How to appear offline on Xbox One while being active online?

Xbox Live enables social interaction among friends and other players from all around the world; however, that isn’t always what you want every time you are online on the platform. You could be invested in one of your favourite single-player games and simply aren’t in the mood to enter a multiplayer mode.

Fortunately, for users who wish to avoid getting pestered with countless requests, the Xbox One offers a privacy setting that allows control over who can view one’s online status on the platform. So, let us explore how you enable the same.

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How to appear offline on Xbox One to everyone?

If you wish to hide your online status from everyone, the process is quite simple. Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1: Sign in to your Xbox Live account

Step 2: Tap the Xbox button on your controller from your Xbox One's Home screen to bring up the menu

Step 3: Scroll to the left of the menu. Click on your profile image and tap the A button

Step 4: You will find a dropdown menu under ‘Appear online’. Go to the dropdown menu and tap the A button

Step 5: Now, select the ‘Appear offline’ option and tap ‘A’ on your controller. This will change your availability status and you will appear offline to your friends and other players

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How to appear offline on Xbox One for everyone except your friends?

Xbox One also allows you to hide the online status from users you don't know, while still allowing your friends to know when you're online. This can be adjusted from the security and privacy settings.

Step 1: Tap the Xbox button on the controller from your console’s home screen. Head over to the ‘System’ tab on the menu. Click on ‘Settings’ and tap ‘A’ on the controller

Step 2: Navigate to the ‘Account’ tab and look for the ‘Privacy & online safety’ option. Click on the option and hit ‘A’ on your controller

Step 3: Click on ‘Xbox Live privacy’ and tap ‘A’

Step 4: Find the ‘View details & customize’ option on the next menu and hit the ‘A’ button

Step 5: Click on ‘Online status & history’ and tap ‘A’ on the controller

Step 6: Here, you will see a series of categories with the corresponding drop-down menus. The options include Everybody, Friends, and Block. Select the ‘Friends’ option in the drop-down menu and tap ‘A’ on the controller

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Image credits: Xbox