Instagram is a platform that thrives on connectivity and community, allowing users to follow friends, family, influencers, and brands to stay updated on their latest posts and activities.
The platform doesn’t keep its following list secret for just this reason. A person would be more likely to follow an account if many of their friends follow the same user. This helps foster the platform’s connectivity.
However, there may come a time when you wish to maintain a level of privacy and discretion regarding your following list. Whether it’s for personal reasons or professional considerations, the question arises: Can you hide who you follow on Instagram?
In this article, we’ll explore the options available for managing your following list and maintaining your privacy on the platform.
How to Hide Who You Are Following On Instagram
Instagram doesn’t technically offer an option to hide the following list on the platform, but there are a few walkarounds to the dilemma. These steps might help you regain your privacy on the social media app.
Switching to a private account
One of the most effective ways to control who can see your following list on Instagram is by setting your account to private. When your account is private, only approved followers can see your posts, followers, and following list.
This isn’t perfect because all your followers can still see your following list and know who you follow. However, you now have total control over who can follow you, so you can restrict who can view your following list.
Now, we’ll show you how to switch to a private account.
- Open your Instagram app
- Tap on the profile photo at the bottom right of the screen. This will open your profile.
- Tap on the hamburger menu icon at the top right of the screen to open the profile menu.
- Tap on “Settings and Privacy.”
- In the “Who can see your content” section, tap on “Account privacy.”
- Toggle the slider to the On position to switch to a private account.
- If there’s a particular follower you don’t want to give access to your following list, ensure to remove them.
Remember, business accounts can’t go private.
Create a second account
If switching to a private account doesn’t work for your situation, you can simply create another Instagram account and follow whoever you want. Maybe you have a guilty pleasure account you don’t want your followers to know about. With that second account, you can do as you please.
Instagram allows you to have up to five Instagram accounts on your app that you can switch between without having to log out. So, you don’t need two separate apps for it.
Only ensure to keep no links between your main account and the new one. And you’re good.
Conclusion
While Instagram doesn’t offer a direct option to hide your following list from specific users, there are some strategies you can use to maintain your privacy and control who has access to your following list.
By taking these steps, you can enjoy a more personalized and secure experience on Instagram.
