There is no single "invisible mode" on the Facebook mobile app, but you can achieve the same effect by turning off your Active Status and setting your post audiences to "Only Me." To learn how to be invisible on Facebook mobile, follow the steps below to control who sees your online activity and profile details.
How to be invisible on Facebook mobile
- Open the Facebook app and tap the chat bubble icon (usually in the top right corner).
- Tap your profile picture or the "Active" tab at the top of the chat list.
- Select "Turn Off Active Status."
- Choose to turn it off for all friends or only specific friends and groups, then confirm.
Once deactivated, the green dot next to your name will disappear, and others will see you as offline. You can still browse, send messages, and use the app normally.
Adjusting audience and visibility settings
- Tap your profile picture (top right) and go to Settings & privacy > Settings.
- Under Audience and visibility, choose the setting you want to change.
This section controls who can see your future posts, stories, friends list, and other profile information. For example, you can set who sees your friends list to "Only me" to keep it private. Regularly reviewing these settings helps you manage your online presence. The same area also includes your block list and controls for Facebook privacy and notifications.
Limiting profile and tagging visibility
- From Settings & privacy > Settings, tap Profile and tagging.
- Use the setting Who can see what others post on your profile? to control who sees posts added by friends.
- Enable Review posts you're tagged in before the post appears on your profile? to approve tags before they show up.
- Adjust When you're tagged in a post, who do you want to add to the audience of the post if they can't already see it? to limit who gets added to tagged posts.
- Use Control who can see posts and photos you're tagged in on Facebook to manage visibility of tagged content.
These settings give you direct control over what appears on your timeline and who can interact with your profile. The Privacy Checkup tool offers a comprehensive overview of your privacy settings, including profile information, with intuitive controls for customization.
Using the audience selector for individual posts
When creating a new post, tap the audience selector button (often shows "Friends" or a globe icon) directly from the post creation screen. Choose from options like Friends, Public, or Only Me. You can also select a custom list of people. This lets you set the privacy of each post individually without changing your overall settings.
Blocking specific users for complete privacy
- Go to Settings & privacy > Settings > Audience and visibility.
- Find and tap Block list.
- Add the person's name or email to block them.
Once blocked, that user cannot see your profile, posts, or any activity on Facebook. This is the most complete way to become invisible to a specific person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I appear offline to only some friends on Facebook mobile?
Yes. When turning off Active Status, you can choose to appear offline to all friends or select specific friends and lists. Others not on that list will still see your green dot.
Will turning off Active Status stop showing when I was last active?
No. To hide that, you need to adjust Messenger-specific privacy settings.
Does blocking someone on Facebook mobile also block them in Messenger?
Yes. Blocking a person on Facebook automatically blocks them on Messenger as well. They will not be able to message you or see your profile.
Can I hide my location on Facebook mobile without turning off all location services?
Yes. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Facebook > Permissions > Location and choose "Don't allow." On Android, the documented choices for location permissions are Allow only while using app, Ask every time, or Don't allow. On iPhone/iPad, go to device Settings > Facebook > Location and select "Never." This prevents Facebook from accessing your location while leaving other apps unaffected. Facebook's 'Nearby Friends' feature can be managed from the location settings menu to turn off the feature entirely or customize the audience who can see your proximity.
Will setting posts to "Only Me" hide them from future searches?
Yes. Posts set to "Only Me" are visible only to you and will not appear in search results or on your friends' feeds. They remain private on your profile. When creating a post, tap the location icon to manage location sharing preferences for that individual post.
