How to make your profile private on instagram
Want to set your Instagram account private? Follow below-given steps
Here is a complete step by step guide which you can follow so that only approved followers can see what you share.
India Today Web Desk
New Delhi,UPDATED: Mar 13, 2020 18:55 IST
Steps you can follow to set your Instagram account to private | Representational image
By India Today Web Desk: If you want to hide your post content by a particular individual or group of people who might go looking for you on Instagram, you can change your privacy setting. By default, anyone can see your profile and posts on Instagram, but Instagram gives you the option to make your account private so that only followers you approve can see what you share.
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Do you know how to set your Instagram account to private? Here is a step by step guide which you can follow to set your Instagram account to private. If your account is set to private, then only would the followers you approved be able to see your photos or videos on hashtag or location pages.
Here is a step-by-step guide which you can follow to set your Instagram account to private from the Instagram app. You can set your Instagram account to private from your Android as well as an iOS device.
Step 1: First you need to open the Instagram app on your Android or iOS device.
Step 2: Then go to your profile, then tap Settings.
Step 3: From the given option tap Privacy and then Account Privacy.
Step 4: Next you need to tap next to Private Account to make your account private.
If you want to set your account to private through your computer or using a mobile browser, you can follow the below-given steps:
Step 1: At first you need to go to instagram.
com on your computer or mobile browser.
Step 2: After that you need to click Human icon, then click Menu.
Step 3: Next you need to click Privacy and Security.
Step 4: Below the Account Privacy, click to check the box next to Private Account.
So Instagram allows you to make your account private at any time. You can follow the above-given steps to make your account private. Remember, when you make your account private, your existing followers won't be affected.
Important points about private accounts- Remember that the private posts you share to social networks may be visible to the public depending on your privacy settings for those networks. For example, If you share a post to Twitter that was set to private on Instagram may be visible to the people who can see your Twitter posts.
- Once you make your Instagram account private, people who want to follow you will have to send you a follow request to see your posts.
- All the follow requests which you will receive will appear in
- Activity, where you can approve or ignore them.
- If someone who is already following you before you set your posts to private and you don't want them to see your posts, you can simply block them.
- Any Instagram user can send a photo or video directly to you even if they're not following you.
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Apart from the above points, keep in mind that business profiles users will not be able to make their accounts private. In case if you want to make your business account private, you first have to switch back to a personal account.
(Information source: Instagram help)
READ | How to share someone's Instagram post from feed to your story
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Edited By:
Roshni
Published On:
Mar 13, 2020
How to Make Your Instagram More Private: 8 Useful Tips
As social networks continue to grow, being active on them can be risky.
You often don't know half the people that follow you, and you could even have someone cyberstalking you.
This possibility is especially terrifying on media-only platforms like Instagram, which are engineered to urge you and others to discover more users by putting your pictures and videos on display through the Explore tab.
However, it is possible to enjoy a more private Instagram experience. We'll show you eight tips to make your Instagram profile more private.
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There's a good chance that you're active on Facebook and Instagram for different purposes. The former enables you to stay in touch with your family and friends, while the latter is probably more for updates you're not comfortable sharing with people you know in real life.
Therefore, the first step towards a more isolated Instagram experience is to unlink your Facebook profile from Instagram. That way, Facebook won't be able to share both your profiles' data to, for instance, let your acquaintances on Facebook know you're on Instagram.
To unlink your Facebook account from Instagram, head over to your Instagram profile page. There, tap the hamburger icon situated in the top right corner and enter Settings. Tap Accounts Center > Accounts and profiles and select your linked Facebook account. Tap Remove from Accounts Center and hit Continue on the next page. Finally, tap Remove [Facebook account name] to unlink your Facebook profile.
2. Set Your Instagram Account to Private
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The ultimate option to cocoon yourself away from Instagram's huge user base is to simply make your account private. You can then cherry-pick who can follow you and view your stories or posts.
To turn your Instagram profile private, go into Settings > Privacy and switch on the Private account option. Tap Switch to Private in the pop-up to finish.
Do note that your existing followers won't be affected. Therefore you may want to check your followers' list to ensure only the people you know have access to your gallery. Tap Review followers from the pop-up to check.
3. Pick and Choose Your Close Friends
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Private profiles come with their downsides. You won't have a large follower count, or users like your relatives might constantly bug you to let them in.
To counter those issues, we recommend curating a Close Friends list through which you can share your stories to a specific set of users without upsetting the rest of your followers. This feature makes sure you can share more personal moments without worrying about your parents or even strangers watching them, all while still maintaining a public profile.
To configure the list, tap the hamburger menu on your profile and select Close Friends > Get Started. Select your friends from Suggested or use the search bar to find the specific user(s).
Finally, tap Create List. The Suggested section includes Instagram recommendations based on how frequently you interact with those users.
Once done, you can share only to your list by selecting the Close Friends option before publishing a new story. Select that to share a story only with users on your Instagram Close Friends list. In addition, down the road, if you want to remove a person from the list, you can do so easily since Instagram won't alert them.
4. Take Control of Your Stories
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If you'd like to establish more stringent rules for who can watch or even share your stories, there are a ton of options for that too. To access them, head into Settings > Privacy > Story. To block any user from viewing your stories, add them to Hide story from under Viewing and tap Done.
You can also disable sharing that lets anyone reshare your stories or forward them as direct messages.
If you have a public profile, you even have the ability to ban replies from everyone or a specific set of people. Scroll down to the Sharing section and switch off Allow sharing to story.
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Unlike Messenger or WhatsApp, you're most likely not using Instagram DMs for anything more than forwarding pictures and memes to your friends. Hence, there's probably no need for the last-seen status on Instagram, and it's best for you to switch it off. The option to disable the last-seen status on Instagram is located at Settings > Privacy > Activity Status. Disable Show Activity Status.
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With over a billion users, Instagram can be occasionally negative and spammy, just like every other social network. If your profile faces these issues far too often, try tweaking your comment controls.
Instagram lets you decide who can and cannot comment on your posts. You could go either way—create a whitelist if you only want a few people leaving comments on your posts or a blacklist for prohibiting some users and allowing the rest. The option to do this is situated in Settings > Privacy > Comments. What's more, you can enable filters for automatically hiding offensive comments or manually add a set of words and phrases you'd like to block.
To filter comments by certain words/phrases, go to Settings > Privacy > Hidden words. Tap Manage list under Custom words and phrases and add your list of words. Once done, go back and enable Hide comments to start filtering your custom words.
7. Stop Automatic Posting
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By default, Instagram automatically adds pictures or videos you're tagged in to your profile's rightmost tab.
Sometimes, however, these posts are simply spam or pictures you simply don't like.
To review these before they're added to your profile, go to Settings > Posts. Choose who can tag you and enable Manually Approve Tags to disable tagged photos and videos from automatically displaying in your profile. You can even remove existing tagged pictures of you.
8. Hide Your Whereabouts
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Your location is one of the most sensitive pieces of information that social apps like Instagram and the people on it can exploit. Therefore, it's safer to avoid geo-tagging your posts and even granting GPS permission to Instagram.
On iOS devices, open Settings, scroll down to the app section, and select Instagram. Tap Location and select Never under Allow Location Access.
On Android, open your Settings app, then tap Privacy > Permission manager.
Select Location to see the apps that have access. If Instagram is available, select it and choose Don't allow on the next page. Steps will vary across devices, but you can manage your Android permissions using third-party apps that standardize the whole process.
Enjoy More Privacy on Instagram
By applying these measures, you should be able to enjoy a more private experience on Instagram. But there are still a few more ways Instagram is spying on you. If you're not comfortable with this, the only option left open to you is to leave the platform altogether.
However, if you're on iOS, you can disable pervasive tracking by denying the app tracking permissions.
How to close an Instagram profile from outsiders
By default, each registered account on the Instagram social network is open to all users.
Any owner of an Instagram page can view posts and Stories, send private messages and leave comments. For those who do not like publicity, it is possible to hide their publications from outsiders.
- Why restrict access to your Instagram account
- How to close an Instagram profile using a smartphone or tablet
- How to close an Instagram account using a computer
- How to add or remove followers on a closed Instagram profile
- How to make a closed Instagram profile reopen
- How to close a business -profile on Instagram
- In what cases it is necessary to close the profile on Instagram
In some cases, it becomes necessary to block annoying visitors so that they cannot interact with the owner of the Instagram account. Privacy settings allow you to restrict access to the profile to unwanted interlocutors, spammers and scammers. Also, such a decision may be due to the desire to hide their activity from a certain circle of people.
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After activating a private Instagram profile, new followers will need to request permission to follow and view posts. Approve the application from each specific follower or reject, the creator of the account will decide. If a particular subscriber is undesirable, it can be removed using the option of the same name.
If you use Instagram through the official mobile application, the procedure is as follows:
- Log in to Instagram with your username and click on the avatar icon located in the lower right corner. nine0010
- Click on the three-bar icon at the top of the screen.
- In the pop-up menu, you must select the "Settings" item (on iOS devices it is called "Settings").
- On the new page, you will need to go to the "Privacy" section.
- In the "Closed account" line, you must turn the switch to the active position.
- To confirm, click on the "Make private" button. nine0010
After enabling this option, only existing followers, as well as those who have received appropriate approval from the account owner, will have access to visiting the page on Instagram.
If a particular subscriber annoys with insults or unwanted communication, it is enough to add him to the so-called "black list".
To do this, you need to visit the profile of the ill-wisher and click on the ellipsis symbol at the top of the screen. After that, a list of functions will be displayed in which you will need to select the “Block” item. As a result, a window will appear with a warning that this user will no longer be able to write to you in Instagram Direct, view posts and Stories. This window will ask you to confirm the blocking of the user. nine0005
The procedure for activating a closed account on the desktop version of Instagram consists of the following steps:
- Go to the official Instagram website and log in to your account.
- In the upper corner, click on your avatar image.
- After that, a menu will open in which you will need to click on the "Settings" button.
- Next, you will need to go to the "Privacy and Security" tab.
- It remains to tick the box "Closed account" to restrict access to outsiders.
If you make your Instagram profile private, then new followers will have to send a subscription request to the account owner. The corresponding requests will appear in the "Actions" tab located on the bottom panel.
Applications can be approved or ignored at your discretion. In order to allow access to publications for a specific subscriber, you will need to click on the "Confirm" button located opposite the profile picture. nine0005
To return the ability to see your posts on Instagram to strangers, you need to follow the reverse procedure. To do this, in the Instagram profile settings, you need to go to the "Privacy" section. Then uncheck the box next to the "Closed account" line, turning your account into a public one.
A warning will appear on the screen that the privacy settings have changed, and now all users will be able to visit the page without the approval of the creator.
Here you will need to confirm your action by clicking on the "OK" button. nine0005
For a business account on Instagram, switching to a closed profile type is inappropriate, since such an action is guaranteed to lead to the loss of some of the existing followers. In addition, this feature is only available for personal accounts. It is important to understand that Instagram is characterized by an engaged audience that actively engages with business account holders.
Potential customers will want to familiarize themselves with the assortment of the promoted brand. This will not be possible if the creator restricts entry to interested users. nine0005
This feature will be useful in cases where there is a desire to protect your page from uninvited guests and unfriendly commentators, and make your stay on the Instagram social network more comfortable. After that, only current subscribers will be able to view the published photos, videos and stories. If you do not have the task of promoting your account and gaining more followers, then you may like this solution.
In addition, the "Restrictions" function is available in Instagram, which allows you to get rid of a group of users. After its activation, messages and comments will be hidden from unwanted users (until the account owner approves it). nine0005
Kristina Gorbunovaauthor
How to close an Instagram account 2021
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Someone is actively promoting their profile, and someone wants to close their Instagram account from prying eyes. You can do this in a couple of clicks, you just need to find the desired item in the settings.
Now Instagram has updated the “Settings” section. We are posting screenshots of how to close Instagram account after 2022 update.
How to close Instagram account in 2022 after update
Below you will find instructions on how to close your Instagram profile so that your posts and Stories are only visible to your followers. Even on anonymous browsing sites, your Stories will not be viewable.
If you want to temporarily hide your account from everyone, you can block it. And if only from a specific person, then block his profile.
- Log in to your account, go to Settings (this is how they look after the 2022 update).
- On some phones in 2022, the settings menu looks like this:
- Scroll down and find the "Privacy" item, after - "Closed account" drag the slider to the right.
- Make account private? Click Make Private
How to add or remove followers on a private Instagram profile
When someone wants to follow you, you will need to go to notifications and confirm or decline the subscription.
In order for one of the already approved subscribers to no longer see your posts, he must be removed from the subscribers. Open the list of your subscribers, find the right one.
Click the three dots on the right, select "Delete". Your subscriber will not know about this until he goes to your profile (he will no longer be able to see the posts and will understand that he was removed from the subscribers). nine0005
How to open a closed account on Instagram
To open the account back, repeat all the same steps (screenshots above). Open the settings, find "Privacy and security", after - "Account privacy". "Closed Account" Drag the slider to the left. "Make the account public?" Click OK.
How to make a private business account on Instagram?
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None. If you have an account with connected statistics (business account), then you can make it closed only by transferring it back to your personal account. Business accounts were invented to make promotion on Instagram more efficient. Accordingly, such an account should be open in order to attract a maximum of subscribers. Still want to close your profile? Switch to a personal account without statistics and then close it according to the instructions above.
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How to switch back to a personal account is in the article: How to make a business account on Instagram.
What is the difference between a closed Instagram account and an open one?
In 2020, after the update, only the interface has changed, while all the advantages and disadvantages of a closed account have remained the same.
- All photos and videos in a closed account can only be seen by subscribers.
- Your posts will not appear in hashtag searches.
- Your Instagram profile can be found in the general search by account name, but when you go to it, posts will not be visible. nine0010
- If you want to subscribe to a private account, you must first submit an application and wait for the owner of the private profile to approve it. To do this, he needs to go to his notifications and click on "Subscription requests".
- A private profile can only be personal, without statistics. A business account cannot be closed (only transfer it back to a personal one and then close it - see above).
