It’s no secret that when we’re bored, many of us turn to Instagram as our main source of entertainment. But, what if you don’t want everyone knowing what you’ve been doing? Luckily, we’re here to tell you how to make your Instagram stories private.
There’s no way to lock down your stories without locking your entire account, but you can narrow down which of your followers can see them. We’ve listed the best ways to make your Instagram stories a little more private.
It’s important to note that hiding your story from a user won’t stop them from seeing your profile or your posts. If you don’t want an account seeing any of your content, your best bet is always to block them.
Your account privacy settings will also affect who can view your story. If your account is set to private, only approved followers will see your story. If your account is public, anyone will be able to see it, which is all the more reason to patrol it (and kick out any ex-boyfriends, distant family members and Rebekah Vardys you don’t want seeing what you’re up to in lockdown).
Related: How to mute someone on Instagram without unfollowing them
How to make your Instagram stories private
There are two ways to stop your Instagram story from appearing on certain followers’ feeds – through Settings and through the story itself.
How to make your Instagram stories private:
- Open Instagram
- Go to your profile
- Tap the hamburger icon in the top right corner
- Tap ‘Settings’
- Choose ‘Privacy’
- Tap ‘Story’
- Tap ‘Hide story from’
- Select any users you’d like to hide your story from
- Tap ‘Done’ if you’re using an iOS device or the tick if you’re on Android
Another option is to make your stories private directly from the story feature. If you’ve spotted someone you don’t want viewing your story, you can block them from seeing your next one without leaving that page.
How to make your Instagram stories private from your story:
- Tap on your story
- Swipe up to see which accounts have viewed your story
- Tap the three dots next to the user you don’t want lurking anymore
- Tap ‘Hide story from [username]’ to prevent them from seeing future stories
You can also prevent your story from appearing on any location or hashtag pages – here’s how.
Related: How to delete an Instagram account permanently
How to hide your Instagram story from a location or hashtag page:
- Tap on your story
- Swipe up to see which accounts have viewed your story
- Any locations or hashtags you’re featured in should be listed at the top – tap X to remove your story from them
Another option is to create a Close Friends story. This feature allows you to reserve some content for a select few, while the rest of the world continues to enjoy your main story. Don’t worry – they won’t be notified if you take them off this list in the future.
How to create a Close Friends story:
- Open Instagram
- Go to your profile
- Tap the hamburger icon in the top right corner
- Tap ‘Settings’
- Choose ‘Privacy’
- Tap ‘Story’
- Tap ‘Close Friends’ and select ‘Get Started’
- Tap ‘Add’ next to anyone you want on your close friends list
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
