Change visibility, then check its scope.
- 01
Setting
Open current privacy/status settings.
What this tells youYou have identified the status control for the account you actually use.
Read the current wording, including any explanation of what you will see about other people after changing it.
- 02
Other surfaces
Review Messenger and other relevant signed-in surfaces.
What this tells youYou know which other apps or browser sessions need their own review.
Do not assume that changing one surface has settled every signed-in surface. Use official guidance for the account.
- 03
Confirm
Ask an agreed contact to confirm what is visible.
What this tells youAn agreed contact can describe the indicator visible in a harmless test.
Test only the visibility question. Do not ask for screenshots of unrelated conversations or infer someone else’s settings.
Visibility is only one layer.
| Layer | Review this | Still separate |
|---|---|---|
| Active Status | The current visibility setting and its stated scope. | Messages you send and public activity. |
| Other sessions | Relevant phone, app and browser settings. | A setting on one device is not proof about every surface. |
| Read receipts | Whether your chat offers a receipt control. | An activity setting does not explain the receipt on a message. |
| Notifications | Your device and conversation alert settings. | Turning off an activity indicator is not muting a chat. |
Before and after a visibility choice.
Changing one app’s setting may not answer every question about other active sessions.
Status enabled
An illustrated profile shows a green activity dot. It is an availability cue, not a receipt.
Status disabled
This illustrated surface no longer shows the dot. Sending a message remains visible as an interaction.
Review the places where you stay signed in.
On this phone
Check the status setting in the correct account. Read any reciprocal visibility notice before confirming.
Understand what Active Status means →On another surface
Review the relevant browser or app too. An unfamiliar device calls for a session review, not just a visibility change.
Review unfamiliar sessions →In a consenting test chat
Use a harmless message to distinguish activity visibility from a receipt. Keep the test narrow and agreed.
Check the separate receipt control →Record the scope, not just “off”.
Note the account, surface and control you checked. If the agreed test still differs from your expectation, return to those details and the current official explanation.
Keep this boundary.
Turning status off does not conceal messages you send or public activity.
Treat the result as a check of a specific setting and surface, not a promise of invisibility across the service.
References and current instructions
Go to the source.
Labels, menu placement and feature availability can change. These are original interface illustrations; use the current official explanation before changing a setting.
Find the current article for your device and account type.