Curious about keeping your Instagram following list private in 2025? Even if you’re looking to maintain a bit of mystery or simply value your privacy, you’re not alone!
Many users want to control who sees their connections. The good news is that Instagram offers ways to customize your privacy settings, and hiding your following list is one of them.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through the steps to keep your following list private and share some tips to enhance your overall Instagram privacy. Keep reading to find out more.
Why Hide Your Following List on Instagram?
Hiding your following list on Instagram can be a smart move for several reasons:
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Privacy Concerns
Social media can sometimes feel like an open book, and your following list might reveal more about you than you realize—your interests, affiliations, or even personal connections. By keeping your list private, you can control what others see and maintain your privacy.
Also read: How to Create a Private Facebook Group for Your Community?
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Professional Reasons
For influencers, business owners, or professionals, keeping your Instagram following list private can help maintain a polished online image. It prevents competitors or curious viewers from analyzing your network, collaborations, or marketing strategies.
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Personal Boundaries
Not everything on social media needs to be public. You may not want everyone to see the people you interact with or follow. Setting personal boundaries by hiding your following list allows you to enjoy Instagram without worrying about unnecessary scrutiny.
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Avoiding Judgment
We all follow exciting accounts, but sometimes, those interests aren’t for everyone. To prevent others from passing judgment about you based on the people or accounts you follow, it’s best to hide the following list on Instagram.
Methods to Hide Following List on Instagram
If this is your first time trying to hide the following list on Instagram, and you’ve no clue how it’s done, here are the 3 step-by-step methods to help you perform this task without much hassle.
Method 1: Using Instagram’s Built-in Privacy Settings
While completely hiding your following list isn’t possible, making your Instagram account private comes close. Here’s how to do it.
1. Open your Instagram app and tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner.
2. Tap the three horizontal lines in the top right corner to go to “Settings and activity.” Scroll down and tap “Account privacy” under the “Who can see your content” section.
3. In the “Account Privacy” section, toggle the switch next to “Private account.”
You’ve made your account private. Now, only approved followers can see your posts, your following list, and who follows you. They’ll need to send you a follow request, which you can accept or deny.
If this is your first time using this app, you can read this guide to find out how to post on Instagram.
Method 2: Blocking Individual Users
Another way for you to hide following list on Instagram is by blocking the users you don’t want to share your following lists with. Here is what you need to do in an attempt on how to block people from seeing who you follow on Instagram.
1. Navigate to Instagram on your device and tap your “Profile photo” at the bottom right corner.
2. Select the “following” at the top to access the list of people you are following on the app.
3. Now, scroll through the list to locate the user from which you want to hide your following list. Once located, tap the user to open its profile.
4. Select the “three-dot” icon at the top-right corner of the screen.
5. Tap “Block” in the pop-up menu.
6. Hit “Block” again on the pop-up menu to confirm.
You’ve successfully blocked the user and have successfully hidden your following list.
Method 3: Instagram’s “Restrict” Feature
You can even restrict the users on Instagram to prevent them from seeing your following list. The following are the steps you need to go through to do this.
1. Head to Instagram on your device and select your “Profile photo” at the bottom right corner.
2. Select the “following” at the top to access your following list on the app.
3. Scroll through the list to find the user you wish to restrict.
4. Once located, tap the user’s name to open its profile.
5. Select the “three-dot” icon at the top-right corner of the screen.
6. Tap “Restrict” to restrict the selected user.
7. Hit “Restrict” again on the pop-up menu to confirm.
You’ve successfully restricted the selected user from seeing your Instagram following list.
What Happens When You Hide Your Following List?
Hiding your following list on Instagram can have several effects on how others interact with your profile. Here we have highlighted some of the things that happen when you hide your following list on Instagram.
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Privacy and Visibility
When you hide your following list, it leads to:
Increased Privacy: Only you can see the complete list of users you follow. This means others cannot view who you’re connected to.
Controlled Visibility: Even if someone stumbles upon your profile, they won’t be able to check your connections, giving you greater control over your online presence.
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Interaction Impact
While hiding your following list enhances privacy, it does not affect how you interact with other users:
Likes and Comments: You can still get more views and likes on your Instagram posts, and others can see your interactions unless your entire profile is private.
Followers’ View: Your followers will still be able to see that you follow them, but they won’t see the entire list of accounts you follow.
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User Experience
The user experience remains largely unaffected:
Profile Engagement: Users can still visit your profile, view your posts, and engage with your content.
Notification System: You’ll continue to receive notifications for likes, comments, and new followers as usual.
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Personal Safety
Hiding your following list can contribute to a safer online experience:
Reducing Harassment: It can help protect against unwanted attention and potential harassment from strangers or malicious users.
Shielding Relationships: It safeguards your personal relationships and professional networks from public scrutiny.
By taking these steps, you can better manage your privacy on Instagram and maintain a more controlled online presence. You can even hide like count on Instagram reels to be more private. This makes social media a more enjoyable and secure experience.
Tips for Maintaining Online Privacy on Instagram
While hiding your following list is a great start, there are other privacy settings you should consider:
- Private Account: Switch to a private account to control who can see your posts, stories, and personal information.
- Story Settings: Adjust your story settings to control who can see your stories and who can reply to them.
- Two-Factor Authentication: Enable two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your account.
Wrap Up!
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for hiding the following list on Instagram. By understanding your privacy needs and utilizing the strategies above, you can create comfortable control over your online presence. Remember, it’s your profile, and you can curate it in a way that feels authentic and secure.
As you continue to navigate the world of social media, consider taking your online privacy to the next level with tools like Socialbu.
With SocialBu, you can safely and organically grow your Instagram followers by scheduling your content while maintaining control over your online presence.
Happy scrolling!
FAQs
Q: How Do I Hide My Followers on My Instagram Feed?
Unfortunately, hiding your followers on your Instagram feed is impossible. Your followers will always be able to see your posts and stories. However, you can control who can see your stories and posts by adjusting your privacy settings.
Q: Can You Follow Someone Secretly on Instagram?
No, it’s not possible to follow someone secretly on Instagram. When you follow someone, they will be notified that you’ve followed them. However, you can hide your following list from friends and other users by making it private (as mentioned above).
Q: How to Hide Followers and Following on Instagram From Friends?
You can make your account private to hide your followers and following on Instagram from friends. For this, open the Instagram app and tap your profile photo. Select the three horizontal lines in the upper-right corner and select “Account Privacy.” Use the toggle to make your account private.
