How to Unmute a Story on Instagram: Your Definitive Guide

So, you’ve accidentally muted someone’s Instagram story, or maybe you’ve decided to give them another chance after a period of social media silence. Whatever the reason, you’re now wondering, “How do I unmute a story on Instagram?” Fortunately, the process is quite straightforward, and I’m here to guide you through it like a seasoned social media whisperer. You can unmute a story on Instagram directly from the profile page of the user you’ve muted by long-pressing on their profile picture, or from your settings by managing muted accounts.

Understanding Muting on Instagram

Before diving into the unmuting process, let’s briefly touch on what muting actually does on Instagram. Muting is a fantastic feature that allows you to curate your feed and story viewing experience without the awkwardness of unfollowing someone. When you mute someone, their posts and stories no longer appear in your main feed or story bar. This means you can maintain a connection without being constantly bombarded by their content. However, they won’t know you’ve muted them, which is a win-win for maintaining social harmony.

The Steps to Unmuting a Story

Unmuting a story on Instagram is, thankfully, a relatively simple task. Here are the steps:

1. Navigate to the Person’s Profile: This is the first, and arguably most crucial, step. You need to find the profile of the person whose story you wish to unmute. You can do this by searching their username in the Instagram search bar, finding them in your list of followers/following, or if you remember their username, by typing it directly into the URL field of your browser after instagram.com/. For example, instagram.com/exampleusername.

2. Check for the Greyed-Out Profile Picture: Once you’re on their profile, look at their profile picture at the top of the screen. If their stories are muted, their profile picture will appear greyed out in the stories bar.

3. Long-Press the Profile Picture: Here’s where the magic happens. Tap and hold your finger on their profile picture. A menu will pop up.

4. Select “Unmute Story”: From the menu that appears, you will see the option “Unmute Story“. Tap this option.

5. Confirmation: That’s it! The greyed-out ring around their profile picture will disappear, signifying that their stories are now visible to you again. Their stories will now appear in your story bar alongside the stories of the accounts you follow.

Alternative Method: Through Settings

There is another way to unmute people:

1. Go to Your Profile: Tap your profile picture on the bottom right corner of the app.
2. Tap the Hamburger Menu: Tap the three horizontal lines (hamburger menu) in the top right corner.
3. Select ‘Settings and Privacy’: A menu will appear from the bottom, tap on ‘Settings and Privacy’.
4. Tap ‘Muted Accounts’: Scroll down until you see the ‘Muted Accounts’ options, then tap on it.
5. Unmute from the list: Here you’ll see a list of all the accounts you’ve muted. Simply tap the ‘Unmute’ button next to the user whose story you wish to see again.

Why You Might Not Be Able to Unmute

In rare instances, you might encounter difficulties unmuting someone’s story. Here are a few possible reasons:

• Instagram Bug: Sometimes, glitches happen. Try closing and reopening the app, or restarting your phone.
• Account Deactivation/Suspension: The user might have deactivated or had their account suspended. In this case, you won’t be able to see or interact with their profile.
• You’re Blocked: If the “Unmute Story” option isn’t available, it’s possible that they’ve blocked you. This prevents you from seeing their content, including stories.

Pro Tip: The ‘Middle Ground’ – Close Friends

If you’re hesitant about fully unmuting someone, consider using the “Close Friends” feature strategically. If they post exclusively to their Close Friends circle, you won’t see their stories even if you’ve unmuted them generally, unless they specifically add you to their Close Friends list. This allows you to still follow them without seeing everything they share.

FAQs: Unmuting Stories on Instagram

Now, let’s address some frequently asked questions to solidify your understanding of muting and unmuting on Instagram stories.

1. Will the person know if I unmute their story?

No, the person will not receive a notification or any indication that you have unmuted their story. Instagram respects privacy in this regard. They’ll only know if you explicitly tell them or if you start interacting with their stories regularly after a period of silence.

2. Can I unmute multiple stories at once?

Unfortunately, Instagram doesn’t offer a bulk unmute option for stories. You need to unmute each story individually by following the steps outlined above.

3. Is muting permanent?

No, muting is not permanent. You can unmute someone at any time by following the unmuting process.

4. If I mute someone’s posts, does that automatically mute their stories too?

Yes, if you choose the option to mute someone’s posts and stories, it will automatically mute their stories as well. To unmute their stories, you’ll need to unmute both posts and stories.

5. If I mute someone’s story, will I still see their posts in my feed?

Yes, muting someone’s story doesn’t affect their posts appearing in your feed, unless you specifically mute their posts as well. You can choose to mute either posts, stories, or both.

6. Can I tell if someone has muted my story?

No, Instagram doesn’t provide information about who has muted your story. This is another aspect of privacy that Instagram upholds.

7. If I unmute someone, will I immediately see all their previous stories?

No, you will only see new stories posted after you unmute them. Stories disappear after 24 hours, so you won’t be able to view any stories they posted while you had them muted.

8. Does muting a story affect direct messages with that person?

No, muting a story has no impact on direct messages. You can continue to exchange messages with the person even if their stories are muted.

9. Can I mute someone’s story on the desktop version of Instagram?

Yes, you can mute and unmute a user’s story by going to their profile on your desktop or browser. Just hover over the “Following” button, and you will find the option to mute or unmute their posts, stories, or both.

10. Is there a limit to the number of people I can mute on Instagram?

No, there is no known limit to the number of accounts you can mute on Instagram. You can curate your feed and story viewing experience as much as you like.

11. What happens if I accidentally unmute someone?

If you accidentally unmute someone, you can simply mute them again by following the muting process. It’s quick and easy to reverse the action.

12. Does muting a story affect my followers?

No, muting a story only affects your own viewing experience. It does not impact your follower count or how others interact with your profile. Your followers won’t know that you’ve muted someone.

Conclusion

Unmuting stories on Instagram is a simple process that allows you to regain access to content you may have previously chosen to ignore. Hopefully, this guide has provided you with all the information you need to effectively manage your Instagram viewing experience. Now go forth and curate your feed with confidence!