Updated October 2026: meaning and settings taken from Snapchat’s help page.
The green dot on a friend’s Bitmoji or avatar is Snapchat’s Activity Indicator. Snapchat says it means the friend has been active on Snapchat recently. It shows up unless that friend has switched it off.
What the green dot tells you
- The friend opened Snapchat recently.
- It does not show what they did, who they talked to, or exactly when.
- If a friend never shows a green dot, they may have turned the Activity Indicator off.
How to turn off your green dot
- Tap the gear icon on your Profile to open Settings.
- Scroll to App & Privacy and tap My Privacy & Data.
- Under Privacy Choices, tap Activity Indicator.
- Toggle it off.
Once it is off, your friends will not see a green dot on your avatar.
Green dot vs other indicators
- The green dot means recently active.
- The Bitmoji above the keyboard in a chat means that friend is in the conversation right now.
- Friend Emojis such as hearts and fire reflect your friendship and Streaks; see Snapchat emoji meanings.
FAQs
What does the green dot mean on Snapchat?
The friend has been active on Snapchat recently. It is called the Activity Indicator.
How do I turn off the green dot on Snapchat?
Settings, App & Privacy, My Privacy & Data, Privacy Choices, Activity Indicator, then toggle it off.
Does the green dot mean someone is online right now?
Not exactly. It means they were active recently, not necessarily at this moment.
Why don’t I see a green dot on some friends?
They may not have been active recently, or they turned off their Activity Indicator.
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