Instagram’s Threads Rolls Out Activity Status Indicator for Real-Time Engagement With Others

The feature is turned on by default on Threads and users will be able to see the online status of others.

Written by Shaurya Tomer, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 16 October 2024 11:54 IST

Instagram’s Threads Rolls Out Activity Status Indicator for Real-Time Engagement With Others

Photo Credit: Threads

Activity Status feature on Threads shows a green dot next to the user profile

Highlights

Threads users can now see if others are online via Activity Status
The feature is turned on by default but can be turned off
Users can also choose to display their status indicator to select others

Threads — Instagram's microblogging platform and a competitor to X (formerly Twitter) — is rolling out a new feature that lets users see if others are online. Similar functionality is already present on Meta's other social media apps such as Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook, and Threads is the latest in line to add it. Like its availability on other apps, only users who have turned on this feature will be able to see the activity status of other users.

Activity Status Indicator on Threads

In a post on Threads, platform head Adam Mosseri shared the rollout of this feature on the microblogging platform. The official says it has been introduced as a “way to find others to engage with” in real-time. It was suggested that the activity indicator feature could help in engaging in conversations by knowing when others are online.

The feature is turned on by default on Threads and users will be able to see the online status of others. Furthermore, it is not linked to the existing activity status indicator on Instagram, as per Threads. Both features work independently of each other; turning it off on Instagram won't do the same on Threads, and vice versa.

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Once enabled, a green dot will appear next to the user's profile picture, signalling that they are online. To turn it on:

Head over to the profile section on Threads
Select the hamburger icon from the top-right corner of the screen
Tap on Privacy and the Online Status option
Choose between the following options: Anyone, Followers, Followers you follow back, and No one

The feature can be turned off by following the aforementioned steps and selecting the last option. Gadgets 360 staff members were able to verify its availability on Threads for iOS.

While Threads may have introduced this feature to benefit users, the comment section below Mosseri's post was filled with requests for other features. Some of the most frequently requested features included a chronological feed, breaking events in real-time, and the ability to send direct messages (DMs) to other users.

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Further reading: Threads, Threads app, Threads activity status, Instagram

Shaurya Tomer

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Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More