Away Message vs Instant Status
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Away Message
Share your current activity or availability with friends through temporary digital notes. Add locations, photos, or music to your updates, which automatically disappear after a set time. Connect privately with a unique code to keep your circle informed.
- Expiring status updates (30 min - 24 hours)
- Customizable themes, fonts, and layouts
- Location, photo, and music sharing
- Private connections via shareable codes
- Scrapbook-style note design
- Emoji reactions on status cards
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Away Message is a status app that lets you tell friends where you are, what you’re doing, or when you’ll be back. It’s meant for quick, low-effort updates that keep people in the loop without turning into full conversations. If you’re stepping out for coffee, going out for the night, or focusing on work, you can post a short note so your friends have context. You can attach a location, a photo, or a song you’re listening to. There are no likes, comments, or feeds to manage. The point is simply to share what’s going on. Each status lasts from 30 minutes to 24 hours and then disappears. You can change the look of your updates with different fonts, colors, themes, and layouts. You can also add photos, drop a pin, or share music from Apple Music. Friends can drop an emoji on your status cards. People connect through simple 6-character codes. You approve who joins your circle and control who can see your updates. Features: • Statuses that expire after 30 minutes to 24 hours • Custom fonts, colors, themes, and layouts • Photos, locations, and Apple Music sharing • Scrapbook-style design for your notes • Private connections using shareable codes • No ads or algorithmic feeds Away Message is for friends, coworkers, and small groups who want to stay aware of each other’s day without constantly messaging. You leave a note, and people see it when they check. Sometimes a quick “brb” really is all that’s needed.
Instant Status
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Instant Status is the simplest way to share what you're up to with the people who matter. No feeds. No chats. No noise. One tap tells your friends if you're free, focused, or asleep, and the same for them. REAL-TIME STATUSES Set your status in one tap: busy, available, sleeping, in a meeting, or anything in between. Friends see the update instantly. Statuses can auto-expire so you never forget to clear them. HOME SCREEN WIDGETS See your friends without opening the app. Beautiful widgets show the people you care about right on your home screen, refreshing in the background. INVITE-ONLY FRIENDS Friends-only by design. No public discovery, no strangers, no random adds. You connect by sharing an invite link, and you can disconnect anytime. PRIVACY-FIRST No direct messaging. No photo or video uploads. No public profiles. Instant Status shares only your current status, with the friends you choose. FREE TO USE Instant Status is free to download and use. Set your status, connect with friends, see what they're up to, and use the home screen widget. No subscription required. INSTANT STATUS PRO Pro unlocks unlimited custom statuses with your own labels and colors, premium aesthetic widget themes, and a higher friend capacity. Try Pro free for 7 days on the yearly plan. PROFILE & CONTROL Manage your friends, mute notifications, customize your widget, and disconnect from anyone in seconds. You stay in control of your visibility. Instant Status is the friend app that respects your time and your privacy. Pricing options: - Monthly subscription: $2.99/month - Yearly subscription: $19.99/year (includes a 7-day free trial) - Lifetime access: $49.99 (one-time purchase, no recurring charges) These prices are for the United States; pricing in other countries may vary. The monthly and yearly subscriptions automatically renew unless turned off in your Apple ID account settings at least 24 hours before the current period ends. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew in your Apple ID account settings. Your Apple ID is charged when the purchase is confirmed. If you start your free trial on the yearly plan and subscribe to a different plan before the trial ends, the remaining trial period is forfeited as soon as the new purchase is confirmed. The lifetime purchase is a one-time charge and does not auto-renew. Terms of Service: https://instantstatus.app/terms Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://instantstatus.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Away Message at none against Instant Status's 3. Away Message also leads on device support (3 vs 1). Instant Status's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Instant Status sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Away Message asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Away Message | Instant Status |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 43 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Colin Weir | Arda Kabadayi |
In-app purchases
Away Message
No in-app purchases
Instant Status
- Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
- Premium Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Premium Lifetime$49.99








