If youve ever opened your Instagram Direct Messages (DMs) and seen the status “Active Today” under someone’s name, you might have wondered exactly what that means. Is it accurate? How recent were they online? Can you rely on it?
This guide will give you everything you need to know about the Active Today status on Instagram — what it is, how it works, what affects it, and how you can manage your own activity status.
? What Does Active Today Actually Mean?
When you see “Active Today” on Instagram, it means that the person:
Was active on Instagram at some point within the last 8 to 24 hours,
But not currently online, and
Hasn’t been active in the last 8 hours.
In other words:
They were using Instagram today, but not recently (within the past few hours).
? How Instagram Defines Activity Status
Instagram breaks down activity into several categories:
| Status | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Active now | Currently online (using app in real time) |
| Active X min/h ago | Was active less than 8 hours ago |
| Active today | Was active sometime in the last 8–24 hours |
| Active yesterday | Was last active 24–48 hours ago |
? What Counts as Active?
Instagram considers someone active when they:
Open the app or website
Scroll the feed or watch stories
Send or check DMs
Like, comment, or interact with posts
View profiles, reels, or explore content
Even brief activity (like opening the app for a few seconds) can count.
? Who Can See My Activity Status?
By default, only people you follow AND those youve messaged before can see your activity status.
However, you can hide or turn off your activity status anytime.
How to Turn It Off:
Go to your Instagram profile
Tap the menu (☰) → Settings and Privacy
Tap Messages and story replies
Select Show activity status
Toggle off “Show Activity Status”
⚠️ Note: If you turn off your own activity status, you also won’t be able to see others’.
❓ Is Active Today Always Accurate?
Not exactly. There are a few caveats:
Delayed updates: Sometimes, Instagram takes time to update statuses.
Glitches: Occasionally, a status might be stuck or outdated.
Limited accuracy: You won’t see “Active Today” if someone has disabled their activity status.
So, treat it as a rough estimate, not real-time information.
?️ Can I Hide That I Was Active Today?
Yes — turning off your Activity Status entirely will hide whether you were active now, 1 hour ago, or “today.” No one will be able to tell when you were last online.
This is useful if you want privacy or don’t want to appear available.
? Common Myths About Active Today
❌ “They must’ve seen my DM!”
Not necessarily. Being “active” doesn’t mean they opened your message.
❌ “Active Today means they ignored me.”
It’s possible they were online and just didn’t respond — but the label alone doesn’t confirm it.
❌ “They blocked me — I can’t see their activity anymore.”
Actually, if someone disables activity status, you won’t see anything — but that doesn’t mean you’re blocked.
