How to log out of Facebook Messenger: Tips to stop Facebook saying you're online

Despite people's general distrust of all things Facebook after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Messenger continues to be immensely popular. It's not without its issues though. You've probably seen people online when they aren't or have experienced that problem yourself. 

Messenger can sometimes cause drama by showing you as online when you actually aren't. Not ideal if you're meant to be working or if friends and family see you as online and think you're ignoring your messages. 

Alternatively, if you've found you're still logged into Facebook Messenger on a device you no longer own, you may want to log out of that device remotely to prevent unwanted access. 

Don't fret, we're here to help with various tips to help get you out of Messenger with ease. 

• 23 Facebook Messenger tips and tricks you've likely never tried

How to log out of Messenger on your phone

If you have the Messenger app installed on your smartphone then the good news is it's fairly easy to access the settings to log out of Messenger both on that device and others too. 

Firstly open the messenger app, then follow these steps:

• Click on your profile picture on the top right of the app to access settings and account management
• Scroll right down to the bottom to find and click "account settings"
• Scroll down to "security and login" and click there
• Under "where you're logged in" click "see more"
• Find the devices you want to log out of and click the three dots then click log out

Following these steps, you'll be able to log out of various different devices with just a few clicks. This will help with phantom devices you're still logged into that might be causing you to appear online when you don't want to be. 

You may find an inexplicable number of devices logged into Facebook here but many of them are likely duplicates too. So don't panic too much. 

While you're in this security section of the app we'd also recommend considering changing your password and using a password manager to make sure it's secure. If you're worried about account security then you can (and should) set up and use two-factor authentication in these settings too. 

Turn off active status

If you're just keen to not constantly have your Messenger showing you as online, then there are other options aside from logging out. You can also change your active status within settings. Turning off active status will help with this issue. 

In the settings for active status you'll see a note about this feature which reads:

"Your friend and connections can see when you are active or have recently been active on this profile. You can see this info about them too. To change this setting, turn it off whenever you're using Messenger or Facebook and your active status will no longer be shown."

To turn the active status off follow these steps:

• Open Messenger and click on your profile photo on the top left of the app
• Scroll down to the profile settings
• Click Active Status
• Click to turn it off
• Choose the time period you want it turned off for

You can choose to make this temporary by selecting a time period of an hour, eight hours, until the next day or a custom time period. Alternatively, you can use this to turn active status off until you turn it back on. 

How to log off Messenger on desktop

If you don't have your phone you can also log off Facebook Messenger on your desktop device too. The steps are similar so it's fairly straightforward. First click on your profile photo on the top right of the website then follow these steps:

• Click "Settings & Privacy"
• Click "Settings"
• Click "Security and login"
• Look for "where you're logged in" and then click see more
• Click the three dots against any device you need to and click "log out"

Again if you haven't already it's worth setting up and using two-factor authentication and a secure password here too if you're worried. 

How to hide your status on Messenger

As well as logging off, Facebook also gives you the chance to hide your active status on Messenger even to the point of editing it to hide your status to certain people. 

To do this, head over to the Messenger website here. Click on your profile image in the top left and click on preferences, then click on "Active Status". You can then choose to turn it off or on entirely or to select people who can see your online status. So you can hide it to everyone except a select few or just turn it off for that troublesome friend who keeps wondering why you're online but not replying. 

Source : https://www.pocket-lint.com/apps/news/facebook/161981-how-to-log-out-of-facebook-messenger