Instagram Stories allow you to share moments with your followers, but sometimes, you may want to hide your Story from certain people. Whether it’s for privacy reasons or personal preferences, Instagram makes it easy to control who can see your Stories.
Here are three simple ways to hide your Instagram Story from specific users or groups.
1. Use the “Hide Story From” Feature
This built-in Instagram setting allows you to block specific users from viewing your Stories.
How to Hide Your Story from Someone:
- Open Instagram and go to your profile.
- Tap the ☰ menu (three lines in the top-right corner) and select “Settings & Privacy.”
- Scroll down and tap “Hide Story and Live” under the “Who can see your content” section.
- Tap “Hide story from” and select the people you want to hide your Story from.
- Tap the checkmark (✔) or “Done” to save your settings.
📌 Tip: The person you hide your Story from won’t be notified, and they won’t be able to see any future Stories unless you change this setting.
2. Create a Close Friends List for Private Stories
If you want to share your Stories with only a select group of people, the Close Friends feature is the best option.
How to Use Close Friends on Instagram:
- Open Instagram and go to your profile.
- Tap the ☰ menu and select “Close Friends.”
- Add the users you trust to your Close Friends list.
- When posting a Story, tap “Close Friends” instead of “Your Story.”
📌 Tip: Stories posted to Close Friends have a green circle instead of the usual purple/pink one, indicating that only selected users can see them.
3. Use Instagram’s “Restrict” or “Block” Option
If you want to prevent someone from interacting with your content completely, you can restrict or block them.
How to Restrict Someone on Instagram:
- Go to the person’s profile.
- Tap the three dots (⋮) in the top-right corner.
- Select “Restrict.”
🔹 What happens?
- The user won’t know they’ve been restricted.
- Their comments on your posts will only be visible to them unless you approve them.
- They won’t see when you’re online or if you’ve read their messages.
How to Block Someone on Instagram:
- Go to their profile.
- Tap the three dots (⋮) in the top-right corner.
- Select “Block.”
- Confirm the action.
🔹 What happens?
- The blocked person won’t see your Stories, posts, or profile.
- They can’t message or interact with you on Instagram.
FAQs About Hiding Your Instagram Story
1. Will someone know if I hide my Instagram Story from them?
No, Instagram does not notify users when you hide your Story from them. However, if they notice that they can’t see your Stories while others can, they might suspect it.
2. Can I hide my Story from someone temporarily?
Yes! You can unhide them anytime by going to:
Settings & Privacy → Hide Story and Live → Hide Story From → Uncheck their name.
3. If I hide my Story from someone, can they still see my profile?
Yes, hiding your Story only affects your Stories. The person can still see your posts, comments, and profile unless you block them.
4. What happens if I add someone to my Close Friends list?
Only the people you add to Close Friends will see Stories marked with a green circle. No one else, including hidden users, can view these Stories.
5. Can I hide my Instagram Live from someone too?
Yes! The Hide Story From setting also applies to Instagram Live. If you’ve hidden your Story from someone, they won’t be able to see your Live videos either.
6. How do I check who can see my Instagram Story?
After posting a Story:
✔ Swipe up on the Story to view the list of people who have seen it.
✔ If someone you hid the Story from isn’t listed, the setting is working correctly.
7. Can I block someone from seeing my Stories without blocking them completely?
Yes! You can hide your Story from them without blocking them entirely. They’ll still be able to view your posts, but they won’t see your Stories.
8. If I restrict someone, will they still see my Stories?
Yes, restricting a user does not prevent them from viewing your Stories. If you want to hide your Story, you’ll need to manually hide it from them in settings.
9. Can I hide my Story from multiple people at once?
Yes! You can select multiple users when using the “Hide Story From” feature.
10. What if I change my mind? Can I unhide someone later?
Yes, you can always remove someone from the hidden list at any time in your settings.
Final Thoughts
If you need to hide your Instagram Story from specific people, you have multiple options:
✔ Use the “Hide Story From” feature for specific users.
✔ Share Stories only with Close Friends for better privacy.
✔ Restrict or block users to prevent them from seeing your content.
By using these settings, you can control your audience and keep your Stories private from unwanted viewers. Happy sharing! 😊
