diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Models/User.swift b/nirvana-ios/Models/User.swift
index 3a2c842..c824f3a 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Models/User.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Models/User.swift
@@ -10,6 +10,12 @@ import Firebase
 import FirebaseFirestore
 import FirebaseFirestoreSwift
 
+enum UserStatus: String, Codable {
+    case online
+    case offline
+    case background
+}
+
 struct User: Identifiable, Codable {
     @DocumentID var id: String?
     var nickname: String?
@@ -17,6 +23,8 @@ struct User: Identifiable, Codable {
     var emailAddress:String?
     var avatar:String?
     var deviceToken: String?
+    
+    var userStatus: UserStatus?
 
     @ServerTimestamp var lastLoggedInTimestamp: Date?
     @ServerTimestamp var createdTimestamp: Date?
diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Repositories/FirestoreService.swift b/nirvana-ios/Repositories/FirestoreService.swift
index 82308da..9a7b480 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Repositories/FirestoreService.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Repositories/FirestoreService.swift
@@ -155,7 +155,10 @@ class FirestoreService {
             completion(ServiceState.error(ServiceError(description: error.localizedDescription)))
         }
     }
-    
+}
+
+// updates to user
+extension FirestoreService {
     func updateUserDeviceToken(userId: String, deviceToken: String, completion: @escaping((_ state: ServiceState) -> ()))  {
         do {
             if userId != nil {
@@ -170,4 +173,13 @@ class FirestoreService {
         }
     }
     
+    func updateUserStatus(userId: String, userStatus: UserStatus, completion: @escaping((_ state: ServiceState) -> ()))  {
+        do {
+            let _ = try db.collection(Collection.users.rawValue).document(userId).setData(["userStatus": userStatus.rawValue], merge: true)
+            completion(ServiceState.success("Updated user status"))
+        } catch {
+            print("error in updating user \(error.localizedDescription)")
+            completion(ServiceState.error(ServiceError(description: error.localizedDescription)))
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Services/AuthSessionStore.swift b/nirvana-ios/Services/AuthSessionStore.swift
index fc79324..0a92dd3 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Services/AuthSessionStore.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Services/AuthSessionStore.swift
@@ -411,3 +411,28 @@ extension AuthSessionStore {
         self.listenersActive = false
     }
 }
+
+
+// manage whether user is online or not
+extension AuthSessionStore {
+    func updateUserStatus(userStatus: UserStatus) {
+        // if user is authenticated
+        if self.sessionState == .isAuthenticated {
+            // if user already has the status that we want to update to, no need to update
+            // remember that the user is updated realtime so we have the newest user data
+            if self.user?.userStatus == userStatus {
+                // do nothing...already have this status
+                print("user already has status: \(userStatus)")
+            }
+            else {
+                if let uid = self.getCurrentUserId() {
+                    self.firestoreService.updateUserStatus(userId: uid, userStatus: userStatus) {res in
+                       print(res)
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        
+        print("not authenticated can't change user status")
+    }
+}
diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/InnerCircleView.swift b/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/InnerCircleView.swift
index 3074fa3..539fd1e 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/InnerCircleView.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Views/InnerCircle/InnerCircleView.swift
@@ -135,11 +135,16 @@ struct InnerCircleView: View {
         }
         .onAppear {
             // activate 3 data listeners once for authsessionstore/usermanager if not already called, but authsessionstore will handle that
+            // TODO: can/should do this on init of view model
             self.authSessionStore.activateMainDataListeners()
                         
             // set up push notifications and such + save up to date device token
             // TODO: this is firing too often?
             self.innerCircleVM.setUpPushNotifications()
+            
+            // set status of user to online
+            self.authSessionStore.updateUserStatus(userStatus: .online)
+            
         }
 //        .onDisappear {
 //            print("deiniting data listeners, but current data should still be cached!")
diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Views/Router/RouterView.swift b/nirvana-ios/Views/Router/RouterView.swift
index e34e6d8..67e8d48 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Views/Router/RouterView.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Views/Router/RouterView.swift
@@ -36,11 +36,14 @@ struct RouterView: View {
             if newPhase == .inactive {
                 print("user is offline")
                 // set firestore user document isOnline to false
+                self.authSessionStore.updateUserStatus(userStatus: .offline)
             } else if newPhase == .active {
                 print("user is online again")
                 // set firestore user document isOnline to true
+                self.authSessionStore.updateUserStatus(userStatus: .online)
             } else if newPhase == .background {
                 print("app is in backgroun")
+                self.authSessionStore.updateUserStatus(userStatus: .background)
             }
         }