We all are familiar with how Facebook works. The “Active now” with a tiny but vivid green dot on the top indicates that someone is online on Facebook and currently using it.
However, a lot of us have experienced a case in which we could see just the “Active now” written and not the dot. And this has kept a lot of us wondering why it happened in the first place.
While there still can be many reasons behind the “Active now” with the green dot not appearing, if this is happening on your mobile phone then it probably means that they haven’t installed the Messenger app, or they aren’t using Messenger and are on the Facebook app instead.
On the computer, however, this could be a different scenario. Since on your computer, you’re using the web version of Facebook, it most likely means that the person has disabled their chat, hence you can’t see the green dot with “Active now.”
If you’re interested in getting more of your queries related to this issue resolved, look no further, as we’ve got it sorted for you in this article. Let’s get started!
What Is The Difference Between “Active Now” And The Green Dot on Facebook?
Just “Active now” on Facebook means that a user is available and is currently online on the Facebook app or web version. They aren’t actively available for chatting, but when there’s a green dot along with “Active now” it means that the user is active on Messenger.
While both indicators mean that a user is currently available on Facebook, there is a slight difference between the showing up of them.
You can view “Active now” and the green dot in many places including the comments section, the profile, their posts, etc. However, one common place where you’re likely to see both appear is at the chat sidebar.”
Active now” comes under the profile name, while the green dot or the green light is seen on the profile pic icon that’s available in the Messenger chat sidebar.
Moreover, the green dot is there until the user exits the Messenger app and gets offline for chatting, “Active now” keeps changing according to the user’s availability on Facebook.
For instance, if a user left Facebook 2 minutes ago, it’ll show “Active two minutes ago.”
Realistically speaking, if you left Facebook 2 minutes ago, it’ll take 4–5 minutes for Facebook to detect that you’re no longer active on its platform, and update your availability status to “Active 2 minutes ago.”
How to Hide Active Status on Facebook?
If you find the active status creepy, while others appreciate it, you don’t need to sweat out as you have the command over it, and you can hide the active status on Facebook. Here’s how to do it on both mobile and computer:
| Sno | On App version | On Web version |
| 1 | Go to Facebook and visit the Menu section. | Open the web browser version of Facebook on your computer. |
| 2 | Tap Settings and Privacy > View Settings. | Tap Settings and Privacy > View Settings. |
| 3 | Scroll down until you reach “Audience and Availability.” | Open “Active Status” by clicking on the three dots that appear at the top. |
| 4 | Tap on “Active Status.” | Click on the chat icon listed with the other icon on the top right side of the screen. |
| 5 | Disable the enabled ‘Show when you’re active’ option. | Make sure you save the change in settings. |
How Long Does The Green Dot Stay on Messenger?
The green dot is predicted to stay there for three minutes after you exit the Messenger app. After three minutes, it’s supposed to show your activity status, like “active two minutes ago.”
But you can’t exactly use this as a trustworthy indicator to predict if someone is online on Messenger or not. There can be a glitch or delay in updating your status on the system’s behalf.
How Accurate Is The Green Dot on Facebook?
The green dot that shows your profile picture on Facebook or Messenger is supposed to tell you that the particular person is available for chatting online, however, it isn’t always a reliable and accurate indicator.
The green dot is supposed to stay for three minutes, long after you exit Messenger. However, it doesn’t work like this all the time.
For instance, when you know that a friend of yours isn’t active on Messenger and Facebook for quite a long time but still the green dot doesn’t disappear as it should, you know that it’s not an accurate indicator to predict someone’s activity.
This could also mean there’s some sort of delay in your system to update your activity status, or a technical bug or glitch holding the green dot from working correctly.
Therefore, make sure to refresh your Messenger app and Facebook at least once.
What Does The Green Dot With The Video Icon Mean on Messenger?
Have you noticed, that there’s a green dot with the option to video chat as well when you’re chatting with someone on Messenger? But what does it mean?
The green dot with the video icon on Messenger simply means that the person is available to receive your video call and chat with you via a video chat.
Conclusion
The main takeaway points from this article are:
- If you’re seeing “Active now” without the green dot on your mobile phone, then it probably means that they haven’t installed the Messenger app, or they aren’t using Messenger and are on the Facebook app instead.
- Since on your computer, you’re using the web version of Facebook, it most likely means that the person has disabled their chat, hence you can’t see the green dot with “Active now.”
- Just “Active now” on Facebook means that a user is available and is currently online on the Facebook app or web version. They aren’t actively available for chatting, but when there’s a green dot along with “Active now” it means that the user is active on Messenger.
- The green dot is supposed to stay for three minutes, long after you exit Messenger.
- The green dot isn’t always a reliable and accurate indicator.
- The green dot with the video icon on Messenger simply means that the person is available to receive your video call and chat with you via a video chat.