Announced by Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, the “activity status” function aims to enhance real-time engagement by helping users identify who is available to interact on the platform.
Post by @mosseriView on Threads
Unlike X, where users can easily send direct messages (DMs) to start conversations, Threads lacks this capability, leading Meta to introduce features like activity status to boost interaction.
According to Mosseri, knowing when your contacts are active should encourage more conversations on the app, which has struggled to match X in terms of real-time event responses and trends.
However, the introduction of this feature has drawn mixed reactions. While it may encourage more immediate engagement, some users have expressed concerns about privacy and safety, especially for those who might be vulnerable to harassment.
Fortunately, only users who have enabled the feature can see each other’s online status. Users who prefer to keep their activity private can simply opt out of the feature. In fact, the top reply to Mosseri’s post is a user showing others how to turn off the feature.
Post by @violetfrostingView on Threads
All you have to do is go to privacy settings, tap online status, and select “No one.”
Despite the potential benefits, many Thread users are requesting DM functionality over activity status, suggesting that real-time conversation features without private messaging feel incomplete.