Instagram now shows you if your friends are online

Instagram users are now able to check if people they follow are currently online. — dpa

Instagram users are now able to check if people they follow are currently online.

The social media platform says you will now see a green dot next to the profile picture of a user if they're currently active. The design should be familiar to users of chat tools such as Google Chat or Skype, where coloured dots also reflect online status.

However, you'll only notice the new online status function with users who follow you and with whom you have previously interacted by direct message.

Any users who don't want others to see if they are currently online can deactivate this function in their settings. — dpa