Did you notice a little green dot next to some of your friends’ Bitmojis (Avatar) on Snapchat, whether in your friends list or the Quick Add section? It’s a small detail, but it can actually tell you something important. If you’re wondering what that green dot means, why it shows up, whether it’s safe, or even how to turn it on/off on Snapchat. We recommend you read our guide. This guide will explain everything you need to know about the Snapchat green dot and its significance.
Let’s get into its details….
What Does A Green Dot On Snapchat Mean?
That little green dot you see next to a friend’s Bitmoji on Snapchat is an activity indicator. It means they’ve been recently active on the app (virtual cue about their active presence). While it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re online right now, it does suggest they’ve been active within the last 24 hours. This feature is turned on by default, but you can easily disable it in your Snapchat privacy settings if you prefer not to share your activity status.
It’s important not to confuse this with a green dot that might appear at the top of your phone’s screen. That’s a different kind of green dot—a notification from your phone’s operating system (OS). That one means an app (Snapchat or any other app) is currently using your camera. In that case, the green dot is a privacy indicator, not an activity indicator. This informs people about the usage of their camera functionality/activity.
Why Is The Green Dot Useful On Snapchat?
Even though the green dot isn’t a perfect real-time indicator, it leaves you with a clue about your friends’ Snapchat activity. This green dot is visible on the friends’ screen, but not within individual chat windows, even if both of them are using the app. This means you don’t need to be friends with someone to see their activity status (if they have the indicator enabled). This is quite useful to know if someone you might want to add is actively using Snapchat (available), thereby prompting interactions.
How Long Does The Green Dot Stay On Snapchat?
Usually, Snapchat doesn’t provide any specific timeframe for the existence of this green dot after an active session. Its longevity depends mostly on the particular situation and usage. However, it doesn’t disappear instantly and stays visible for around 30 minutes of inactivity after a user closes the app. Since it indicates activity within the last 24 hours, it’s not a perfect indicator of someone being online right now. You might see a time measurement (like “3 hours” or “20 minutes”) next to the green dot, which provides a more specific idea of their recent activity. Remember that the green dot disappears after 24 hours of inactivity.
You should know that the green dot only appears if the user has enabled their Activity Indicator in their Snapchat settings. If they’ve turned it off, you won’t see the dot even if they’ve been active recently (online) in the app. So, if there is no green dot doesn’t necessarily mean they haven’t been online; it could be a reason that they’ve disabled the Indicator feature. The green dot tells you they’ve been active sometime in the last 24 hours and they have the Activity Indicator turned on.
How To Disable Green Dot (Activity Indicator) On Snapchat
If you don’t want other Snapchatters to know about your recent activity on this platform, then you need to disable the green dot activity indicator. Here is a detailed procedure that helps you disable this green dot that appears next to your avatar (Bitmoji).
- Open your Snapchat account on your phone.
- Tap on your Profile picture (avatar) on the top left corner.
- Then tap on Settings (Gear Icon) at the top right corner.
- Now scroll down to tap on the Activity Indicator under the Privacy Controls.
- Turn off the Activity Indicator toggle and come back to the app.
- This will turn off the green dot next to your avatar on your friends’ chat, even when you’re active.
- That’s it! You have successfully turned off the activity indicators. This means your friends won’t be able to see the green dot beside your Bitmoji. But you can see those who are active on the Add Friends screen.
FAQs:
While the green dot gives you a general idea of recent activity, it’s not a real-time indicator of someone being online right now. It suggests activity within the last 24 hours (if the user has the feature enabled), but the information can be slightly delayed. Sometimes, the time measurements displayed next to the dot offer a more specific idea of their recent activity.
Several things can influence the visibility and accuracy of this green dot. The factors include poor & unstable internet connection, app updates, app closure, an app running in the background, and disabling the activity indicator in the privacy settings of the app.
No, you can’t directly hide the green dot while keeping the Activity Indicator active for others to see. The closest option is to limit who can see your activity status. By going to Settings -> See Me in Quick Add and toggling off “Show my status in Quick Add,” you prevent your profile from appearing in other users’ Quick Add sections, which reduces the visibility of your green dot to people who haven’t added you as a friend. However, existing friends will still see the green dot if they have it enabled.
No, the green dot simply indicates that someone has been using Snapchat recently. This could mean they were browsing stories, using the camera, exploring Discover content, or any other activity within the app. It doesn’t specifically mean they’re actively engaged in a chat (online right now).
No, the green dot and Ghost Mode are independent features. Ghost Mode, which you activate on the Snap Map, hides your location from friends. However, if Ghost Mode is enabled, your green dot (Activity Indicator on) will still be visible to your friends, indicating recent activity. Ghost Mode controls location visibility, while the Activity Indicator (and its corresponding green dot) controls activity status visibility.
Conclusion
This guide will let you know what this green dot on Snapchat means, its significance, and how to get rid of this (if not interested). It is quite helpful, especially for those looking for the right time to send a friend request to someone and start the conversation. In case of any queries related to this green dot on Snapchat, feel free to share them with us in the comments section below. We will respond promptly to resolve them.
