Facebook comes with a feature that allows the users to figure out if a specific user is online or offline. However, this feature can be annoying especially if you want to avoid unwanted attention or simply want to scour someone’s profile without their knowledge. If you want to enjoy scrolling the page stealthily, you need to know how to appear offline on Facebook.
Luckily, going incognito on Facebook can be done in several ways. Whether you are using a desktop or Facebook app on a smartphone, you can always appear offline. Your friends or family won’t notice your presence even if you are on Facebook all the time.
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How to Appear Offline on Facebook in 3 Ways
Before going straight to the methods to appear offline on Facebook, please note that turning off your active status prevents you from seeing other’s active status. That means you can’t see if someone is online or offline. If it does not matter, try the following methods.
1. Using desktop
When using a desktop, you can access Facebook from your favorite web browser. If you are already logged in before, accessing the site will bring you to your Facebook home. But if you have logged out from the previous session, you need to log back in. If you want to appear offline, these steps should help you.
- Enter your email address and password to log in.
- Find a gear icon in the lower right of your screen. It should be within the chat bar.
- Click turn off your active status, If you want to appear offline only to specific contacts, choose the other two options.
- Click Okay.
After clicking Okay, now you will appear offline. Your friends will not notice your presence on Facebook. However, Facebook will show your Last Online that is counted from whenever you turned off the active status.
2. Using Facebook app
Turning off your active status via the Facebook app is as easy as doing it on a desktop. As you are already using an app, you don’t need to open any web browser. Here are the simple steps to appear offline on Facebook from the app.
- Open your Facebook app and log in if you are not logged in.
- Find three horizontal lines on your screen to open the menu and tap. It can be found in the top right of your screen.
- Navigate to Settings & Privacy, then you need to tap Settings.
- Scroll down the page and find Active Status.
- When the toggle is on, it means your active status is on and your friends can see your presence. To turn off the active status, tap the toggle and make sure its color turns into grey.
- Now you are going incognito.
Much like using desktop, your friends can still see your last seen. After turning off the active status, you won’t be able to see other’s active status.
3. Using Messenger app
Messenger is an instant messaging app that can be connected to your Facebook account. This is a separate app that handles especially Facebook messaging. Aside from using desktop and Facebook app, you can turn off active status from the Messenger app. To do this, you have to log in to the app and turn off the status. These are some steps to go incognito via Messenger app.
- Launch the app and sign in. If you are already signed in, you don’t need to enter email and password.
- Go to the home tab. You will see your profile picture in the upper-left of your screen. Tap the picture.
- On the top of the screen, you will find an Active Status button. Tap to turn off the toggle labeled ‘Show when you’re active’.
Now your Messenger app’s active status is turned off. You can send messages to anyone you like without the knowledge of contacts you want to avoid. Just like other methods, you won’t be able to see who is online on Facebook.
Now that you know how to appear offline on Facebook, another question emerges. Is it really effective to turn off your active status? Well, some users prefer going incognito to avoid unwanted people but some others choose to block them. The second option seems to be much better as it allows you to get rid of them completely. Besides, you can still have a good relationship with other friends.
