Instagram
A screen displays the Instagram logo during a presentation in New York, Dec. 12, 2013. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

A new update on Instagram allows users to see when their followers have been active -- and the move angered many users who said the Instagram update is creepy.

When users swipe to the right to see their direct message (DM) list, the app will show when their friends have last been active underneath the username. Instagram’s DM list now shows how many minutes or hours it has been since the person was last browsing on the platform. It also displays “Active Now” or “Active Yesterday.” For group chats, Instagram shows the number of contacts in the group that have been “Active Today.”

This is how the list looks like now:

instagram active
Instagram now shows when a person has last been active on the app. Denisse Moreno, screenshot.

The new feature takes after the Facebook Messenger app, which shows when contacts have last been active. Instagram also has the same “Seen” and “Typing” feature Messenger has, which shows it's slowly enhancing its chat features.

The app was last updated on Jan. 16, but the recent feature showed up on Thursday. The new tool seems to work with iOS and Android devices.

While the feature is a good way to know if friends are online, the idea of it sounds creepy to others. Instagram users went on social media to complain about the feature:

How To Get Rid Of ‘Last Active’ Instagram Feature

Luckily, there is a way to get rid of the new feature. However, getting rid of the setting means users won’t be able to see their friends’ last active statuses either.

Here’s how to get rid of Instagram’s activity status feature:

  1. Open Instagram and tap on the profile icon on the lower-right of the screen.

  2. Go to the app’s settings. The icon is located next to the Edit Profile button on iOS devices or next to the Add Friends icon on Android gadgets.

  3. Scroll down to “Show Activity Status.” The feature setting displays the following text: “Allow accounts you follow and anyone you message to see when you were last active on Instagram apps. When this is turned off you won’t be able to see the activity status of other accounts.”

  4. Users who still want to get rid of the feature can switch the toggle off.

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