How to Appear Offline to Some People on Facebook

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Facebook’s Active Status feature shows your friends and contacts when you’re online. However, you may not want everyone to see when you’re active. Fortunately, Facebook allows you to appear offline to specific people while still using Messenger and browsing Facebook.

Here are three easy ways to appear offline to some people on Facebook.

1. Turn Off Active Status for Specific People

Facebook Messenger allows you to customize your Active Status by hiding it from specific people while keeping it on for others.

Steps to Hide Active Status from Specific People (Mobile App & Desktop)

1. Open Facebook Messenger.
2. Tap your profile picture (top left on mobile, bottom left on desktop).
3. Select “Active Status.”
4. Tap “Turn off Active Status for some contacts only.”
5. Enter the names of the people you want to appear offline to.
6. Tap “Save” (or “Done” on desktop).

📌 Tip: These people won’t know you’ve turned off your Active Status for them.

2. Appear Offline Using Facebook’s Chat Settings

If you’re using Facebook on a desktop browser, you can turn off chat for specific people without affecting your Messenger app.

Steps to Appear Offline to Specific People (Facebook Web Version)

1. Go to Facebook.com and log in.
2. Click on Messenger (Chat Icon) in the bottom-right corner.
3. Click on the three dots (⋮) next to “Chats.”
4. Select “Turn Off Active Status.”
5. Choose “Turn off Active Status for only some contacts.”
6. Type the names of the people you want to appear offline to.
7. Click “Save.”

📌 Tip: This only hides your Active Status on Facebook Web—not on the Messenger app.

3. Use the “Restrict” Feature

If you want to completely hide your online status, messages, and updates from a specific person without blocking them, use the Restrict feature.

Steps to Restrict Someone on Facebook Messenger:

1. Open Messenger and find the conversation with the person you want to restrict.
2. Tap on their name at the top of the chat.
3. Scroll down and select “Restrict.”
4. Confirm by tapping “Restrict [Name].”

What Happens When You Restrict Someone?

✔ They won’t see when you’re active.
✔ Their messages will go to your Message Requests folder (they won’t know).
✔ They won’t be notified when you come online.

📌 Tip: You can unrestrict them anytime by going to Messenger > Settings > Privacy > Restricted Accounts.

FAQs About Appearing Offline to Some People on Facebook

1. Can someone tell if I appear offline to them on Facebook?

No, Facebook does not notify users when you hide your Active Status from them. They may only suspect it if they notice you’re not appearing online while being active on Facebook.

2. If I hide my Active Status from someone, can they still message me?

Yes, they can still send you messages. However, they won’t see when you were last active or if you’re currently online.

3. Does turning off Active Status on Facebook also hide it on Messenger?

Yes, if you turn off Active Status in Messenger, it will also be turned off on Facebook. However, if you only turn it off on Facebook Web, Messenger may still show you as active.

4. Can I turn off Active Status for only one person?

Yes! Facebook allows you to hide your Active Status from specific people while still being visible to others.

5. How do I appear offline to everyone except a few people?

When disabling your Active Status, choose “Turn off Active Status for all contacts except…” and enter the names of the people who can see you online.

6. If I restrict someone, will they know?

No, Facebook doesn’t notify people when you restrict them. However, they may notice if they stop seeing your Active Status and their messages go to the Message Requests folder.

7. Can I appear offline on Facebook but still see who is online?

Yes! You can hide your Active Status while still seeing when others are online.

8. Does turning off Active Status hide my last seen time?

Yes, when you turn off Active Status, others won’t see when you were last online.

9. Can I still receive calls if I appear offline on Messenger?

Yes, even if your Active Status is off, you can still receive calls. However, the caller won’t see if you’re online.

10. How do I undo hiding my Active Status from someone?

You can go back to Messenger’s Active Status settings and remove them from the list of people who can’t see you online.

Final Thoughts

If you don’t want everyone to see when you’re online, try these three easy methods:

✔ Turn off Active Status for specific people in Messenger.
✔ Use Facebook Chat settings to appear offline on the web version.
✔ Restrict someone to completely hide your activity from them.

By using these methods, you can browse Facebook and chat without worrying about certain people seeing you online. 😊