Instagram’s “Active Now” feature shows when a user is active and when they were last active on the app. However, sometimes it may display incorrectly, even if you are not actually using the app so why does Instagram say active now when I’m not? In this post, I’ll discuss why this happens and what to do about it.
Instagram is a social media platform that allows users to share photos and videos, as well as to follow other users and view their content. It was launched in 2010 and has since become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with over 1 billion active monthly users.
On Instagram, users can interact with each other by liking and commenting on posts, as well as by sending direct messages. They can also explore a variety of content through the Discover page, which shows recommended posts based on their interests and the accounts they follow.
In addition to personal profiles, Instagram also supports business profiles, which allow companies to promote their products and services to a larger audience. The platform also offers a range of advertising options, including sponsored posts and Instagram Stories ads.
Instagram is known for its visually-focused, photo-sharing approach and has become a popular platform for influencer marketing and brand promotion. It continues to evolve and add new features, such as Reels, IGTV, and shopping features, to stay relevant and meet the changing needs of its users.
The Instagram “Active Now” status feature
The “Active now” status on Instagram is a feature that indicates when a user was last active on the app. When someone you follow has the “Active now” status on their profile, it means that they are currently using Instagram.
This status can help know when someone is likely to respond to a direct message or to see if they’re available to chat.
It’s important to note that the “Active now” status only appears if the person has allowed their activity status to be visible to others.
Following a user’s last use of the app, the status normally stays for about 15 minutes. After that it will disappear, indicating that the person is no longer active on the app.
However, the exact length of time that the “Active now” status is visible may vary depending on several factors, such as the person’s device and network connection. Additionally, some users may choose to turn off the “Active now” feature in their privacy settings, which will prevent the status from appearing at all.
The “Active Now” status feature is only visible in Instagram Direct; which is the equivalent of Facebook Messenger. This means that if someone has recently been using the app, their status will show as “Active Now” to their friends or followers when they are using Direct.
The feature is not visible on the user’s public profile or feed.
Additionally, your status is only shown to people you follow. So if someone follows you but you don’t follow them back, they won’t be able to view your status.
Why does Instagram says Active Now when you’re not
Below are the common reasons why your Instagram may display “Active Now” even when you are not active on the app:
1. Instagram technical glitches
Like any other app, sometimes, technical glitches on Instagram can cause unexpected issues or malfunctions that impact the user experience.
The Instagram app may experience a technical glitch that causes the “Active Now” status to display incorrectly.
How to fix it
If you are experiencing technical glitches with the “Active Now” status on Instagram, you may need to wait for a bug fix from the company or try restarting the app or your device.
In some cases, disabling the feature in your privacy settings may also resolve the issue.
To do this, go to your Instagram profile, tap the three lines in the top right corner, select Settings, then Privacy > Activity Status and toggle off the “Show Activity Status” option.
2. Background data usage
If your Instagram app is running in the background, it may still show as active, even when you are not actively using it.
How to fix it
You need to disable background data on your device’s settings.
To turn off background data for Instagram on an Android device, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app on your phone.
- Tap on Data usage or Data usage and storage.
- Find and tap on Instagram in the list of apps.
- Toggle off the switch next to Allow background data usage.
To turn off background data for Instagram on an iOS device, follow these steps:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on “Cellular” or Mobile Data.
- Scroll down to find and tap on Instagram.
- Toggle off the switch next to Cellular Data.
This will prevent the app from using data in the background and may help you save on your mobile data usage as well.
Note that this will limit some features of the app, such as notifications and automatic updates.
3. Background notifications
If you have notifications enabled for your Instagram app, receiving a notification can cause your status to show as active, even if you are not using the app.
How to fix it
To fix this you need to disable background notifications for your Instagram app. Follow these steps to do so:
On Android devices:
- Open the Instagram app.
- Tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner.
- Tap on the three lines in the top right corner.
- Tap on Settings.
- Tap on Notifications.
- Toggle off the switch next to “Allow notifications”.
On an iOS device, follow these steps:
- Open the iPhone’s Settings app.
- Tap on Notifications.
- Scroll down and find Instagram.
- Tap on it.
- Toggle off the switch next to “Allow Notifications”.
Doing this will prevent the app from sending you notifications in the background. You will only receive notifications when you have the app open.
4. Third-party apps
Some third-party apps, such as task killers or battery savers, can cause the “Active Now” status to display incorrectly.
To fix this you may need to turn off any third-party apps you are using.
Additional fixes for Instagram “Active now” status
The simplest way to solve this issue is to give Instagram enough time to update any new status updates and reflect them on your profile.
Most of the time, you will discover that doing this resolves any “Active Now” status problems you might get while using the Instagram app.
It can take Instagram anywhere between 5 to 10 minutes for your account to update and reflect your inactivity.
You may also try updating your Instagram app, clearing your app’s cache, and restarting your device to make sure everything is working as well as it should.
FAQ
Q. How long does Instagram say active now?
A. The Active today status will last for 24 hours. You will find this status next to a user’s name when they are inactive for about 8 hours or more at a stretch. This status will change into Active yesterday when you have been inactive on Instagram for more than 24 hours.
Q. What’s the difference between the green dot and active now on Instagram?
A. The green dot and “Active now” status on Instagram serve similar purposes, but there is a difference between the two. The green dot is a feature that appears next to a person’s profile name in the Direct Messages section of the app. It indicates that the person is currently active on Instagram and available to chat.
The “Active now” status, on the other hand, appears on a person’s profile page and indicates when they were last active on the app. The “Active now” status may show a specific time, such as “Active 10 minutes ago,” or simply display the “Active now” label.
Q. What triggers being active on Instagram?
A. Instagram considers a user as “active” when they perform any of the following actions on the app:
1. Scrolling through the feed
2. Posting a new photo or video
3. Liking, commenting or sharing a post
4. Sending or receiving messages on Direct
5 . Searching for new accounts, hashtags, or posts
6. Opening the Explore page
7. Updating the profile or settings
These actions result in a small amount of network activity and refresh the user’s active status on the app.
Note;
This is an internal feature of the app and there’s no way to guarantee when a user is truly “active” or not, as some users may have turned off the feature in their settings.
Conclusion
In summary, Instagram uses an “Active Now” status feature that shows when a user was last active on the app.
However, it is not always an accurate representation of a user’s real-time activity on the app because the feature may display incorrect information for a variety of reasons, such as outdated cached data, network connectivity issues, or other technical glitches.
Additionally, some users may have turned off the feature in their settings, so it is not always possible to know whether someone is truly active on the app at a given moment.
For any comments, questions, or suggestions, please use the comments box below. And please remember to subscribe to my Youtube channel and newsletter for more tips and tutorials.
