How to hide the following list on Instagram

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Ever wanted to keep your following list private on Instagram? Maybe you want to maintain a bit of privacy, or maybe you just don’t want everyone to see who you follow. While Instagram doesn’t provide a direct way to hide the following list, there are some ways you can use to achieve this.

But don’t worry. In this guide, I’ll tell you what you can do to control who can see your following list and give you some tips to take control of your privacy.

Also, read Instagram Testing Live-Stream Games To Increase Engagement

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Why hide your following list?

Before we get to the “how,” let’s talk about the “why.” Keeping your following list private can help in several ways:

Maintain privacy: Limit who knows who you follow, especially if it includes your friends, family, and other interests.
Avoid judgments or questions: Sometimes people draw conclusions based on your followers. Keeping it private can help avoid such situations.
Control who knows your network: If you’re a public figure, influencer, or just a private individual, you may want more control over who sees your network.

Can You Hide Your Following List on Instagram?

As of now, Instagram doesn’t offer a direct way to hide your following list. If your profile is public, anyone can view your followers and who you follow. However, there are still ways to limit who can see this information.

Option 1: Set Your Account to Private

The easiest way to keep your following list private is by setting your account to private. If your account is private, then only your approved followers can see who you’re following and who’s following you back. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Open Instagram and tap on your profile picture in the bottom right corner. Then, tap the hamburger icon in the top right corner.

2. Then scroll down and tap on ‘Account Privacy’.

3. Once you are inside the account privacy option, Toggle the switch next to the private account to make your account private.

That’s it. Now only your approved followers can see your following list. Those users who don’t follow you will have to send a follow request before they can view the following list.

Option 2: Remove Unwanted Followers

Even if your account is private, your followers can still see your following list. If there are people you’d rather not have on your followers list, you can easily remove them.

Go to your profile and tap on Followers.
Find the follower you want to remove and tap the Remove button next to their name.

This doesn’t notify the person, so it’s an unnoticeable way to clean up your followers list.

Option 3: Block Specific Accounts

If there are specific people you do not want to see on your following list, then you have the option to block them. When you block someone, all of your information will be hidden from that user. That includes profile information, your followers, and following lists. Here’s how to block an account.

1. Open Instagram and tap on your profile picture in the bottom right corner. Then, tap the hamburger icon in the top right corner.

2. Scroll down and tap on ‘Blocked’. Then, tap on the plus icon in the upper right-hand corner.

3. Now, go through and tap Block on accounts you want to stop from seeing your profile information.

That’s it. Now they won’t be able to see your profile information including followers and following list.

Option 4: Use Close Friends Feature for Extra Privacy

If you want to share specific content with only certain people, the Close Friends feature is perfect.

Go to your profile and tap on Settings.
Select Close Friends, then choose who you want to add.
Now, when posting stories, select the Close Friends option.

Using Close Friends is a great way to inform my close network without sharing with everyone. It’s been helpful in keeping my personal moments more private.

Conclusion

While Instagram itself does not offer any direct way to hide the following list, these options help you hide the following list on Instagram. Whether you choose to set your account to private or block specific users, these options give you more control over your privacy.

FAQs

Q1: Can I hide my following list on Instagram if I have a public account?

A: No, Instagram currently doesn’t allow hiding your following list on a public account. To limit who can see it, switch to a private account.

Q2: Will people know if I remove them as followers?

A: No, Instagram doesn’t notify users when you remove them from your followers list.

Q3: Can I use third-party apps to hide my followers?

A: It’s not recommended. Third-party apps may compromise your account’s security and violate Instagram’s terms.

Q4: Does the Close Friends feature hide my posts from regular followers?

A: Yes, it only shares your story with those you add to Close Friends, making it a great option for sharing privately.

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