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What Does CFS Mean on Instagram?

Published February 15, 2024

Social media is peppered with slang and acronyms. A quick scroll through your feed on Instagram or X would throw a ton of LOLs, LMAOs, and TBHs at your face. This can turn a simple tweet into gibberish if you don’t know the meaning of these acronyms. 

Scrolling through Instagram, you might stumble upon a cryptic acronym like “CFS” and wonder what it stands for. With how quickly online slangs evolve, it can be hard to keep up! In this case, we’ve got you. 

In this article, we’ll talk about the meaning of CFS on Instagram. 

What is the Meaning of CFS on Instagram? 

On Instagram, “CFS” stands for “Close Friends Story.”

The Close Friends Story is a feature that was introduced by Instagram in 2018. It allows users to share stories with a curated list of chosen followers. This provides a space for more personal, private content that you might not want to share with your entire audience. 

So, if you want to post something without all your followers seeing it, a close friend’s story or CFS would be a good idea. 

How to Create a Close Friends Story on Instagram 

The process of creating a Close Friends Story begins with curating your Close Friends list. This is the list of people that will be able to see these private stories. Let’s show you how to set up your list. 

  • Open your Instagram app and tap on the profile photo icon at the bottom right of the screen. 
  • Once your profile is open, tap on the hamburger menu icon at the top right of the screen. 
  • On the profile menu, tap on the “close friends” tab. This opens up a list of your followers. 
  • Tap on the followers you want to add to the list. When you’re satisfied, click “Done.”

Now you have a Close Friends List, we can move on to the next step, which is posting a story

When you post a story, Instagram lets you choose to share it with everyone or “Close Friends” only. This option comes after you’re done editing the story, but before you post it. 

If you choose to post it to your close friends, then they’d be the only ones who would know you even posted. People who aren’t on the list would be none the wiser. 

However, your close friends would know that your story was a CFS (see how we used it there) because it would look different. Close Friends Stories have a green circle around them instead of the usual purple/yellow ring. 

Why Use CFS?

The CFS feature is handy and there are many reasons why you’d want to use it. 

  • You may want to share personal moments with a trusted group of followers.
  • The feature also lets you connect with your closest friends on a deeper level.
  • With this feature, you can experiment with content without worrying about everyone seeing it.
  • Many creators use Close Friends stories to offer exclusive updates or sneak peeks.

Now that you know the meaning of CFS, you can navigate the streets of Instagram like a pro, and even create your own Close Friends story. Good luck!

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Written By:
AUTHOR & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jessica is a consultant, researcher, and the editor-in-chief of the Buzzoid blog, who specializes in social media, marketing, and digital strategy. She is a graduate of Antioch College and earned her MBA at Boston College’s Carroll Graduate School of Management, specializing in STEM Management.

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