How to make an Instagram account private

Instagram is one of the most downloaded apps in the world for a reason. You can create or share memes, videos, posts, and stories that disappear in 24 hours. You can keep up with what the people in your life are doing on social media and communicate with them there, too. You’re also able to peak into celebrities’ lives and see what they are posting about. Instagram is an app that can teach you, provide a lot of entertainment, and be a great way to share what’s going on in your day-to-day life. Plus, it’s a great companion while relaxing, scrolling, and turning your brain off after — or during — a long day of work.

There is a lot that happens on social media that you aren’t aware of, though. You’ll almost never be able to see every video that is out there, which is a good thing. Many videos aren’t of interest to you and apps like Instagram and TikTok can curate content to show you the kind of posts you engage with the most and hide ones that you don’t match up to your kind of content. But you’re able to take into your own hands what kind of content you’re showing to the rest of the world.

You can set your personal Instagram to either public or private, meaning that anyone on Instagram can see your personal page or only people that you approve can see it. Depending on what kind of content you’re putting out, this matters a great deal. If you’re leery of sharing your personal life with people you don’t know, having a private Instagram makes a lot of sense. For anyone trying to become an influencer, staying public is a no-brainer.

But if you want to keep your posts partial to the people you know, here are the steps to make your Instagram account private.

Instagram

Instagram is a mobile app that allows you to create posts and videos to share with your friends. It is also a platform to share memes and curate an online store.

Why would you want to make your Instagram private?

It puts the power in your hands

Bastian Riccardi / Unsplash 

The kind of persona that you put into your online profiles can tell a lot about you. If you want people to know about you, it’s often a proven way in this day and age to curate an online social media presence. It’s a way for people who aren’t with you at all times to get a glimpse of what’s going on in your life, what you consider important, and how you best represent yourself. But sometimes you may not want strangers to be able to see what you’re up to.

Maybe you’re interviewing for jobs, and you want to keep your social life private. Maybe you don’t want people to have access to family photos on Instagram, especially in the age of AI. Perhaps you’re simply a private person and just prefer to have some anonymity. We’ve all been sent requests from random accounts before, usually created by hackers or companies meant to spam you with useless ads. If you have a private Instagram, they aren’t able to gain access to your account without you saying so.

The percentage of your life that you want to share with the outside world is completely up to you. That’s why these media companies provide parameters. Will making your profile private stop you from getting targeted ads on Instagram? No, but it will stop unwanted eyes from seeing your profile.

How to make your Instagram profile private

It only takes a few clicks

Making your Instagram profile private can be something that you do as soon as you set up an account, or it’s a choice you can make at any point afterward. You can also choose to make your profile public again if you wish — toggling back and forth is totally okay. So, if you wish to switch between a recipe, fashion, or viral meme page, you can always undo the actions below.

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