Want to keep your Instagram safe from prying eyes? Knowing how to change Instagram privacy settings is essential if you want more control over who sees your posts, comments, and activity. Instagram offers plenty of options that allow you to customize your privacy, protect your account, and limit unwanted interactions.
Key takeaways from this guide:
- How to change Instagram account to private and control followers
- Adjusting comments, tags, and mentions for better interaction control
- How to hide Instagram activity and manage visibility of likes, views, and Stories
- Steps to update and customize Instagram privacy settings for search, sharing, and discoverability
- Extra tips on account deactivation, deletion, and enhanced security
Keep reading to discover a step-by-step guide on how to change Instagram privacy settings, from making your account private to managing comments, Stories, and follower requests. This article will walk you through each option so you can take full control of your profile, protect your personal information, and enjoy a safer Instagram experience.
1. How to change Instagram privacy settings
Adjusting your privacy on Instagram is an important step to protect your personal information and control who can see your content. In this section, you’ll learn how to change Instagram privacy settings in simple steps, from making your account private to managing interactions, followers, and content visibility.
1.1. Accessing Instagram privacy settings
Before you can adjust your privacy, you need to find where the settings are located. Instagram keeps most privacy tools under the Privacy tab in your account settings.
Steps to access privacy settings:
Step 1: Open your Instagram profile and tap the three-line menu icon in the top-right corner.
Step 2: From the side menu, choose Settings, the first option with the gear icon.
Step 3: Inside Settings, access the Privacy options.
1.2. Make your account private
If you don’t want strangers to see your posts, switching from a public to a private account is the first step. A private account means only approved followers can see your photos, videos, and Stories.
Steps to make your account private:
Step 1: In the Settings menu, tap Privacy (lock icon) to open the privacy controls.
Step 2: Under Account Privacy, toggle the Private Account switch to the right. When it turns blue, your posts and Stories will no longer be visible to the public.
Step 3: From now on, visitors will see the note “This Account is Private.” Anyone who taps the Follow button must send a request, and you’ll need to approve it before they gain access to your content.
This change ensures only followers you approve will see your content.
1.3. Managing comments
Instagram allows you to control who can comment on your posts, helping you avoid spam or unwanted messages.
Steps to manage comments:
Step 1: Return to the Privacy menu and look for the Interactions section. Tap Comments to open the controls.
Step 2: In the Comment controls, select Allow Comments From.
Step 3: Choose between People You Follow, Your Followers, or both. By default, it is set to Everyone, meaning any user can comment unless your account is private.
1.4. Manage content visibility
Controlling what others see on Instagram helps you protect your privacy and reduce unwanted attention. You can decide who views your Stories, whether people see your Activity Status, and even hide like and view counts on posts.
Steps to manage visibility:
Step 1: In the Privacy menu, tap Story, Activity Status, or Posts, depending on what you want to control.
Step 2: Adjust the settings:
- Hide story from: Select followers who shouldn’t see your Stories.
- Activity status: Toggle off to prevent others from seeing when you’re online.
- Hide likes and views: Enable this to keep engagement counts private.
1.5. Privacy in search and sharing
Instagram gives users ways to find your account and share your content beyond the app. You can reduce your visibility in search results and control whether posts can be shared outside Instagram.
Steps to adjust search and sharing privacy:
Step 1: From the Privacy menu, go to Account Privacy and related options.
Step 2: Update the settings:
- Turn off suggestions that make your profile easier to find.
- Limit how your email or phone number is used for discovery.
- Restrict options that allow others to share your posts to other platforms.
1.6. Manage followers and requests
If your account is private, new users must send a follow request before seeing your content. You also have the ability to remove followers quietly, without blocking them.
Steps to manage followers and requests:
Step 1: Open your profile and tap Followers.
Step 2: Manage connections:
- Approve or deny requests if your account is private.
- Tap the three-dot menu next to a follower’s name and choose Remove to quietly unfollow them.
1.7. Deactivate or delete account (Optional privacy step)
If you want full control or need a break, you can deactivate or permanently delete your Instagram account.
Steps to deactivate or delete your account:
Step 1: Open the Settings menu and select Account.
Step 2: Tap Delete Account. Don’t worry, you will be given two options.
Step 3: Choose either Deactivate Account or Delete Account.
Step 4: If you pick Deactivate, your profile will be hidden temporarily and will automatically reactivate the next time you log in with your username and password.
2. FAQs
Many Instagram users have questions about how privacy settings actually work in practice. Below are answers to some of the most common concerns, so you know exactly what happens when you change your privacy options.
Does making my Instagram private hide past posts?
No. Switching to a private account only prevents new people from seeing your content without approval. Your existing followers will still have full access to all your past posts, Stories, and Reels. If you want to limit access further, you’ll need to remove followers individually.
Will current followers stay if I switch to private?
Yes. Changing to private mode does not remove your current followers. Everyone who already follows you will continue to see your posts and updates. However, you can always manually remove followers if you no longer want them to view your content.
Can I hide my Stories from certain people only?
Yes. Instagram lets you customize Story privacy. Under the Story settings, you can choose to hide Stories from specific people or even create a Close Friends list where only selected users can see what you post. This gives you more flexibility than simply going private.
Does Instagram notify users if I block or restrict them?
No. When you block or restrict someone, Instagram does not send them a notification. Blocked users will no longer find your profile or posts, while restricted users can still comment, but their comments will only be visible to them unless you approve them. This makes restriction a more subtle option than blocking.
Can people still screenshot my posts or Stories?
Yes. Instagram currently does not prevent or notify you when someone takes a screenshot of your posts, Stories, or profile. It’s important to keep this in mind when sharing sensitive or personal content, since you cannot fully control what others do once your content is visible to them.
Read more:
3. Conclusion
Learning how to change Instagram privacy settings is the best way to stay in control of your online presence. From making your account private to adjusting comments, Story visibility, and follower requests, Instagram provides a wide range of tools that help you secure and customize your profile.
Quick recap:
- Change Instagram account to private to limit who sees your posts
- Adjust privacy controls for comments, DMs, and tags
- Update Instagram privacy options for Stories, likes, and activity status
- Manage followers and requests for better control
- Use advanced steps like deactivation or deletion if needed
By regularly reviewing your Instagram profile privacy settings, you can keep your account secure while adjusting it to match your comfort level and personal preferences. For more step-by-step tutorials and practical tips to protect your online presence, explore the Tech How-To Simplified category on Safelyo and take control of your digital privacy with confidence.
