How to see if someone is on facebook without being friends

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• Checking When Someone Was Last Active
|
• Turning Your Active Status On or Off

This wikiHow teaches you how to find out when a friend was last active on Facebook. You need the Facebook Messenger app to see when a user was last active. You can only view when a user was last active if they have their Active Status turned on and you have yours turned on. If you don't want people to be able to see when you were last active, you can turn your Active Status off. If you turn off your Active Status, you cannot view when others were last active.

1. 

   1

   Open Facebook. Facebook has a blue icon with a white lowercase "f." Tap the Facebook icon on your Home screen or Apps menu to open Facebook.

   • If you are not signed in to Facebook, enter your username, email address, or phone number and password associated with your account and tap Log In.
   • You can check to see which friends are currently active by looking at the profile icons below "What's on your mind" at the top of your newsfeed. Your friends that have a green dot next to their profile picture are currently active.

2. 

   2

   Tap the Messenger icon. It's the icon that resembles a speech bubble with a lightning bolt in the upper-right corner. This opens Facebook Messenger. Users who are currently active will be displayed at the top with a green dot in the lower-right corner of their user profile picture.

   • You need the Facebook Messenger app installed on your Android phone to use Facebook Messenger. You can install the Facebook Messenger app for free from the Google Play Store.

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3. 

   3

   Tap the Search bar. It's the grey bar that has an icon that resembles a magnifying glass. It's at the top of the page below "Chats."

   • Alternatively, you can scroll down to view a list of all your recent Facebook chats. It displays the time and/or date the user was last active next to the last chat message below their name.

4. 

   4

   Type the name of the person you want to see when was last active. This displays a list of users that match your search. Alternatively, you can scroll down and browse your list of friends.

5. 

   5

   Tap the person's name. This opens a chat with that person. If the person has their Active Status turned on, it will display when they were last active below their name at the top.

   • You must have your Active Status turned on in order to view when other users were last active. If your Active Status is turned off, you cannot view when others were last active.

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1. 

   1

   Open Facebook. Facebook has a blue icon with a white lowercase "f." Tap the Facebook icon on your Home screen or Apps menu to open Facebook.

   • If you are not signed in to Facebook, enter your username, email address, or phone number and password associated with your account and tap Log In.

2. 

   2

   Tap the Messenger icon. It's the icon that resembles a speech bubble with a lightning bolt in the upper-right corner. This opens Facebook Messenger.

   • You need the Facebook Messenger app installed on your Android phone to use Facebook Messenger. You can install the Facebook Messenger app for free from the Google Play Store.

3. 

   3

   Tap your profile picture. It's in the upper-left corner next to "Chats" This displays your account menu.

4. 

   4

   Tap Active Status. It's next to a green icon with a white circle in the middle It's the first option below "Profile."

5. 

   5

   Tap the toggle switch

   
   at the top. It's in the upper-right corner of the Active Status menu. It's next to "Show when you're active" at the top.This switch toggles your Active Status on or off. If the switch is to the right, your Active Status is on. If it is to the left, your Active Status is off.

6. 

   6

   Tap Turn off. When you turn off your Active Status, you will see a pop-up asking you to confirm that you want to turn your Active Status off. Tap Turn off to confirm that you want to turn your Active Status off and turn it off.

   • If your Active Status is turned off, you cannot view other users Active Status.

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Add New Question

• Question

  I need to know can someone read my text or messenger.

  

  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  Messages you send to other Facebook users over Messenger are private. The user(s) you send the message to are the only ones that can read your text.

• Question

  how to get notified when a friend posts on facebook

  

  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  Go to your friend's profile and tap the icon with three dots (⋯). Tap "Friends" and then tap "Edit Friend List". Then tap "Close Friends"

• Question

  I am not able to see this person when he is on facebook

  

  This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

  

  wikiHow Staff Editor

  Staff Answer

  Either they don't have their Active Status turned on or you don't have yours turned on.

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About This Article

Article SummaryX

1. Open Facebook.
2. Tap the Messenger icon in the upper-right corner.
3.. Tap the Search bar at the top of the screen.
4. Enter the name of the person you want to check on.
5. Tap the person's name to open a new chat.
6. View when they were last active below their name at the top.

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