A green dot is usually associated with positive signs in our life. Be it a green light signal in a congested traffic signal or multiple blinking green lights on your Wi-Fi which signify a strong signal, we always believe that a green light eludes positive feelings. On social media platforms, a green dot usually means that a person is online and is available to interact, however on Facebook, it can have more than one meaning.
In this article, we will be discussing what a green dot signifies and how to avoid getting confused. We will also cover how you can remove this green dot.
Deciphering Facebook’s green dot
The green dot is usually visible under their profile picture on either the messenger app or on their messages in the Facebook app. This green dot is also visible in front of the video symbol in the messenger app as well as in your Facebook app’s messages. It shows that your friend is online and is available to interact. However, the green dot can have separate meanings on separate occasions:
- If you have noticed that your friend is online on messenger but does not seem to be responding, it is probably because they are online and scrolling on the Facebook app instead of the Messenger app specifically.
- If you can view the green dot in front of the video icon when you open your friend’s chat, be it on the Messenger app or on the Facebook app, it is a clear indication that your friend is on a device that can use the video call feature. This means implies that your friend is on their mobile device or any other device that can use the camera to allow them to video call.
Click here to learn how to switch off your Activity Status to appear offline when online.
Also read: What to do if your Facebook snooze button is missing?
(Parental) Controlling Facebook’s green dot
If you are a concerned parent who wants to track their child’s online status on Facebook and monitor their usage, you can do so by our two recommended apps:
Bark
With Bark’s cost-effective app, you can monitor text messages, YouTube, emails, and different social media platforms for any security issues, keeping any parent’s mind at ease.
You can also control your child’s Facebook access as well as keep track of the following features (you will require access to their Facebook account to make the following changes):
- You can change your child’s contact information and get direct notifications to your inbox.
- You have the power to deactivate their account or change their password.
- You can also set up two-factor authentication and set up devices that can log in without a password.
- You can view, delete, or download your child’s personal information.
There are a variety of other features that you can control including your child’s public or private status, hiding their appearance on search engines, controlling who tags them or posts on their timeline, blocking someone, limiting Facebook’s face recognition software, and regulating their public posts.
You can check out Bark's app here
Qustodio
Qustodio is a parental control app that helps you monitor your child’s web activities to keep them protected.
On Facebook, if you are not added to your child’s Facebook friend list, you will not be able to see their posts due to Facebook’s policy however, you will be able to check the following activities:
- You can check when your child accesses Facebook on their activity timeline, on the app, and on the web activity card on their dashboard. Here you can see when they accessed Facebook.
- You can also check how long they spent on it by checking the above-mentioned areas. You can also set limits on how long they spend time on the Facebook app (this is not applicable on the Facebook website)
- You can also set up alerts for when your child will open Facebook for the first time.
You can check out Qustodio's app here
Also read: Can you see who viewed your Facebook video?
