PS4 “Appear Offline” Feature Not Working [Solved]

The “Appear Offline” feature of the PS4 is incredibly handy when you have that one friend that keeps annoying you that you just don’t have the energy to deal with. In some cases, the feature just stops working altogether, baring your activity for all those pesky lurkers to see. Here, I’ll discuss why this feature randomly stops working, and if there’s any way to fix it.

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Key Takeaways

• PlayStation has a useful “Appear Offline” feature. It lets you change your status to offline so that your PS friends will not see your profile in their Active Friends section.
• On the other hand, your friend will see an online icon in their in-game friend list if both of you are playing the same game.
• If you are unable to switch your online status, try restarting your PS4/internet router, or contact PlayStation support and explain your problem.

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What Is PS4 Appear Offline Feature?

Here’s how you can use appear offline on your PS4.

1. Head to your “Profile” from the “Main Screen.”
2. Click on your “Profile Avatar” with the “X” button on your controller.

   

3. Wait for the next screen to appear.

   

4. You will see a “Set Online Status” option under the avatar.
5. Select it.

   

6. A dialog box will open with multiple options.
7. Change the status to “Appear Offline.”

   

8. The “green” dot beside your profile avatar will change to “red” once you enable the feature.

Why Is It Not Working?

It is indeed a very odd problem to face, but it can be caused by:

• Bad Internet.
• Outdated PS4 firmware.
• A problem with the PSN Servers.
• A temporary system glitch.
• A glitch with the User Profile.

How To Fix Appear Offline Feature In PS4?

If you’re facing this issue, you can fix it by:

• Power Cycling your console.
• Restarting the Internet router.
• Checking PSN Server status.
• Logging back into your PS Account.

If instead you are stuck in this mode, and cannot get out, you can fix the issue by:

• Rebuilding the Database.
• Logging in using the “Log in with online status” option.
• Logging into a different device to change the settings.
• Initializing your PS4.

Let me now discuss how you can get around to doing each of these fixes in detail.

Power Cycle Your PS4

Your PS4 may be experiencing some temporary glitches which can cause the malfunctioning of some of its features. Before doing a power cycle, you can also restart your PS4 as it might solve the problem. I solved PS4 error WS-37469-9 with a simple restart. Below, there are two ways of power cycling your console.

1. Go to your PS4.
2. Locate the “Power” button.
3. Press it for at least 7 to 10 seconds till you hear two “beep” sounds.

   

4. Your system has now shut down completely.
5. Remove the power plug from the main switch.
6. After 1 minute, plug back the console.
7. Turn on your PS4 with the “Power” button.
8. Set your status to offline and see if the issue is gone.

Restart Your Internet Device

A poor internet connection can mess with the proper working of several PS4 features, including switching between your active status. Thus, restart your internet modem to make the problem go away.

1. Find the “Power” button on your internet router.
2. It is usually located on the back of the device.
3. Press the button to turn off the router.
4. Unplug it from the main switch.
5. Pause for at least 1 minute.
6. Replug the router and turn it on with the “Power” button.
7. Once all the lights are on, restore your console’s internet connection.
8. Set your status to offline.

Check The PlayStation Servers

Whenever PlayStation servers are down due to glitches or maintenance, some features become unavailable for PS users. It could be one of the reasons why you are unable to switch to the offline mode on your console. Go with these steps to inspect the servers.

1. Open the browser on your phone or PC.
2. Go to the search bar.
3. Type “PlayStation Network Status.”
4. You should click on the first search result.
5. It will say “PSN Service Status.”

   

6. It will take you to the official website.
7. The first screen will read, “Select Your Country or Region to Check the Network Status.”

   

8. Choose your country from the list.

   

9. You can now see the server status.
10. There are no ongoing issues if it says “All Services are Up and Running.”

    

Log Out Of Your PS4 Profile

If you are unable to change your online status after several tries, opt for an alternate way to enable the feature. I have tried this method multiple times to set my profile to “offline.” Here’s a step-by-step guide for you.

1. Hold the “PlayStation” button on your controller.

   

2. Select “Power” from the list of options on the “Quick Menu.”
3. Hit “Log Out Of PS4” with the “X” button on the controller.

   

4. You will see a screen, saying “Press the PS button to use the controller.”

   

5. Press the “PlayStation” button.
6. It will take you to the “Profile Selection” screen.
7. Choose your desired player profile and hit “Options” on the controller.
8. A menu will open up on the right side.
9. Select “Log In With Online Status [Appear Offline].”
   

   

10. When you log in with the specified setting, your friends will not see your profile in their online friends list.

Contact PlayStation Support

PlayStation has a supportive technical staff who help their users solve their way around PS glitches and errors. You can also head to the official PlayStation Twitter page to get the latest updates about ongoing PS issues. Follow the steps below to contact PlayStation Support.

1. Go to your browser.
2. Type “PlayStation Support” and go to the first search result.

   

3. Wait for the next screen.

   

4. You will see an “Online Assistant” box at the bottom right.
5. Click on it.
6. Enter your credentials and talk to the support agent.

What To Do If You Are Stuck In Appear Offline Mode?

A few PS4 users reported that they were stuck in “appear offline” mode and were unable to resume their online status after many tries. In said situation, your friends will not see that you are online. However, no worries because I have enough tried and tested solutions to get you out of the problem. Keep reading.

Rebuild Database

The presence of corrupt data can interfere with many PS features. Rebuilding the database of your PS4 console will remove any data issues in the system. Plus, you do not need to create a backup of your saved data since it will be safe during the process.

Our team was able to send away PlayStation Error CE-35694-7 with a data rebuild. Here’s a simplified version of the process.

1. Long press the “Power” button on your PS4 console.
2. Let go when you hear two “beep” sounds.
3. Wait for the console to shut down.
4. Next, hold the “Power” button for another 7 to 10 seconds.
5. Wait for the two “beeps” again.
6. Your PlayStation 4 is now in “Safe Mode.”
7. Use a suitable cable wire to connect the PS4 controller to the console.

   

8. Now, hit the “PlayStation” button on your controller.
9. You will see a list of seven different options.
10. Go with “Rebuild Database.”

    

11. On the next screen, choose “OK.”

    

12. The screen will now read, “Rebuilding Database.”

    

13. Allow the process to finish.
14. Do not turn off your console meanwhile.

Log In With Appear Online

This is another way to switch your profile to online mode to enjoy fun gaming with your online PlayStation friends.

1. Open the “Main Screen” of the console.
2. Press the “PlayStation” button on your DualShock PS4 controller.
3. A “Quick Menu” will open on the left side of the screen.
4. Go to “Power” and choose it with the “X” button on your controller.
5. From the side menu, select “Log Out Of PS4.”
6. You have successfully logged out of your PS profile.

   

7. Now, press the “PlayStation” button to use your controller.

   

8. It will show you the list of PS4 profiles you have used on your console.
9. Select your profile and press “X.”
10. A menu will appear on the right side.
11. You will see two different options as to how you can log in.
12. Pick “Log In With Online Status [Online].

    

13. After logging in to your profile, check for the “green” dot beside your profile avatar indicating that your status is set to online.

Sign In To Your Profile On Another Console

If none of the solutions are working on your PS4, ask one of your PlayStation buddies to sign in to your account on their console. However, make sure to log out of your account on your console first. If the same problem is occurring in another PS4 console, head to the next fix.

On the other hand, if your friend can use online mode on your profile when using their console, consider initializing your PS4. (refer to the last fix)

Log In To Your Account On A PC

Sign in to your PlayStation account on a PC, and see if you can change your status back to online.

1. Log out of your profile on your PS4 console and turn it off.
2. Open your PC.
3. Go to the browser.
4. Type “PlayStation” in the search bar and go to the official website.

   

5. Click on the “Sign In” option at the top right.|

   

6. Enter your account credentials.
7. Sign in to the account.

   

8. Now, turn on your PS4.
9. Log in to your account on the console.
10. Check if the problem is gone.

Check For System Software Update

Using older software versions on your PS4 can be one of the causes. You need to timely install the latest software updates to ensure a smooth flow of your console and its features and apps.

Besides, when a PS4 user contacted PlayStation Support for this glitch, the team advised the user to look for possible updates in their console’s software. So, here is how you can update the system software on your PS4.

1. Access the “Main Screen” of your PS4.
2. Go to “Settings” and select it with the “X” controller button.

   

3. Choose “System Software Update.”

   

4. The next screen will say, “An Update File Has Been Downloaded” if you have already downloaded the file.
5. Choose “Next” to proceed.
6. It will take you to the next step.

   

7. Pick “Update” to update your system software.

   

8. Wait for the necessary updates to install.
9. Once the system restarts, see if you got back your online status.

Perform Initialization

Before heading to this step, I would recommend that you wait for a couple of days. If you are still stuck in “appear offline” mode after two or three days, head on with the initialization process. Initializing your PS4 will restore it to its factory settings, erasing all the saved data and games on the console.

Moreover, there are two types of initialization, Quick and Full. You may be able to restore some of your data via third-party apps after quick initialization. On the other hand, full initialization completely wipes out the data with no chance of retrieval. Plus, it takes up to a few hours.

Also, keep a backup of your saved data before you proceed with the fix. Below are all the steps to initialize a PS4 device.

1. Open the “Main Screen” of your PS4.
2. Navigate your way to the “Settings” via the “Left-Analog Stick.”
3. Press “X” from your controller to head to the next screen.
4. A list of different settings will open.
5. Choose “Initialization.”

   

6. Go with “Initialize PS4.”

   

7. Remember to select “Full” to perform a full initialization on your PS4.

   

8. Now, choose the “Initliaze” option with the “X” button on the PS4 controller.

   

9. The next screen will say “Deactivating.”

   

10. Wait for a minute.
11. Once the deactivating has finished, it will take you to the next screen.
12. Pick “Yes.”

    

13. Your PS4 will now restart.

    

14. The initialization process will begin. Do not turn off your console during the initialization procedure.

What To Do If None Of The Above Fixes Resolve The Issue?

We hope that one of the solutions above will get rid of your issue. However, if nothing is working, take your console to an expert technician and ask them to perform a check in case there is a hidden technical complication with your PS4 device.

Final Words

If the “Appear Offline” feature stops working, you can fix the issue by power cycling your PS4, restarting your Wi-Fi device, checking PSN Server status, and relogging into your PS Account. If instead you are stuck in the “Appear Offline” mode, you can get out by rebuilding the database, logging in with online status, signing onto another device, or initializing the console. If the problem persists, you can always contact PlayStation support.

Also, read my fixes for the following PlayStation Errors:

• WC-40382-7.
• CE-35694-7.