How to Turn Off Active Status on Snapchat (the Green Dot)

Snapchat calls your active status the Activity Indicator. It's the small green dot that appears on your avatar when you've been on the app recently, and Snapchat shows it unless you switch it off. People often go hunting in Snap Map settings for this, but that's a different switch entirely.

Switch off the Activity Indicator in five taps

1. Open your Profile and tap the gear icon to open Settings.
2. Scroll down to the App & Privacy section.
3. Tap My Privacy & Data.
4. Scroll to Privacy Choices and tap Activity Indicator.
5. Toggle it off.

Once it's off, friends won't see the green dot on your avatar. Turn it back on the same way if you change your mind.

Why some friends never show a green dot

It works both ways. Snapchat says the green dot appears on a friend's avatar unless they've disabled it, so a friend who never seems to show one has probably switched their own Activity Indicator off. It doesn't mean they've blocked or muted you, and it doesn't mean they're inactive. It's simply a privacy choice, the same one you're about to make. Don't read anything personal into a missing dot, and don't expect people to read anything into yours.

Which Snapchat setting hides what

Snapchat has several privacy switches that sound similar. Here's what each one controls, according to Snapchat's help pages, so you switch off the right thing first time.

Setting	Where it lives	What it hides
Activity Indicator	Settings, My Privacy & Data	The green dot showing you've been active recently
Ghost Mode	Snap Map, Map Settings	Your location on the Map from other people
Who Can See Me In Find Friends	Settings, My Privacy & Data	Whether you're suggested to people as a new friend
Who Can View My Story	Settings, My Privacy & Data	Your Story from chosen people
Friends in Chat	Snapchat+ membership page	Whether you see friends who are present in a chat

Why Ghost Mode doesn't hide your activity

Ghost Mode is a Snap Map setting. Snapchat says that when it's on, your location is still shared with Snap, but nobody else can see it on the Map. You can set it for 3 hours, 24 hours or until you turn it off. It says nothing about your green dot, your chat icons or anything outside the Map, so if your aim is to look offline, the Activity Indicator is the setting that matters.

If you do want both, I'd switch off the Activity Indicator and then set Ghost Mode with the Until Turned Off timer. My guide to getting on Snap Map explains who sees you there in the first place.

Can you turn off read receipts on Snapchat?

Not according to Snapchat's help pages. They list the icons your friends see when you open a Snap or Chat, including opened, viewed, screenshot and replay icons, but there's no article describing a setting to hide them. If you open a chat, the sender will see that you've opened it.

There's one small exception worth knowing. If someone sends you a Chat Preview notification, Snapchat says reading the preview text in that notification doesn't mark the chat as opened. You still have to open the chat in the app for it to count. It only applies when the sender chooses to send a preview, though, so it isn't a setting you can rely on.

The Snapchat+ feature that shows you're in a chat

Here's the catch most people miss. Snapchat+ members can see when a friend is present in their chat from the Chat feed. If you're in the chat but not typing, they'll see your Bitmoji holding a phone. Snapchat describes the Friends in Chat toggle as being on the Snapchat+ member's own membership page, which means it's their choice to see it, not yours to hide. So switching off your green dot doesn't stop a Snapchat+ friend from spotting you mid-conversation.

Other ways to keep a lower profile

• Limit your Story. Under Who Can View My Story, tap Custom to leave out specific friends.
• Leave Find Friends. Snapchat says a change here can take up to 72 hours to show.
• Check who can contact you. By default only friends can, which keeps random accounts out of your chats.

It's also worth knowing how your closest friends are shown to each other. My explainer on the Snapchat Best Friends list covers who can see it.

My advice

If you want a bit of breathing room, switch off the Activity Indicator first. It's the one setting that does what most people mean by active status, and it takes under a minute. Then be realistic: there's no official way to hide that you've opened a chat, and Snapchat+ friends can still see you in a conversation. If you need total quiet, the honest answer is to leave chats unopened until you're ready to reply.

Frequently asked questions

What does the green dot mean on Snapchat?

It's the Activity Indicator. Snapchat says it shows a friend has been active on the app recently, unless they've turned it off.

Does Ghost Mode turn off active status on Snapchat?

No. Ghost Mode only hides your location on Snap Map. Your Activity Indicator is a separate switch in My Privacy & Data.

How do I turn off read receipts on Snapchat?

Snapchat's help pages don't describe a setting for it. When you open a Snap or Chat, the sender sees an opened icon.

Can people see when I'm in our chat on Snapchat?

Snapchat+ members can. If you're present but not typing, they see your Bitmoji holding a phone.

Why can't I see a friend's green dot on Snapchat?

They've most likely turned off their own Activity Indicator. Snapchat says the dot shows unless the person disables it.

Does reading a notification mark a Snapchat chat as opened?

Snapchat says reading the preview text in a Chat Preview notification doesn't mark the chat as opened. Opening it in the app does.