How to See If Someone Is Active on Instagram?

Elsa Updated on Nov 12, 2024 Filed to: Parent Control

Instagram is one of the free online photo-sharing apps and a popular social network. It not only allows us to share moments from our lives but also serves as a window to stay updated on the activities of our friends and family. However, Instagram does not directly provide the function of viewing other people’s online status, so how can we know if someone is browsing their updates, or when they were active on the platform recently?In this article, we will share several ways to see if someone is online or active on Instagram.

see if someone is active on Instagram

Part 1: How to See If Someone Is Active on Instagram?

There are several reasons you might want to see if someone is online on Instagram. For one, if you're trying to connect with someone for business purposes, it can be helpful to know when they will most likely be online. Additionally, if you're trying to reach out to someone for personal reasons, it can be useful to know if they're currently active on the platform. Finally, if you're just curious about someone's activity on Instagram, checking to see if they're online can indicate how often they use the app. Whatever the reasons may be, knowing when someone is active on the platform can be helpful. here are three ways you can check if someone is online on Instagram:

Method 1: The Green Dot

The most common answer to the question of how to see if someone is active on Instagram is the green dot symbol. This icon on Instagram indicates that the person is active at that moment. It is a good way to know if the person you want to talk to is available or not. If the green dot is not appearing next to their name in your direct inbox, they are not online currently. The same goes for the stories section as well. If you don’t see a green dot next to their username, it means they are not live at that moment. Here’s how to find if the person’s username has a green dot (currently active).

    1. Step 1.Launch Instagram app. Access your account.
    2. Step 2.Select desired profile. At the home screen, click the mail symbol.Now notice a list will appear with names of your friends or followers.
    3. Step 3.Now notice a list will appear with names of your friends or followers.Notice a green dot below the display picture of followers; if it is green, it means the person is active. Otherwise, they are offline for now.

the green dot

Some people argue that the online status is more confusing than it is useful because you have to exchange messages with someone before one can see a green dot. But the fact is that it is a useful feature because it helps a person to save time. They don’t have to wait for someone to respond to the messages if they are not online. They can simply check the green dot and move on with their day.

Note: The activity status is turned on by default for all accounts.However, those who do not want to be seen online can easily disable it in the settings options. If the activity status is disabled, then his activity status will not be visible.

Method 2: Direct Messaging

Instagram direct messaging is a feature on the Instagram app that allows users to send messages to each other that are not shared with the entire Instagram community.The direct inbox is surely the direct method for the question of how to see who's active on Instagram. It includes a feature that shows a person's most current activity status. This usually appears beneath their username and can be shown in different statuses such as "typing", seen", or "active 15m ago".

This feature is especially useful if you want to track who is active in your inbox and who is not, especially when someone was active the last time. You can use this information to decide when to reach out to someone or to determine if someone has been inactive. Here is how to see if someone is active on Instagram via the direct messaging feature in Instagram:

    1. Step 1.Open Instagram. Access with your credentials.
    2. Step 2.Select any profile to use. Now, on the home screen, click the mail icon.
    3. Step 3.Once there, you will see the name list of your friend who followed you. Tap into Message. Below their username, you will see the statuses such as "typing", seen", or "active 15m ago".

Direct Messaging

Method 3: Instagram Stories

This is a sneaky way of checking if someone has been online recently. But it is effective for determining if someone has been active on Instagram recently. To do this, examine the timestamp of their most recent story. If it's a recent update, it's a strong indication that they are likely still browsing the platform.

Instagram Stories

Part 2: How to See When Someone Was Last Active on Instagram?

The 'last active' status on Instagram lets you see which friends are online and when they were last online. You can also see if they've uploaded anything new. When someone is "online on Instagram," it's possible that person is not only active but also scrolling through the feed or looking at various posts. It can be useful to know when someone is online on Instagram, for example, if you want to message them or see how active they are. To do this, you can look at their activity status. With the 'last active' status, you can see what friends are online and when they were last online. You can also see if they have uploaded anything new. There is a way to determine if someone was last active on their profile.

    1. Step 1.Launch Instagram on your mobile. Hit the mail icon to open a list of followers/friends or type the username of the concerned person in the search bar.
    2. Step 2.Either way, you will see a list of people. Hit Message.
    3. Step 3.Inside the message window, if the person was last active a few hours ago, the status there will show Active Few Hours Ago. It indicates the person was online on Instagram a couple of hours earlier.

last active

Here’s what you need to be careful about when you use this method to see when someone was last active on Instagram:

  • Accounts you have had direct messages with
  • Accounts who follow you
  • Accounts who have their activity status turned on
  • Accounts who haven’t blocked you and satisfy all three options above

Part 3: How to Monitor Your Kid's Instagram Activity?

Many parents are concerned about what their children do on social media, specifically Instagram. Parents can use this app on iOS and Android devices, and it cannot be easy to protect your children. There are many things that your children might be posting on Instagram that you don't want them to, such as images or comments that could be harmful or embarrassing. Parents need to be aware of the risks of using this app and help their children stay safe.

But software ensures your kid is doing fine while using Instagram or any social media platform. One of the great activity-tracking software is the AirDroid Parental Control. It offers parents various security and monitoring features to keep an eye on what their kids are up to.

AirDroid Parental Control

Below is the software's setup procedure:

Step 1. Install AirDroid Parental Control on target and also source phones. 

Step 2. Create an account and log in. 

Step 3. Now install AirDroid Kids on the targeted phone and pair it with your phone. Then parents can monitor their child's activity from wherever they want. 

With the help of this software, parents can monitor their child's Instagram's activity on their mobile phones. It gives parents peace of mind, knowing they can always check in on their child's whereabouts and know what they're doing.

FAQs about Instagram Activity Status

1. How to See and Turn off Last Seen in Instagram?
Elsa
Elsa

Here are the steps to see and turn off last see in Instagram

Step 1: Go to your profile, and click on Setting

Step 2: Tap "Privacy and then Security". 

Step 3: Now hit "Show Activity Status" then uncheck the box.

2. Why Can't I See Someone's Last Active Status?
Elsa
Elsa

There may be two reasons for that. Either someone has disabled activity status. Another reason is that If your activity status is turned off, you will also not see who was active last time.

3. How Accurate Is Instagram's Activity Status?
Elsa
Elsa

The "Active now" status is not accurate everytime. Sometimes, even if the person has left the app moments ago, their "Active now" status will still show.

4.How to Hide Your Instagram Activity or Online Status?
Elsa
Elsa

If anybody doesn't want their activity to appear before friends, one can disable the green dot function. This is how to do it:

Step 1: Go to your profile on Instagram by tapping on your profile picture in the lower right corner. Now, tap the icon having three lines.

Step 2: Now click Settings then Privacy.

Step 3: Click on the Activity Status option.

Step 4: Finally, Toggle off Show Activity Status.

turn off show activity status

5. How to View Instagram Anonymously?
Elsa
Elsa

You can view Instagram anonymously using AirDroid Parental Control software. This is useful when you want to monitor another person’s or your child’s activity without them knowing.

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Elsa
Elsa has worked on a number of iOS & Android solutions, she can always find her way around almost any application. She is an accomplished, skilled and versatile writer with more than 7 years of technical article writing experience.
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