Instagram is really fun and users always enjoy exploring profiles, brand bios, business pages and creator accounts. For those who manage a brand, business or influencer page, it’s not always necessary to show everything to the audience. Often, it’s safer and smarter to keep certain things private. If you’re thinking the same, then this blog is for you!
Hiding your followers on Instagram can have a surprisingly positive impact. You might ask: why is it important to hide your Instagram followers? By controlling who can see your profile, you gain the power to attract the right audience while preventing others from using your follower data to promote their own brand or compete with you. While it may sound competitive, Instagram actually allows you to manage this through personal settings.
Let’s explore the most frequently asked question: How do I hide who I follow on Instagram? We’ll cover simple, easy steps, even if you have a public account or company profile.
How to Hide your Following List on Instagram Without Private Account?
Instagram does not currently provide a native toggle to hide your entire followers or following list from everyone if you have a public or business account. So, what can you do?
Let’s explore a step-by-step method to limit visibility by switching to a private account, removing or restricting followers and blocking specific users.
Can your Instagram Followers Be Completely Hidden?
The answer is no, you can’t fully hide your followers or following list on Instagram. However, you can control visibility settings to decide who can see it. You can also remove or restrict people you don’t want to view your follower list. This way, you can keep your profile and follower count private from users you don’t trust.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Hide Followers on Instagram?
Here are the steps that allow you to keep your follower account private on Instagram. Let’s see how to do it!
Method 1️⃣ How to Hide Followers on Instagram by Making Your Account Private?
This is one of the easiest methods to hide your followers. If your account is private, only the people you allow can see your followers and following list. To make your account private, follow the steps below:
- Open Instagram and navigate to your profile.
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner.
- Select Settings → Account Privacy.
- Enable the Private Account toggle.
Once enabled, only your approved followers will have access to see your follower list. You can also choose which followers to allow and restrict anyone you don’t want to add as a follower.
Method 2️⃣ Removing Select Followers Manually from your Instagram Account
This is another method you can try to enhance your privacy. Even if you have a public account, you can still remove followers that you don’t want on your list.
- Click on the Followers button from your profile.
- Scroll through the list and find the account you want to remove.
- Click the Remove button next to their name.
- The selected follower will be removed from your list.
Method 3️⃣ Using the Block Option
This is the best option if you want to completely keep someone away from your account. You can block a follower using the following steps:
- Go to the profile you want to block.
- Click on the three dots next to the profile name.
- Select Block from the drop down menu.
- The selected follower will now be blocked from your account.
Method 4️⃣ Restrict Specific Instagram Users
For those wondering how to make your following private on Instagram:
You can restrict a follower from participating in or seeing your online activities without them knowing, especially useful if you don’t want to block or unfollow them. They won’t be able to tag you and you can control whether your other followers can see their comments on your posts. This way, communication stays private between you and them.
To restrict a follower:
- Go to the profile you want to restrict.
- Click on the three dots next to the profile name.
- Select Restrict from the drop down menu.
- The selected follower will now be restricted from your account.
What Other Settings can Help Keep Things Private on Instagram?
The internet shows that one of the most frequently asked questions lately is: How can I hide my followers on Instagram? If you’re still not satisfied with the suggestions above, here are some additional top picks for you. Let’s take a look at how to do it:
You can hide your online activity status.
To perform this action, follow the below steps:
- Navigate to your Instagram profile.
- Click on the three lines and select —> Settings and Privacy.
- Now select Messages and Story Replies—>Activity Status.
- Now disable the Show Activity Status toggle.
Take control of your comments and messages.
Let’s see how to keep your comments and messages restricted and controlled, follow the below steps:
Control comments section:
- Navigate to Settings and Privacy → Comments
- Choose who can comment for your posts or restrict specific users.
Manage Messages section :
- Navigate to Settings and Privacy → Messages and Story Replies
- Give permission to set how people can reach you or add you to groups.
Hide your Instagram Stories from certain people
You can hide your Stories from your followers if you’re wondering how to keep them private.
To hide your Story from specific followers:
- Navigate to Settings and Privacy → Story and Reels.
- Select Hide Story From and choose the names of the people you want to block from viewing your Stories.
Create a Close Friends list for private viewing:
This is a great option if you want to share your Stories only with a select group. You can create your own Close Friends list to make your Stories visible only to those preferred members of your followers list.
- Navigate to Settings & Privacy → Close Friends.
- Add any number of people to your Close Friends list and post Stories exclusively for them.
Manage tags to prevent followers from tagging you without your permission.
Review tags regularly to stay in control of what others post about you. This helps you keep your profile more private and secure.
Let’s see how to manage tags and mentions effectively:
- Navigate to your Instagram profile.
- Click on the three lines in the top-right corner.
- Go to Settings and Privacy → Tags and Mentions.
- Adjust the settings by choosing who can tag you.
- Select Who can tag you and allow access only to people you trust.
Manually approve tags before they appear on your profile:
- Navigate to the Tag Controls section.
- Enable the Manually Approve Tags toggle.
This setup does not directly hide your followers, but it significantly improves your privacy and helps you stay stress-free while using Instagram.
What are the Best Practices for Hiding Your Followers on Instagram?
Here are some of the best practices that allow you to maintain privacy from your followers while keeping your account more secure and controlled.
- Try to remove your followers gradually and keep unwanted followers away to avoid triggering Instagram’s spam filters.
- Keep your privacy settings updated by regularly checking for new privacy features to keep your account safe and hack-free.
- Stick to Instagram’s native features and avoid third-party apps that could jeopardize your account’s security.
- Monitor and review your account activity by regularly checking your followers and following lists to confirm your account stays protected and monitored.
- Manage your profile’s interactivity by restricting who can comment, message or tag you.
Wrapping Up!
It’s not about having a large number of followers on Instagram; it’s about how you take control of your account, manage it and recognize potential leads and conversions from your followers. Increasing your follower count alone doesn’t matter, what matters is how you manage and understand your followers. That’s the paradigm of growing your business and brand effectively on social media.
Stay away from frauds and hackers to keep your account protected. That’s why hiding your followers is important. Keeping your followers visible to others might attract unwanted attention from people with the wrong intentions. Privacy is strength!
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FAQs about Hide Followers on Instagram
Can I make my followers completely private on Instagram?
Instagram does not fully hide your followers list if you have a public account. Only A private account restricts it to followers on the list.
How do I hide who I follow on Instagram?
You can’t hide your following list directly, but you can keep things private by switching to a private account. This will limit what your followers can see. However, you can restrict who has access to your Stories, comments, tags and posts by controlling your settings and privacy.
Why can’t I see followers on someone’s Instagram?
If the account is private and you are not confirmed as a follower, then you won’t be able to see their followers list on Instagram. Otherwise there is a chance that they might have blocked you or restricted you.
Can someone still see my followers if my account is private?
Only the people you have approved as followers can see your followers and following lists. Non-followers cannot view the followers list if your account is private.
How to hide your following list on Instagram from followers?
Instagram allows confirmed followers to see both the following and followers lists. Currently, there is no option to hide either list separately.
