How to Stop Someone From Seeing Your Instagram Story: The Definitive Guide

So, you’re looking to control who sees your Instagram story, huh? We’ve all been there. Whether it’s an overbearing relative, a prying ex, or simply someone you’d rather not share your daily life with, Instagram offers several ways to maintain your privacy and curate your audience. The most straightforward way to stop someone from seeing your Instagram story is to either hide your story from them specifically or, for a more permanent solution, block them altogether. We will delve into this and more with specific instructions.

The Core Methods: Hiding vs. Blocking

Let’s break down these two primary approaches to safeguarding your story content.

Hiding Your Story: The Subtle Approach

This is your go-to option when you want to maintain a cordial relationship with the person but prefer they not see your stories. You’re not severing ties, just strategically limiting access.

How to Hide Your Instagram Story from Someone:

1. Access Your Profile: Tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner to go to your profile.
2. Open the Menu: Tap the three horizontal lines in the top right corner.
3. Go to Settings: Select “Settings and privacy.”
4. Navigate to Story Privacy: Scroll down and tap “Hide story and live.”
5. Select Users: A list of your followers will appear. Find the person you want to hide your story from and tap the circle next to their name. A checkmark will appear, indicating they are now hidden.
6. Confirm Your Choice: Tap the back arrow or simply exit the settings. Your changes are automatically saved.

Important Considerations:

• The person will not be notified that you’ve hidden your story from them. They’ll simply stop seeing it in their feed.
• This only affects your stories. They can still view your posts, Reels, and profile, and interact with you in other ways.
• You can unhide your story from someone at any time by repeating these steps and unchecking their name.
• This setting applies retroactively. If you hide your story from someone while a story is active, they will no longer be able to view it.

Blocking: The Nuclear Option

Blocking is a more definitive action. It completely cuts off communication between you and the blocked individual. They can no longer see your profile, posts, stories, or send you messages.

How to Block Someone on Instagram:

1. Find the Profile: Search for the person’s profile on Instagram.
2. Open the Menu: Tap the three dots in the top right corner of their profile.
3. Select Block: Choose “Block.”
4. Confirm Blocking: Instagram will present you with two options: “Block [Username]” and “Block [Username] and new accounts they may create.” Choose the option that best suits your needs. The latter is more comprehensive, preventing them from creating new accounts to circumvent the block.
5. Confirm Again: Tap “Block” to finalize the action.

Important Considerations:

• The person will not be notified that you’ve blocked them. However, they will quickly realize it when they try to view your profile and can’t.
• Blocking is a two-way street. You will also no longer be able to see their profile, posts, or stories.
• Blocking can be undone at any time by visiting their profile (if you can find it through a mutual friend’s account or other means) and tapping “Unblock.”
• If they try to view your profile after being blocked, they will see a message indicating that the account is private, even if your account is public.

Alternative Strategies for Story Control

Beyond hiding and blocking, there are other, more nuanced ways to manage who sees your Instagram stories.

Utilizing the “Close Friends” Feature

Instagram’s “Close Friends” feature allows you to create a private circle of individuals who get exclusive access to specific stories. This is perfect for sharing more personal or unfiltered content with a select group.

How to Create a Close Friends List:

1. Access Your Profile: Tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner.
2. Open the Menu: Tap the three horizontal lines in the top right corner.
3. Go to Settings: Select “Settings and privacy.”
4. Select Close Friends: Tap “Close Friends.”
5. Add or Remove People: A list of your followers will appear. Tap the “Add” button next to the names of people you want to include in your Close Friends list. To remove someone, tap “Remove.”
6. Confirm Your List: Your changes are automatically saved.

Sharing a Story with Your Close Friends:

1. Create Your Story: Record a video or take a photo as usual.
2. Tap the Close Friends Icon: Before posting, tap the green circle with a white star icon (your Close Friends icon) at the bottom of the screen.
3. Post Your Story: Your story will only be visible to those on your Close Friends list.

Important Considerations:

• People on your Close Friends list will see a green circle around your profile picture in their stories feed when you post a story for them.
• They will not be notified when you add or remove them from the list.
• This is a great way to share content that is more personal or sensitive without broadcasting it to all your followers.

Setting Your Account to Private

This is a global setting that restricts access to your entire profile, including your posts, Reels, and stories, to only approved followers. This provides the highest level of privacy, but it also means that new people will need to request to follow you before they can see your content.

How to Make Your Instagram Account Private:

1. Access Your Profile: Tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner.
2. Open the Menu: Tap the three horizontal lines in the top right corner.
3. Go to Settings: Select “Settings and privacy.”
4. Account Privacy: Tap “Account privacy.”
5. Toggle Private Account: Toggle the switch next to “Private account” to the “on” position.

Important Considerations:

• Only approved followers can see your posts, stories, and Reels.
• New users will need to send you a follow request, which you can then approve or deny.
• Existing followers will remain followers unless you manually remove them.
• Your posts will no longer be visible to the public through hashtags or location tags.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some commonly asked questions regarding Instagram story privacy.

1. Will someone know if I hide my story from them?

No, Instagram does not notify users when you hide your story from them. They will simply stop seeing your stories in their feed.

2. If I block someone, can they still see my old posts?

No, blocking prevents someone from seeing any of your content, including old posts, stories, and Reels.

3. Can someone see my story if they use a fake account?

If you’ve blocked their main account and they create a new account, blocking them again, choosing the “Block [Username] and new accounts they may create” option prevents them from seeing your content, even with the new account.

4. If I hide my story from someone, can they still message me?

Yes, hiding your story only affects their ability to see your stories. They can still message you and interact with your posts and Reels.

5. What’s the difference between “Mute” and “Hide Story”?

Muting someone prevents their posts and stories from appearing in your feed, but they can still see your content. Hiding your story prevents them from seeing your story, while you can still see their posts.

6. If I unblock someone, will they automatically follow me again?

No, unblocking someone does not automatically re-follow them. They will need to send you a new follow request.

7. Can I hide my story from specific people after I’ve already posted it?

Yes, you can hide your story from people even after it’s been posted. The changes will take effect immediately.

8. If I make my account private, what happens to my existing followers?

Your existing followers will remain followers unless you manually remove them. They will continue to see your content.

9. Does hiding my story from someone also hide my Reels from them?

No, hiding your story only affects stories. They can still see your Reels unless you block them or make your account private.

10. If I mention someone who is blocked from seeing my stories, will they be notified?

No, the blocked person will not be notified if you mention them in a story they can’t see.

11. Is there a way to see who is not on my Close Friends list?

Unfortunately, Instagram does not provide a direct way to see who is not on your Close Friends list. You can only see who is currently on the list.

12. Can businesses tell if I’ve hidden my story from them?

Like personal accounts, businesses won’t receive a notification if you’ve hidden your story from them. They simply won’t see your story in their feed, offering a discreet way to manage your interactions with brands and businesses.

In conclusion, Instagram offers a range of tools to control who sees your stories. Whether you choose to subtly hide your content or take the more drastic step of blocking, you have the power to curate your online experience. Embrace these options and enjoy sharing your life on your own terms.