If you are wondering why you can’t find the activity status feature on your TikTok account, there are a few potential reasons for this.
The main reason is that TikTok removed the activity status feature in March 2020. This feature allowed users to set an “active” or “inactive” status on their profile. When active, it showed users were currently using TikTok. When set to inactive, it signaled a user was not currently active on TikTok.
TikTok likely removed this feature to streamline the user experience and simplify profiles. The activity status was not a core TikTok feature, so removing it helped declutter the platform.
When and Why TikTok Removed the Activity Status Feature
TikTok began rolling out the removal of the activity status feature in March 2020. By early April 2020, the feature had been completely removed from the platform.
TikTok did not issue an official statement on why they removed activity status. However, app experts and insiders gave a few possible reasons for the change:
- To simplify user profiles and streamline the overall experience on TikTok.
- To reduce social pressure and competition among users about who was more “active” on TikTok.
- To encourage more authentic engagement rather than users just passive viewing for the sake of activity stats.
Overall, the removal of activity status aligns with TikTok’s moves to create an app experience that focuses more on videos, content creation, and entertainment rather than social media elements like statuses and profiles.
What Did the TikTok Activity Status Feature Do?
When the activity status feature was available on TikTok, it gave users two status options to set on their profile:
- Active – Showed other users that you were currently active on TikTok.
- Inactive – Signaled to others that you were not currently active on TikTok.
Setting your activity status to “Active” displayed a green dot by your profile name and bio. When set to “Inactive,” it showed a red dot instead.
This gave users quick visual cues about who was currently online and engaging with TikTok content. It also allowed users to set an “Away” status if they did not want others knowing they were actively scrolling TikTok at a certain time.
Where Was the Activity Status Feature Located in the App?
When TikTok still had activity status enabled, you could find it in a few places:
- Profile tab – You could tap on your profile icon to access the status setting.
- Settings menu – The activity status toggle was located in Settings > Privacy > Activity status.
From both locations, you could easily toggle your status between Active or Inactive.
The profile screen also showed where other users’ activity status indicators (green or red dot) displayed next to their profile name.
Are There Any Alternatives to Activity Status on TikTok?
Currently, there is no feature on TikTok that directly replaces the old activity status. However, there are a couple features that provide some similar functionality:
- Online indicator – If you direct message another user, you can see a small “online” indicator if they are actively online.
- Last seen time – In your profile and other users’ profiles, you can see a “last seen X minutes/hours ago” indicator under their name.
Neither of these show the real-time active/inactive status that activity status provided. But they do give some indication of if/when a user was last seen online.
Will TikTok Ever Bring Back Activity Status?
It seems unlikely that TikTok will re-introduce activity status at this point. Since removing the feature in 2020, TikTok has given no indication that status indicators will return.
Considering the rationale behind removing activity status was to simplify the platform, bringing it back would seem counterintuitive. TikTok’s product evolution is focused more on the core video experience rather than social network-like features.
Unless users begin widely requesting activity status again, TikTok will likely keep profiles streamlined. Focus seems to be more on creators than detailed user profiles at this point.
However, TikTok consistently experiments with and tests new features. So an activity status comeback cannot be ruled out entirely. But the chances seem low in TikTok’s current app landscape.
Tips for Checking If Someone Is Active on TikTok
Without an official activity status, there is no foolproof way to know if someone is actively on TikTok currently. But some tips to gauge if someone may be online include:
- Check if the “Online” indicator shows up next to their name in Direct Messages.
- See if their profile view count has increased.
- Watch if they are actively liking, commenting, or posting new content.
- Monitor their last seen time stamp for recent activity.
None of these are perfect replacements for the removed feature. But combining signals like these gives some sense of who might be actively engaging on TikTok in real-time.
Why Users Miss the Activity Status Feature
For users accustomed to seeing activity status on TikTok, its removal was disappointing in a few ways:
- Made it harder to coordinate DM conversations if you could not see someone was online.
- Removed the “social” element of seeing when friends/followers were active.
- Eliminated some of the competitiveness around being “top active users.”
- Got rid of the ability to appear offline or set an away status when desired.
Essentially, it took away some of the social network feel of TikTok and made the app experience more isolated. Fans of the feature wish it could return in some form.
Bottom Line
TikTok removed activity status back in 2020 to simplify user profiles and likely reduce social pressure around being “active” on the app. There is currently no feature that directly replaces activity status.
While some users miss the ability to show when they are actively online, it does not seem a priority for TikTok to re-introduce it. The focus is more on serving content and enabling creation rather than social indicators.
Users can still get a general sense of who is online by checking things like DM status, profile views, and recent activity. But the real-time active/inactive indicator remains a relic of the past on TikTok.
Unless TikTok sees a strong shift in user demand, activity status will likely stay removed. The app continues trending away from social network features and toward an entertainment/discovery experience.
