If you’ve ever used Facebook Messenger, you’ve probably seen those little green dots that pop up sometimes next to people’s profile icons. If you’ve been wondering what the meaning of these green dots on Facebook Messenger is, read on!
These green dots indicate someone’s online status. If someone is online and they are currently using Facebook, a green dot will appear next to their image. Its purpose is to show you who is active so, if you’re bored, you can start a conversation with someone who may be available to chat.
This green dot will also show up on the Facebook app itself, not only on Facebook Messenger.
Is the Green Dot Accurate on Facebook?
A lot of people wonder, “Just how accurate is Facebook’s active status?”
There are some very divided opinions about Facebook’s green dot’s accuracy.
What I’ve found is that it’s mostly accurate, but not always so. Sometimes, the green dot may linger after someone’s phone screen turns off or if the app is still active in the background
It’s also possible that the person has Facebook open on their desktop, in a separate browser tab. Or, they may have even left their computer on and gone to do something else.
If it’s not there, it usually means the person is not active on Facebook. However, if it is there, it doesn’t always mean they are active right now. The app might be running in the background – they may have been active a few minutes ago, for example.
How Long Does the Green Dot Stay Active?
But just how long does the green dot stay active on Facebook after a person exits the app? That’s hard to say, and there’s no clear answer.
It might stay a few minutes or even longer. It’s possible that it stays as long as data is being sent to and from Facebook or when Facebook is open in the background. It’s important not to make any assumptions about whether someone is currently using Facebook based on the green dot alone.
Difference Between “Active Now” and the Green Dot
There isn’t much of a difference between “Active Now” and the green dot on Facebook. The only difference is that “Active Now” appears at the top of the screen when you open a chat with someone on Facebook Messenger. The green dot is an indicator that appears next to the person’s profile picture on Facebook Messenger or Facebook. Both indicate a person’s active status on Facebook.
Can You Be on Messenger Without Being on Facebook?
No. You can’t use Messenger without a Facebook account. While you might be active on the Messenger app without opening the Facebook app – since they are two separate apps – Facebook and Messenger share the same active status. So, if you are using Messenger, you will show up as being active on Facebook as well.
How to Stop Showing as Active on Facebook
To hide your active status on Facebook, close the app completely. That means that you should not only exit the app, but you should also force-quit the app from your App Switcher.
If you are on a desktop, make sure to close any browser tabs that have Facebook or Messenger open.
However, if you never want people to see you active on Facebook, you can actually turn off your Facebook online status in your settings. On the Messenger app, click on your profile icon in the top-left corner. Then click on the Settings “gear” icon. Then, click on Active Status, where you can turn Active Status on or off.
If you toggle it off, nobody will see a green dot next to your name, even if you are active on Facebook. Note that if you turn it off, you also won’t be able to see if other people are active.
Also, you don’t have to turn it off forever. You can turn it off for an hour, eight hours, or until a certain time. That is a great way to temporarily prevent people from seeing that you are active on Facebook.
So, if you exit the app and want to be 100% sure that the green dot disappears, turn Active Status off for one hour.
Can You See Who Views Your Facebook Profile?
No. Unfortunately, there is no way to see who viewed your Facebook profile. Facebook doesn’t show you profile views to protect people’s privacy.
While there are third-party apps that claim to track Facebook profile views, they are all fake! They can’t know that information (unless they hacked into Facebook’s servers, but that’s not what’s happening). These apps are lying to you so they can make money by showing you ads. In some cases, they may even be stealing your Facebook login information, so never use them!
While these apps might show you a list of people who supposedly viewed your profile, that information is not accurate. They are simply pulling a list of random people from your friend list or elsewhere on Facebook and claiming they viewed your profile, whether they did or not.
Conclusion
The green dot on Facebook shows you when other people are active. However, it’s not 100% accurate, so take it with a grain of salt. You can also control your Facebook active status in your settings.