Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms right now. Protecting users’ privacy is one thing that is very important but still a tricky thing. Even though Instagram does provide a lot of privacy controls, but there are a few things users still need to take care of themselves with a few tricks. In case you don’t want everyone on the platform to see your Instagram followers or following list, here’s how you can hide them now. Also Read - Instagram introduces a new video selfie option for age verification for users in India
There are a few ways you can hide the following list and followers on Instagram. If you have a private account, you cannot hide the number of followers but you can still hide who is actually following you and who you follow. Also Read - Russia adds Meta to its 'terrorists and extremists' organisations' list
One way to keep specific users from viewing your profile is by blocking them. The blocked users cannot search for your profile or find any details like followers or following list of your account. The only way they can do all that is if they use some other account. Also Read - Instagram Collections: How to save, organise photos and videos
To block any user, all you need to do is go to their profile, tap on the three dot menu in the top right corner and select block.
If you think, blocking is a bit extreme, you can always choose to remove these users from your account. This way, they will have to send you a request to follow and get access to your posts and other data again.
Instagram also offers an option to restrict users on the platform. This option is also buried in the profile menu, just like the Block option.
For the unversed, restricted users will not get access to certain information including your online status when you are active and view your stories. They will also be not able to see the “seen” option when you are done reading their messages on the platform.
According to Instagram, “Only their new comments on your posts will be visible to them and you can choose to see comments by tapping View Comments. You can tap Approve if you want other people to see their comments as well. After that, you can tap Approve to confirm or you can delete or ignore their comment.”
- How to
Having a presence on social media has become part of our identity. Not that everyone has to have a Facebook or Instagram account, but people assume that you do. For the most part, we do share our lives on social media, but not everyone is comfortable with all that it brings.
Instagram, and other social media platforms, have blurred the lines of what’s considered private information. For that reason, you ought to take some precautions. Maybe you want to hide your Followers and Following list on Instagram. But can you do that?
Hiding Your Followers
Quick Links
- Hiding Your Followers
- Control Your Visibility
- Step 1
- Step 2
- Step 3
- Step 4
- Removing Followers
- Step 1
- Step 2
- Step 3
- Restricting Accounts
- Step 1
- Step 2
- Step 3
- Step 4
- Block Accounts
- Step 1
- Step 2
- Step 3
- Can I hide who I’m following on Instagram?
- Can I hide my activity status on Instagram?
- Can people who don’t follow me see my followers?
- Stay Mindful About Online Privacy
The rules of social media platforms sometimes seem quite arbitrary. It’s a balance between giving the users a lot of choices to control their accounts but still maintaining the core of what they represent. Instagram, on the surface, has a straightforward concept. Before adding the Instagram Story Feature and IGTV, it was just a place where you posted your photos and videos. Now, it’s a lot more than that.
So, can you hide the Followers and Following list on Instagram? Unfortunately, you can’t. The actual numbers that represent how many people you’re following and how many people follow you in return are always visible. It doesn’t matter what type of account you have – you can’t hide the numbers. It’s one of the areas where Instagram is uncompromising.
It makes sense. Whether you like it or not, a lot of what drives social media is how many followers you have. It would be a counterintuitive business decision if you could just hide the Following and Followers list on Instagram and leave everyone to speculate. But there are things you can do to manage who sees what in your account.
Control Your Visibility
People don’t always think about what kind of imprint they leave on the Internet. There’s too much information, too many photos, and you can’t control what other people post either. It’s not only prudent but advisable to be aware of who sees what on your Instagram account. Therefore, unless you run a business online, or you’re an influencer or celebrity, you should switch from a public to a private profile.
This automatically allows only your followers to see the list of people you follow and those who follow you back. All they have to do is tap on the number representing each list. However, if your account is public, anyone can access these lists and see the profiles. In order to change from a public to private Instagram account you have to:
Step 1
Open Instagram on your mobile device.
Step 2
Navigate to your profile by tapping on the icon in the far right-hand lower corner. Tap on the three vertical lines at the top right and click on “Settings”.
Step 3
Tap “Privacy,” and tap on “Account Privacy.”
Step 4
Toggle the switch to the right of “Private Account” so that it turns blue.
You can make this change on Instagram for the web as well. A private account means that if people want to follow you, they’ll have to send requests. You then review them and decide who you want to share your Instagram profile with. This includes who’s in your Followers and Following lists.
Removing Followers
Even if you already have a private Instagram account, you can find yourself in a situation where you want to hide your list of followers. But what if the person or persons you want to hide the information from is already following you? This could quite conceivably happen. And when it does, it’s comforting to know you can do something about it. To remove a follower all you have to do is:
Step 1
Open your Instagram app and go to your profile.
Step 2
Tap on the Followers number. There you’ll see a list of your Followers. You can use the search bar to find specific people.
Step 3
Next to each user name you’ll see “Remove”. Click and confirm your selection.
This way the people who previously had access to the list of your Followers and Following lists no longer do. They can still find your profile on Instagram, but they’d have to send you another request to access your page again.
Restricting Accounts
Maybe you’re not looking to remove a follower, but are still experiencing certain issues with them that makes you want to restrict their access to your Instagram account. Instagram absolutely lets you do that. The person you restrict won’t be able to see when you’re online or whether or not you’ve read their messages.
The comments they leave on your posts will only be visible to them. You can choose to see the comment by tapping “See Comment”. And if you want other people following you to see their comment, you can just select “Approve”. Alternatively, you can just delete it or ignore it. Restricting or un-restricting someone’s account can be done this way:
Step 1
Go to your Instagram profile.
Step 2
Go to “Settings” and then “Privacy”.
Step 3
Select “Connections” and then “Restricted Accounts”. Then “Continue”.
Step 4
Type in the name of the account you want to restrict and then select “Restrict” next to their name. Use the same process to “Unrestrict” them if you so choose.
You can also access the restricting accounts feature through Direct messaging, comments, or through their own profile. But this way is probably the easiest.
Block Accounts
Finally, you can always block an Instagram account. It’s usually the final resort for some people. But those with a large following who receive a lot of negativity online are well-accustomed to using it. It’s important to note that if you block someone, they won’t be able to see your followers or who you’re following.
Therefore, it’s probably best to know exactly how to block someone online.
Step 1
Go to the person’s profile page.
Step 2
Tap on the three dots in the top right corner of the screen.
Step 3
Select “Block” and confirm.
That’s it, they’re gone. They won’t be able to see your followers and following lists and won’t be able to see your account at all.
Can I hide who I’m following on Instagram?
Unfortunately, there are no native functions that allow you to hide who you’re following. You can either follow the steps above to keep unwanted snoopers from seeing your interests, or you can create a secondary account to follow whoever you’d like undetected.
Can I hide my activity status on Instagram?
Yes, in the name of privacy this is one of the options Instagram offers its users. You can hide the ‘last active’ status so that it doesn’t appear in Instagrams’ direct messaging feature.
Can people who don’t follow me see my followers?
If you have a private account no. If your account is set to public, or you are mutual followers your follower information is available to that account.
Stay Mindful About Online Privacy
It can be overwhelming, hiding profiles, and restricting accounts. You can easily get tired of it and feel like being on social media isn’t worth the trouble. But with a few clicks, you can make things run a lot smoother. It’s natural to be protective of your privacy, and of those who follow you.
Let us know what you think about this issue in the comments section below.