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How to See Last Active on Instagram Explore this Article methods 1 Seeing Someone's Last Active Time 2 Managing Your Own Activity Status on the Mobile App 3 Managing Your Own Activity Status on a Computer Other Sections Questions & Answers Video Related Articles References Article Summary Co-authored by Darlene Antonelli, MA Reviewed by Candace Gasper
Last Updated: January 27, 2026 Fact Checked
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This article was reviewed by Candace Gasper and by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA. Candace Gasper is a Social Media & Digital Marketing Consultant and the Owner of Digital Candy, a social media agency. With over seven years of professional experience, Candace is an expert in social media and content creation, specializing in working with local businesses to share their narratives and help them expand their reach. Candace received her Bachelor of Science in Merchandising, Apparels, and Textiles from the University of Kentucky. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 364,138 times.
This wikiHow will show you how to find out when someone you've been chatting with on Instagram was last active on the app. As long as they haven't disabled the "Activity Status" feature in their profiles, you can easily find their last active time by viewing your Direct Messages inbox.
Things You Should Know
Check your Direct Messages inbox to see when someone was last active.
Their Last Active status will appear next to their name.
Manage your own activity status using the app or a computer in "Settings > Privacy".
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:
Seeing Someone's Last Active Time
1 Open Instagram. This app icon looks like a camera icon over a rainbow background that you can find on your Home screen, in the app drawer, or by searching.
Since you can't access your Direct Messages on a computer natively, you'll have to use the mobile app.
You can only view the Last Active status of someone who has not disabled "Show Activity Status" in their Instagram profiles. You also must have had at least one Direct Message exchange in which both parties sent at least one message.
2 Tap the airplane icon. You'll see this icon in the top right corner, and you'll be redirected to your Direct Messages inbox. Advertisement
3 Scroll through your messages. Next to each person's profile picture, you'll see when that person was last active.
For example, if Steve Smith was last week, you'll see Active a week ago next to his profile picture.[1]XResearch source
If someone you follow also follows you, you'll see a green dot in their profile icon around Instagram when they are active. This applies if you haven't messaged them.
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 3:
Managing Your Own Activity Status on the Mobile App
1 Open Instagram. This app icon looks like a camera icon over a rainbow background that you can find on your Home screen, in the app drawer, or by searching.
2 Tap the profile icon in the bottom right corner of your screen. This will take you to your profile page.
3 Tap ☰. You'll see this in the top right corner of your screen.[2]XResearch source
4 Click or tap the gear icon for settings . You'll find this at the bottom of the slide-out menu.
5 Tap Privacy. This is usually the fourth listing in the menu next to the lock icon.[3]XResearch source
6 Tap Activity Status. This is usually the fourth listing in the menu next to a person and checkmark icon.
7 Tap the switch to enable or disable the feature to show your activity status. If you turn this off, you won't be able to see the activity status of anyone else.
Advertisement Method 3 Method 3 of 3:
Managing Your Own Activity Status on a Computer
1 Go to https://instagram.com. You can use a phone, tablet, or computer to access this site.
Log in if prompted.
2 Click the profile icon in the top right corner of the page.
3 Click the gear icon for the Settings menu . You'll find the gear icon in the middle of the page next to your username.
4 Click Privacy and Security. You'll find this in the middle of the pop-up menu between "Notifications" and "Login Activity."
5 Click to check or uncheck the box next to "Show Activity Status." If you turn this off, you won't be able to see the activity status of anyone else.[4]XResearch source
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Community Q&A
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Question How do you know if someone has two Instagram accounts? Community Answer If someone has more than one account, there is usually no way to know that unless they tell you. Some people who have a second account will post a link to the second account in their bio or in one of their pictures or videos. You could also tell by what content both accounts post. They might also have very similar usernames or profile pictures. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 11 Helpful 14
Question If a person turns off their status activities, how can we know their active status? Community Answer You can't. But if you look at their profile, you can see their latest posts, which can give you a hint about when they were last active. Don't forget to check their followers' latest posts, too. They might have posted new replies there. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 6 Helpful 13
Question Why can't I see when someone was active on Instagram? Community Answer They turned it off. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 4 Helpful 32
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Reviewed by: Candace Gasper Social Media & Digital Marketing Consultant This article was reviewed by Candace Gasper and by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA. Candace Gasper is a Social Media & Digital Marketing Consultant and the Owner of Digital Candy, a social media agency. With over seven years of professional experience, Candace is an expert in social media and content creation, specializing in working with local businesses to share their narratives and help them expand their reach. Candace received her Bachelor of Science in Merchandising, Apparels, and Textiles from the University of Kentucky. This article has been viewed 364,138 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 5Updated: January 27, 2026 Views: 364,138 Categories: InstagramArticle SummaryX
1. Open Instagram. 2. Tap the airplane icon. 3. Look through your "Primary" messages. Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Reviewed by: Candace Gasper Social Media & Digital Marketing Consultant This article was reviewed by Candace Gasper and by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA. Candace Gasper is a Social Media & Digital Marketing Consultant and the Owner of Digital Candy, a social media agency. With over seven years of professional experience, Candace is an expert in social media and content creation, specializing in working with local businesses to share their narratives and help them expand their reach. Candace received her Bachelor of Science in Merchandising, Apparels, and Textiles from the University of Kentucky. This article has been viewed 364,138 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 5 Updated: January 27, 2026 Views: 364,138 Categories: Instagram Article SummaryX
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1 Open Instagram. This app icon looks like a camera icon over a rainbow background that you can find on your Home screen, in the app drawer, or by searching. 
2 Tap the airplane icon. You'll see this icon in the top right corner, and you'll be redirected to your Direct Messages inbox. Advertisement 
3 Scroll through your messages. Next to each person's profile picture, you'll see when that person was last active. 
1 Open Instagram. This app icon looks like a camera icon over a rainbow background that you can find on your Home screen, in the app drawer, or by searching. 
2 Tap the profile icon 
in the bottom right corner of your screen. This will take you to your profile page. 
3 Tap ☰. You'll see this in the top right corner of your screen.[2] 
4 Click or tap the gear icon for settings 
. You'll find this at the bottom of the slide-out menu. 
5 Tap Privacy. This is usually the fourth listing in the menu next to the lock icon.[3] 
6 Tap Activity Status. This is usually the fourth listing in the menu next to a person and checkmark icon. 
7 Tap the switch to enable or disable the feature to show your activity status. If you turn this off, you won't be able to see the activity status of anyone else. Advertisement 
1 Go to https://instagram.com. You can use a phone, tablet, or computer to access this site. 
2 Click the profile icon 
3 Click the gear icon for the Settings menu 
4 Click Privacy and Security. You'll find this in the middle of the pop-up menu between "Notifications" and "Login Activity." 
5 Click to check or uncheck the box next to "Show Activity Status." If you turn this off, you won't be able to see the activity status of anyone else.[4] Advertisement 
Community Answer If someone has more than one account, there is usually no way to know that unless they tell you. Some people who have a second account will post a link to the second account in their bio or in one of their pictures or videos. You could also tell by what content both accounts post. They might also have very similar usernames or profile pictures. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 11 Helpful 14 
Community Answer You can't. But if you look at their profile, you can see their latest posts, which can give you a hint about when they were last active. Don't forget to check their followers' latest posts, too. They might have posted new replies there. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 6 Helpful 13 
Community Answer They turned it off. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 4 Helpful 32 
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