You must have noticed a green dot whenever you open your Facebook Messenger. It appears when you text someone or just browse the app.
Most users do not know what the Green Dot signifies. They might think it’s a technical glitch. It could appear as a bug affecting Messenger servers.
In this article, you will learn what it means when you see the Green Dot whenever you open Facebook Messenger.
What Does Green Dot Mean in Messenger?
When you open Facebook Messenger, move to the chat section to text a friend. You will notice that some chats have a little Green Dot at the bottom of their circular profile photo.
That Green Dot means the individual is active on Messenger. Active here means that the user is online at the exact time you see the green dot.
They have opened the app and are probably scrolling through it or texting people.
The Green Dot then dignifies or indicates the Active Status or online activity of a user.
Now the interesting bit is that you can only see that a user is online with a Green Dot. This is possible only if your Active Status is on. This status displays the Green Dot and shows you’re online.
This means that other users can also see the Green Dot on their devices. It is located at the bottom corner of your profile picture. This happens when they open Facebook Messenger and navigate to the chat section.
You might feel uncomfortable knowing that your Online Status is displayed whenever you open the app. This visibility might be causing you paranoia. Or you may simply prefer to remain anonymous.
Well, fortunately, you can disable your Active Status and prevent the Green Dot
from showing.
On the top right corner, select the gear icon. This will open the Settings and Privacy menu. Choose the third option, Active status.
Toggle the switch off. Turning off your Active status means others can no longer tell when you are online. This works the other way too. You will also be no longer able to see which of your Facebook Messenger friends are online.
Conclusion
Your Active status is on by default. If you want to hide your online status, you must turn it off manually.
The Green Dot in Facebook Messenger is explained in this article. It also describes its significance to you as a user.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the green dot on Messenger mean they are chatting ?
Yes, to some extent it does. For a user to be texting, they must be connected to the internet. They also need to be on the app. But not always. The Green Dot just indicates that a user is online.
How do you know if someone is active on Messenger?
To know if someone is active on Messenger, just go to your chat section when you open the app. A Green Dot appears at the bottom right corner of their profile bubble. Their profile bubble with the green dot is also displayed on the People tab.
Can you tell if someone is looking at your Messenger?
There is no definite way to tell if someone is looking at your Messenger. However, if they have read your message, then their profile picture appears next to the sent message.