.png){kind=logo}
Use Hide Story From to block specific followers and keep your Instagram Stories private.
The Close Friends list allows selective sharing, ensuring only trusted followers see the chosen Instagram Stories.
Regularly review Story settings and follower lists to maintain consistent privacy and control on Instagram.
With Instagram Stories, you can create a visual memory bank of events, express your ideas and feelings through visuals, and engage with people in a more intimate way. Sometimes, however, you may want to create Story content that is exclusive to certain individuals or groups.
For example, you might only want to send your Story to family members or close friends. Luckily, Instagram has created several tools for this. These tools give you the ability to manage the visibility of your Story posts. They help you decide who can view them based on their relationship with you. This also determines who can follow you.
In this article, we will outline the steps you can take to control the visibility of your Instagram Stories based on Who Follows You and Who Your Followers Are.
Open Instagram, then tap your profile photo in the bottom-right corner. After that, click on the three horizontal lines located in the top right corner and then select Settings & Privacy. Next, go to Posts, Stories, and Comments and choose Story Controls. Here, you can set who can see and interact with your Stories.
One of the easiest ways to make your Stories private is by using the Hide Story From option. In the Story Controls, tap on Hide Story From, then scroll through your follower list. Tap the circle next to a follower's name to select them. Those followers selected will no longer see any new Stories you post, though they will be able to see your regular posts on your profile.
Instagram's Close Friends feature is a great way to share Stories with only a few of your most trusted followers regularly. Go to the Story Controls, choose the Close Friends List, and then include the followers you want in the list.
When you post a Story, select Close Friends instead of posting to all followers. This will keep that Story private to everyone else, while only your listed followers can see it.
Instagram also lets you change privacy settings while posting a Story. After capturing or uploading content, tap the Send To button. You can select Close Friends or edit who sees your content using the Hide Story From option. This approach will be helpful if you want to hide your Stories sometimes without changing your Story settings permanently.
Follower lists and relationships change over time. It's a good practice to review periodically who you've selected under Hide Story From and Close Friends. It ensures that your Stories are visible only to the people you want to see them, thereby locking in your desired level of privacy.
You can also make your entire account private for maximum privacy. That means only your accepted followers can see your content, including Stories. Also, don't post sensitive information in Stories, because people can screenshot or screen-record what they see.
Also Read: How to Get the Stranger Things Text Style on Instagram Stories & Reels
When creating a story, a great way to change the visibility of the posts is by using the settings while creating the post. The ability to adjust these settings lets you maintain privacy for your stories and feel comfortable sharing your Story.
If you have a smaller audience you would like to share with, you can still use Instagram to post those posts while allowing only specific users to view them.
1. How can I hide my Instagram Stories from certain followers?
The Hide Story From feature in Story Settings is your go-to for selecting the followers who won't see your Stories.
2. What is the Close Friends option in Instagram?
Close Friends is a feature that lets you share your Stories with a selected group of followers and keeps the content hidden from everyone else on your follower list.
3. Can I customize privacy settings for each Instagram Story?
Absolutely, while sharing a Story, just tap Send To to pick Close Friends or conceal it from specific followers for more exclusive sharing.
4. Will the hidden followers see my Story posts?
Not at all, the people from whom you have hidden your Stories will neither receive any alerts nor will they have any access to your Stories in the feed.
5. How often should I evaluate my Instagram Story privacy settings?
Maintain the visibility of your Stories as intended by regularly checking the Hide Story From and Close Friends lists, especially when your followers' dynamics change.
