and log in, if you’re not already.

2. Click the circular Messenger icon in the top-right corner.

3. Click the three-dot icon at the top of the Messenger drop down.

4. Click Turn off Active Status in the drop-down menu.

5. A pop-up will appear asking if you want to Turn off Active Status for all contacts, Turn off Active Status for all contacts except, or Turn off Active Status for only some contacts. When you click the latter two options, a box will appear where you can enter the names of specific people.

6. Click OK when you’re done.

Note: You can also do this by clicking the Messenger icon in the top-right corner and clicking See all in Messenger at the bottom of the drop-down menu. Then, on the full-screen Messenger page, click the three-dot icon in the top-left corner, choose Preferences, click Turn off Active Status in the pop-up, and choose your active status.

How to turn off active status in the Facebook mobile app

1. Open the Facebook app on your phone.

2. Tap the three horizontal lines (called the “hamburger menu”) in the top-right corner on Android or the bottom-right corner on iPhone.

3. Tap Settings & Privacy, and then tap Settings.

4. Tap Active Status under the Privacy section.

5. Turn off Show when you’re active by moving the slider to the left and then confirm by tapping Turn Off in the pop-up.

How to turn off active status in the Facebook Messenger mobile app

1. Open the Facebook Messenger app on your phone.

2. Tap your profile’s avatar at the top-left of the screen.

3. Tap Active Status.

4. Turn off Show when you’re active by moving the slider to the left and then confirm by tapping Turn Off in the pop-up.