How to Appear Offline While Using Your Xbox One

Go to your Xbox network privacy settings to block others from seeing you're online

By
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Writer
  • Shoreline Community College

Jeremy Laukkonen is a former writer for Lifewire. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles .

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Updated on May 23, 2023

What to Know

  • Xbox One: Press Guide > System > Settings > Account > Privacy & online safety > Xbox network privacy.
  • View details & customize > Online status & history. Under Others can see if you're online, choose Block.
  • Xbox 360: Press Guide. Go to Settings > Preferences > Online Status > Appear Offline.

This article explains how to appear offline on Xbox One and Xbox 360.

How to Appear Offline on Xbox One

Follow these instructions to hide your appearance on the Xbox network.

  1. Open the Xbox Guide by pressing the Guide button on your controller.

  2. With the Guide open, navigate to System (indicated by the gear icon) and then select Settings.

    Settings highlighted in the Xbox One menu

  3. With the Settings menu open, navigate to Account > Privacy & online safety.

    Privacy & online safety highlighted on Xbox One

  4. Select Xbox network privacy.

    If you want to control the information that Xbox apps are allowed to share, select App privacy. Here you can control which apps have access to your location and other data.

    Xbox Live privacy highlighted on Xbox One

  5. Select View details & customize.

    View details & customize highlighted on Xbox One

  6. Select Online status & history.

    Online status & history highlighted on Xbox One

  7. Locate the Others can see if you're online section and select Block.

    Block highlighted on Xbox One

    With this option set, you will appear offline to everyone, including your friends. Choose Friends instead of Block if you want people on your friends list to be able to see your online status. To completely undo this process, simply select Everybody instead of Block.

How to Appear Offline on Xbox 360

You can also set yourself to appear offline on Xbox 360, although the process is slightly different.

  1. Open the Xbox Guide by pressing the Guide button on your controller.

  2. Navigate to Settings > Preferences.

    Preferences highlighted on Xbox 360

  3. With the Preferences menu open, select Online Status.

    Online Status highlighted on Xbox 360

  4. With the Online Status menu open, select Appear Offline.

    Appear Offline highlighted on Xbox 360

With an Xbox 360, there's no way to appear offline to everyone but your friends. If you set yourself to appear offline, none of your friends will see that you're online. To reverse this process, select Online instead of Appear Offline in the Online Status menu.

FAQ

  • How do I play games offline on my Xbox One?

    Press the Xbox button on the controller and select Profile & system > Settings > General > Personalization > My Home Xbox > Make this my home Xbox. Then, press the Xbox button again and select Profile & System > Settings > General > Network settings > Go offline.

  • How do I update my Xbox One offline?

    On a computer, download the Xbox Offline System Update (OSU) file to a USB drive and plug the drive into your console. Then, open the Xbox Startup Troubleshooter and select Offline system update to get started.

  • Can I play Game Pass games offline on Xbox One?

    Yes, but you must be online the first time you play, and you must connect to the internet at least once every two weeks to keep playing Game Pass games offline.

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