How to hide your Facebook online status
Posted on October 31, 2008 at 5:32 am
Here’s a simple tip that I just figured out myself the other day: hide your online status on Facebook! Why is this useful? Well now that Facebook has built chat into the online interface (kind of like Google Talk running in Gmail), your friends can start chatting with you at any time once you log into Facebook.
Personally, I never wanted to use Facebook as an instant messaging program, that’s why I have a separate IM program (though I do enjoy using Gmail from inside Facebook)! Thankfully, Facebook has made it very easy to change your online status so that people cannot see you are online.
Of course, if you go offline, no one will be able to see you are online, but you will also not be able to see which of your friends are online. It’s not like the Invisible feature in Yahoo Messenger (Check out my previous post on how to detect if someone is invisible in Yahoo).
Here’s how to quickly go offline and hide your online status:
Step 1: Log into your Facebook account
Step 2: Click on the chat icon at the bottom right of the browser screen. You’ll get a list of some options and you’ll see a link that says Go Offline.
That’s it. Now you are offline and you will no longer see the list of online friends. As long as you are offline, you’ll see a red icon next to the chat icon.
I’ve written several other beginner articles about Facebook including how to upload and tag pictures in Facebook, how to ignore all Facebook requests in one click, how to change the default Facebook layout, and how to upload photos to Facebook from your mobile phone. Enjoy!
» Filed Under Computer Tips
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Thank you sooo much, been trying to show offline for ages but couln’t find how to, i hate being pestered on facebook Lol
I don’t get a popup window when I go down to that chat box. Any other suggestions?
Never mind. I figured it out.
Is there ANY way to be offline while still being able to see what friends are online like myspace has?
Pete, I don’t think you can see online friends when you are offline in Facebook. At least not yet.
If you have Facebook on your iPhone you can check who is online without appearing online yourself.
Thank you! I wish I could buy you a beer.
I think it only works with IE, Firefox is my default Internet browser and it does not do anything when I click on the ‘Go Offline’ icon
Er. So your solution to “How to hide your online status” is… go offline? Genius. Why didn’t I think of that.
Ditto…..I hate when people bother me too, Im not on there to chat. I’d buy you a beer as well
to Pics: You’re not really going offline. You’re still online. You’re just not showing anyone that you are online.
this works, thanks! but you can’t do stuff like add friends while you’re offline. Also to mike, if you use a dsi or psp browser, people can’t see you online because of streaming speeds. The only way to chat on those is with Ebuddy flash app.
People can still see that your are online, strangely enough because you appear on their screen as “offline”…
Anyway to chat with one person while still appearing offline to everyone else? If I am chatting with one person I keep getting interrupted by other chats.
My chat window in Facebook doesn’t have that litttle box by the notifications. What now?
I agree with jb – we still show up as being offline – so what good is that?
I dont know why there can’t just be a simple “Invisible” button like on Yahoo! And why it cant be PERMANENT until you UNCLICK it! But that would be TOO easy, huh? I think ‘My Space’ is a lot easier/better layout/ less clustered main page. And far less confusing for first timers.
Thank you buddy!! Couldn’t find it for the life of me!!
BUH! Next time you go on facebook, you are again shown as online. Buuuuuh facebook. They just never get it right.
Hi,
I’ve always wanted to know of a way to hide my Facebook online status. Thanks for the tip!
this does not work. you still show online but not available to chat. I did this on 2 computers with 2 facebook accounts and both accounts were said to be online but when you click on them to chat it says offline only in the chat box. So people can still see you are online. I want to be totally invisible.
Here’s something – facebook friends can see me online on their iphones when I am offline on their desktops. It seems to have something to do with switching ‘friends lists’ on and off. Anyway else experienced this?
Here’s something – facebook friends can see me online on their iphones when I am offline on their desktops. It seems to have something to do with switching ‘friends lists’ on and off. Does anyone else experience this?
To “hide” your chat status:
Account -> Privacy Settings -> Contact Information -> IM Screen Name.
Choose “Only Me”
Magic huh? Protect yourself.
well… no “Contact Information” in Privacy Settings. where did you find it?
oh sorry. first you need to go in “Customize settings” to reach contact information
I’d just like to be able to appear invisible to selective individuals on FB. I’ve never been a huge fan of online chat, and it seems those who do like it, tend to lolly-gag about, and you wind up waiting 5 minutes between each of their chat feeds.
I didn’t join FB to chat online.
by the way i just have tested blocking “IM Screen Name” via Privacy Settings as Willy said, and i would say it doesn’t work. my friends still see me online even if i have settings “Only Me” in “IM Screen Name”. maybe need to change also something else?
Thanks, please write more Facebook tips…
If my FB friend is on FB using an iPhone, would I be able to see their online status? Meaning, would they appear on my friends list as being ‘online’?