Want to check when someone was last active on Facebook? Facebook’s Active Status feature shows when a user was last online, but sometimes it’s hidden due to privacy settings. Luckily, there are still a few ways to determine someone’s last seen time.
Here are three effective methods to check someone’s last online status on Facebook using an Android device.
1. Check the “Active Status” in Messenger
The easiest way to see when someone was last online is through Facebook Messenger’s Active Status. This feature shows a green dot when the person is online and the last active time if they recently went offline.
How to Check Active Status in Messenger:
- Open the Facebook Messenger app on your Android device.
- In the Chats tab, look for the person you want to check.
- If they are online, you will see a green dot next to their profile picture.
- If they are offline, you may see “Active X minutes/hours ago” under their name.
📌 Note: If they have turned off Active Status, you won’t see their last online time.
2. Send a Message and Observe the Read Receipts
If someone has disabled Active Status, you can still get clues about their last online time by sending them a message. Messenger’s read receipts (seen checkmarks) can indicate when they were active.
How to Use Read Receipts to Check Last Online Time:
- Open Messenger and send a message to the person.
- Wait for them to read it.
- If the message shows “Seen” with a timestamp, it means they were recently online.
📌 Tip: This method only works if they open your message. If they ignore it, you won’t get a “Seen” confirmation.
3. Check Their Recent Activity on Facebook
If the person has hidden their Active Status, you can still check their recent Facebook activity to estimate when they were last online.
Ways to Check Recent Activity:
✔ Look at their recent posts or comments
- Open their Facebook profile and check their latest posts or comments.
- If they recently liked or commented on something, they were likely online at that time.
✔ Check their Facebook Stories
- Open Facebook and check if they have posted a story.
- Stories show a timestamp of when they were posted.
✔ Look for new friend interactions
- If they added a new friend or changed their profile picture, it indicates they were recently active.
📌 Note: This method is useful if Active Status is hidden, but it depends on whether they post regularly.
FAQs
1. Why can’t I see someone’s last active time on Messenger?
There are a few reasons why you might not see their last active time:
✔ They turned off their Active Status in Messenger.
✔ You turned off your own Active Status (Facebook hides last seen times mutually).
✔ They blocked you on Messenger, which means you can’t see their status.
✔ They haven’t been online for a long time, so Facebook no longer displays their last seen time.
2. Can I check someone’s last active time without them knowing?
Yes! You can:
- Look at recent activity like posts, comments, and likes.
- Check Facebook Stories for a timestamp.
- Send a message and see if they read it, which can indicate they were online.
3. If someone appears online but doesn’t reply, what does it mean?
It could mean:
- They are active on another device but not checking Messenger.
- They have seen your message but don’t want to reply yet.
- They are using Facebook but have Messenger notifications turned off.
4. How can I turn off my own Active Status?
To hide your own last seen time:
- Open Messenger.
- Tap your profile picture (top left).
- Select “Active Status” and toggle it off.
📌 Note: If you turn it off, you won’t be able to see others’ last active times either.
5. Can I see the last active status of someone who isn’t my friend?
No, you can only see the last active status of people you have interacted with on Messenger. If they are not your friend or haven’t accepted your message request, their last seen time won’t be visible.
6. Does the “Active Now” status mean they are using Messenger?
Not always! “Active Now” can appear if they:
✔ Are browsing Facebook but not Messenger.
✔ Have Messenger open in the background.
✔ Are using Facebook on another device.
7. Can third-party apps track someone’s last seen time on Facebook?
No, third-party apps that claim to track Facebook last seen times are fake or scams. Facebook does not allow external apps to track Active Status data.
Final Thoughts
While Facebook’s Active Status is the most direct way to see when someone was last online, you can also use read receipts and their recent activity as alternative methods. If a person has completely hidden their last seen time, checking their latest posts and interactions can give you a good estimate.
