Instagram is following in the footsteps of Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, by introducing the ‘last seen’ status. This is being seen as a step by Instagram to add more muscle to its messaging function. On the direct messages screen Instagram will identify contacts you have corresponded with earlier and show their current status or more precisely, when they were last online.

Instagram has added the “Show Activity Status” to the options within the Settings part of Instagram and it comes as a default option. In case you wish to have it disabled, you can choose to do so. As it is with the other services like WhatsApp, the moment you have selected the disable option for the ‘Show Activity Status”, it will automatically mean your status will not be visible to the others and you cannot also see their status on your Instagram.

Though it is possible that Instagram has not made this feature available to all users universally, it appears many users have observed the change in their accounts whether they are using the app.

It has also been made clear that not every follower in your Instagram account will be included in this status visibility feature. It will be limited only to those you have messaged in the past and does not show details like ‘online’ as you can see in WhatsApp. It only indicates how long ago your contact had scrolled through your postings.

Many people feel this provision of a “seen” message would be of benefit to professional and businesses which have posted some important image or message and would be keen to know if it has been read. And the facility to opt out of the feature is also being welcomed. The reason for this is Facebook Messenger does not allow you this luxury.