Instagram is one of the most popular social media networks used by most people. However, protecting your privacy on Instagram can be a little tricky especially if you are new to the app. In this blog we will look into how to hide followers on Instagram.
Instagram has not made it very obvious and easy for those who want stricter privacy settings. Especially for those with a large number of followers but who want to hide it from others.
Before introducing Instagram Reels and Stories it was just a simple platform for sharing photos. However, as the platform features grow it has become increasingly tricky to protect your information on the platform.
Can you hide followers on Instagram?
You can hide your followers list on Instagram from people who are not following you.
In order to this you will need to set up a private account on Instagram. Keep scrolling down to learn how to set your Instagram profile to private.
Related : Is Instagram safe for kids?
How to hide followers on Instagram using a business account?
Regardless of which account that you use , you cannot hide followers & following lists on Instagram.
Even for a business account, the number of followers remains visible to everyone on the platform.
How to hide list of followers on Instagram from particular users?
If you do not want a certain user to look at your followers list on Instagram then the best thing you can do is to delete their account.
By doing so they are no longer following your account, hence, they will not be able to see your followers list.
However, this only works if your account is set to private. If your account is public that particular user can still look at your followers list, especially if they use a different Instagram handle.
How to hide followers on Instagram using a private account?
Many people don’t consider the importance of keeping your social media account private. Unless you are celebrity or influencer you should always keep your profile private.
You never know how others can use the photos and information that you post.
When using a private account others cannot see the pictures or stories that you post. However, when using a public profile this is visible to everyone.
While the numbers of followers and following list remain visible even on a private account, others cannot view who you actually follow. All they can see is just a number.
Only the people that you actually allow to follow you can view who you follow. On the other hand, on a public account, anyone can see who you are following and your following lists.
The reason why social media platforms want the number of followers to remain visible is that this is the main reason for their existence. Social media apps are driven by number of followers a user has on it’s account.
The obsession people have with the number of followers is what keeps them coming back to the platform. Hence, the app will not make it easy for you to hide followers on Instagram.
Instagram has been testing hiding likes to improve the digital well-being of its followers. This feature is not rolled out everywhere yet.
Maybe in the future Instagram may allow users to hide followers but we don’t see that happening any time soon.
However, there are things you can do to control your visibility on the platform and what people can see when clicking on your profile.
There are 3 things you can do to limit visibility on your Instagram account :
- Switching to private mode
- Block / Remove user
- Restrict a user’s account.
Now let’s take a look at each one of them.
1. Hide followers on Instagram by switching to private mode
By switching to a private profile you can hide the people you follow on Instagram.
You cannot hide the number of followers but you can hide who is actually following you and who you follow.
How to switch to private mode on Intagram:
- Open the Instagram app
- Click on your own profile then click on the 3 horizontal lines at the top right corner of the screen
3. Click on Settings
4. Tap Privacy Settings and Account Privacy
5. Click on Private Account
By switching to a private Instagram account, anyone who wants to follow you must seek for your permission.
You can then decide if you would allow that person to view your profile .
The next thing you can do is either block a user or restrict account. Le’t take a look how you can do this.
2. Difference between Block and Remove on Instagram?
The people you block can no longer find your profile and hence not be able to view your followers on the app.
When you block a user on Instagram, they can no longer search for your profile. As far as they are concerned you are no longer on Instagram even when they try to search for your account.
The only way a person who is blocked can find you is by using another Instagram account and they search for your account. But the blocked account cannot find your profile.
On the other hand, when you remove someone on Instagram they can still see that you have an account on Instagram when they search for your name.
However, they will have to send you another friend request to view your profile.
Related : How to use Instagram Reels to get more followers?
How to block followers on Instagram?
If you do not want certain people to view your profile then the best things you can do is to completely block them.
Blocking can seem a little extreme but it’s the only way to hide followers on Instagram from certain people.
Follow the steps below to hide followers on Instagram :
- Click on the profile of the person you want to block
- Click on the 3 dot on the top of their profile page
- Click Block
4. Click ‘Yes I am sure”.
How to remove followers on Instagram?
If you think blocking a user might seem extreme, you can remove them instead.
When you remove a follower they will not be notified that they have been removed. Instead, when they click on your profile they will see that they are no longer following you and will need your permission to view your profile again.
By removing followers and keeping your profile private you cannot hide followers on Instagram but all they can see is the number of followers and not the list of people actually following you.
Follow the steps below to remove followers from Instagram :
- Open Instagram
2. Click on your profile
3. Click on Followers at the top of the screen
4. Either search for people you no longer want to follow you or go through the list and click on “Remove”
By doing so you have not limited the number of people you allow to follow you and hide followers on Instagram.
While the people you remove can find your profile, they will have to send you another request to view your full profile.
3. How to restrict accounts on Instagram?
Restricting a person means limiting what a person can view on your profile without removing the person.
For example, the user that is restricted cannot view when you are active on Instagram or view your stories.
The user also cannot see your online status on Instagram and if you have read a message being sent to you by that user.
Follow the steps below to restrict a user on Instagram:
- Open Instagram app
- Click on your profile icon
- Click on Settings and then click Privacy
4. Click Connections
5. Click Restricted Accounts
6. Fill in the name of the user you want to restrict and click on ‘Restrict’.
If you decide to unrestrict them at any time then follow the same steps as above.
Why can I no longer search a friend’s followers on Instagram?
You would always be able to see the number of followers on a friend’s account. The only reason you cannot view the actual list of followers is if you are no longer friends with that person and they have changed their account from public to private mode.
Also, if your friend has blocked you then you can no longer search for their account and hence see their followers.
How to hide following lists on Instagram from followers?
You can hide following lists on Instagram by switching to a private mode. When you switch your profile from public to private then other users cannot click on your following lists.
However, they can still view the number of following lists.
How can I hide my activity from followers on Instagram?
Many people like to hide their activities on Instagram as there are things they do not want everyone to view.
For example, not many people want others to know when they are active on Instagram.
Let’s take a look on how you can hide your activity status on Instagram
How to hide activity status on Instagram?
Follow the steps below to hide activity status on Instagram :
- Open your profile
- Click on the 3 lines at the top right of the screen
3. Click on Settings
4. Tap activity status and slide it to turn it off
This will allow you to browse on Instagram with others not knowing that you are actually active on the app.
Can I stop seeing someone on Instagram without unfollowing?
Instagram has introduced a new feature that allows you to stop seeing updates from a particular user without having to remove or block them.
You can do this by Muting the person.
When you Mute posts from that user you will no longer see any updates from that user on your newsfeed.
However, you can still go to their profile and view what they have posted.
You can unmute them whenever you would like to view their posts again.
The best thing about this feature is that the person you muted will never know that they have been muted.
How to mute someone on Instagram?
- Click on the person’s profile
- Click on the 3 red dot at the top of the screen
- Click on Mute
- You can mute posts, mute story or mute both. Select the option that you want.
FAQ
How to hide who I am following on Instagram?
You cannot hide who you are following on Instagram. By having a private profile, other users can see the number of people you are following but cannot click on the list of followers.
Can I hide activity status on Instagram?
Yes, you can follow the steps above to hide the visibility of your activity status on Instagram. The ‘last active status’ will be removed from the direct messaging feature.
Can celebrities hide who they follow on Instagram?
Unfortunately no, the rules applies to everyone. Even if you are a celebrity or influencer you cannot hide who you follow on Instagram.
Can verified Instagram accounts hide who they follow?
Unfortunately no, even a verified Instagram account cannot hide who they follow on the platform. The only thing everyone can do is restrict their online activities and have better control of their privacy by following the steps above.
Can non-followers see my instagram story?
If you set your profile to public mode then non-followers can view your Instagram stories and posts. If your account is set to private then only specific people who follow you can view your story.
Conclusion
We hope that we have answered your question on how to hide followers on Instagram.
The most important thing to remember is to always keep your account private and be careful about whom you allow to follow your account.
Always remember that your Instagram posts and stories can always be screenshot. Do not share your phone number and any other private information on any social network.
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