The PS4 “Appear Offline” feature comes in handy when you are playing online games. When you turn on the “appear offline” feature, your PlayStation friends will not get an alert that you are active on the console. However, your friends who are playing the same game as you may see your online status in that game.
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, such as Call of Duty.
- If you are unable to switch your online status, try restarting your PS4/internet router, or contact PlayStation support and explain your problem.
What Is PS4 Appear Offline Feature?
Here’s how you can use appear offline on your PS4.
- Head to your “Profile” from the “Main Screen.”
- Click on your “Profile Avatar” with the “X” button on your controller.
Profile – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Wait for the next screen to appear.
Please Wait – Image Credits [Emopulse] - You will see a “Set Online Status” option under the avatar.
- Select it.
Set Online Status – Image Credits [Emopulse] - A dialog box will open with multiple options.
- Change the status to “Appear Offline.”
Appear Offline – Image Credits [Emopulse] - The “green” dot beside your profile avatar will change to “red” once you enable the feature.
How To Fix Appear Offline Feature In PS4?
It can sometimes happen that your friends can see your online status on their PlayStation consoles, even when you have turned the status to “appear offline.” Consequently, you might receive constant requests from your friends to tag along for a team match or a 1v1 when you are not in the mood to do so.
So, how can you resolve the issue and successfully set your status to “offline” for peace of mind and an effective gaming session? Read these fixes we have for you.
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. We solved PS4 error WS-37469-9 with a simple restart. You can do this in two ways;
- Go to your PS4.
- Locate the “Power” button.
- Press it for at least 7 to 10 seconds till you hear two “beep” sounds.
PS4 Button – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Your system has now shut down completely.
- Remove the power plug from the main switch.
- After 1 minute, plug back the console.
- Turn on your PS4 with the “Power” button.
- 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.
- Find the “Power” button on your internet router.
- It is usually located on the back of the device.
- Press the button to turn off the router.
- Unplug it from the main switch.
- Pause for at least 1 minute.
- Replug the router and turn it on with the “Power” button.
- Once all the lights are on, restore your console’s internet connection.
- 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.
- Open the browser on your phone or PC.
- Go to the search bar.
- Type “PlayStation Network Status.”
- You should click on the first search result.
- It will say “PSN Service Status.”
PSN Server Search – Image Credits [Emopulse] - It will take you to the official website.
- The first screen will read, “Select Your Country or Region to Check the Network Status.”
Select Country/Region – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Choose your country from the list.
Dropdown Menu – Image Credits [Emopulse] - You can now see the server status.
- There are no ongoing issues if it says “All Services are Up and Running.”
PSN Server Status – Image Credits [Emopulse]
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 this feature. We have tried this method multiple times to set our profile to “offline.” Here’s a step-by-step guide for you.
- Hold the “PlayStation” button on your controller.
Options – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Select “Power” from the list of options on the “Quick Menu.”
- Hit “Log Out Of PS4” with the “X” button on the controller.
Log Out Of PS4 – Image Credits [Emopulse] - You will see a screen, saying “Press the PS button to use the controller.”
Press PlayStation Button – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Press the “PlayStation” button.
- It will take you to the “Profile Selection” screen.
- Choose your desired player profile and hit “Options” on the controller.
- A menu will open up on the right side.
- Select “Log In With Online Status [Appear Offline].”
Log In With Online Status – Image Credits [Emopulse] - When you log in with this 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.
- Go to your browser.
- Type “PlayStation Support” and go to the first search result.
PlayStation Support – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Wait for the next screen.
PlayStation Support – Image Credits [Emopulse] - You will see an “Online Assistant” box at the bottom right.
- Click on it.
- 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 this situation, your friends will not see that you are online. However, no worries because we have enough tried and tested solutions to get you out of this 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.
- Long press the “Power” button on your PS4 console.
- Let go when you hear two “beep” sounds.
- Wait for the console to shut down.
- Next, hold the “Power” button for another 7 to 10 seconds.
- Wait for the two “beeps” again.
- Your PlayStation 4 is now in “Safe Mode.”
- Use a suitable cable wire to connect the PS4 controller to the console.
Connect Wire - Now, hit the “PlayStation” button on your controller.
- You will see a list of seven different options.
- Go with “Rebuild Database.”
Rebuild Database – Image Credits [Emopulse] - On the next screen, choose “OK.”
The database will be rebuilt – Image Credits [Emopulse] - The screen will now read, “Rebuilding Database.”
Rebuilding Database – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Allow the process to finish.
- 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. When you are stuck in offline mode, this step can help you get out of it.
- Open the “Main Screen” of the console.
- Press the “PlayStation” button on your DualShock PS4 controller.
- A “Quick Menu” will open on the left side of the screen.
- Go to “Power” and choose it with the “X” button on your controller.
- From the side menu, select “Log Out Of PS4.”
- You have successfully logged out of your PS profile.
Log Out Of PS4 – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Now, press the “PlayStation” button to use your controller.
PlayStation Button – Image Credits [Emopulse] - It will show you the list of PS4 profiles you have used on your console.
- Select your profile and press “X.”
- A menu will appear on the right side.
- You will see two different options as to how you can log in.
- Pick “Log In With Online Status [Online].
Appear Online - 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. Use the following steps to do this.
- Log out of your profile on your PS4 console and turn it off.
- Open your PC.
- Go to the browser.
- Type “PlayStation” in the search bar and go to the official website.
PlayStation Search – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Click on the “Sign In” option at the top right.|
Sign In – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Enter your account credentials.
- Sign in to the account.
Enter Credentials – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Now, turn on your PS4.
- Log in to your account on the console.
- Check if the problem is gone.
Check For System Software Update
Using older software versions on your PS4 can be one of the causes of this problem. 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.
- Access the “Main Screen” of your PS4.
- Go to “Settings” and select it with the “X” controller button.
Settings – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Choose “System Software Update.”
System Software Update – Image Credits [Emopulse] - The next screen will say, “An Update File Has Been Downloaded” if you have already downloaded the file.
- Choose “Next” to proceed.
- It will take you to the next step.
Next – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Pick “Update” to update your system software.
Update – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Wait for the necessary updates to install.
- Once the system restarts, see if you got back your online status.
Perform Initialization
Before heading to this step, we 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 this fix. Below are all the steps to initialize a PS4 device.
- Open the “Main Screen” of your PS4.
- Navigate your way to the “Settings” via the “Left-Analog Stick.”
- Press “X” from your controller to head to the next screen.
- A list of different settings will open.
- Choose “Initialization.”
Initialization – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Go with “Initialize PS4.”
Initialize PS4 – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Remember to select “Full” to perform a full initialization on your PS4.
Full Initialization – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Now, choose the “Initliaze” option with the “X” button on the PS4 controller.
Initialize – Image Credits [Emopulse] - The next screen will say “Deactivating.”
Deactivating – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Wait for a minute.
- Once the deactivating has finished, it will take you to the next screen.
- Pick “Yes.”
Yes – Image Credits [Emopulse] - Your PS4 will now restart.
Restarting the PS4 – Image Credits [Emopulse] - After this, 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
These are all the solutions you can use when PS4 “appear offline” is not working on your console. We carefully researched each fix and then applied them to our PS4 console before listing them in the guide so that you can get back to swift gaming. Also, read our fixes for PlayStation Errors WC-40382-7, and CE-35694-7.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Can't I Appear Offline On My PS4?
There are many reasons why you can't switch your PS4 profile to offline mode. It includes a weak internet connection, system glitches, and PlayStation server issues.
How Can I Get Out Of Offline Mode In PS4?
If you are stuck in offline mode, try restarting your console, signing in to your account from your PC, rebuilding the PS4 database, or performing initialization as the last resort.
Does Appear Offline Work On PS4?
You can change your status to offline on PS4. Go to your profile from the main screen, and click on "Set Online Status." Next, choose "Appear Offline" from the drop-down to enable offline status.
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