How to Hide Your Following List on Instagram

Elsa Updated on Jun 16, 2025 Filed to: Parent Control

Instagram is a social network where users connect, share moments, and follow friends or their favourite creators. However, not everyone wants their Followings to be visible to others. Be it privacy, personal, or just to avoid unnecessary attention, learning how to hide your following list on Instagram can assist you in feeling a little more secure.

hide-instagram-following-list

In this guide, we will walk you through the easiest ways to accomplish this, both by going private and without it. You will also get a grasp on how these changes affect you and your position online.

Part 1: Can You Hide Your Following List on Instagram?

Instagram does not offer a direct feature to hide your following list. However, by setting your account to private, only your approved followers can see your following list and your list of followers. This is the primary way to limit who sees whom you follow.

Part 2: Hide Your Following List on Instagram with Private Account

Making your Instagram account private is the most straightforward option if you are wondering about how to hide Instagram following list. If you have a private account, only your approved followers see who you follow. Here’s how to do it step by step:

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Step 1. Open the Instagram app and tap on your profile icon.
  2. Step 2. Tap the three horizontal lines (menu) in the top-right corner.
  3. Step 3. Tap Account privacy.
  4. Step 4. Toggle on the Private account option.
  5. Step 5. Confirm the change when prompted.
  6. how to hide your following list on instagram

After doing this, only people following you can see your following. If someone has not followed you back or you have blocked that person, he will not see your list at all. This is the fastest, simplest, and most popular way.

    Cons of Switching to a Private Account

  • You will have to approve new follower requests manually.
  • Your posts won’t show up in Explore or in hashtag feeds for people who don’t follow you.
  • Brands and creators may face challenges growing with a private profile.
  • Your content is being viewed by fewer individuals, and fewer people are interacting with it.

So, while going private is effective for privacy reasons, it may not be ideal for influencers, public figures, or business pages seeking a wider audience.

Part 3: Hide Your Following List on Instagram Without Private Account

If you want to avoid setting your account to private, you can at least control visibility in a variety of other ways. This involves utilizing Instagram's built-in tools if you are wondering about how to>hide your following list on Instagram without private account.

1Restrict Them to Hide Instagram Following List

The “Restrict” option allows you to restrict the interaction of someone with your profile without unfollowing or blocking them. It is subtle, and they will not get any notification for it.

How to Steps

  1. Step 1. Visit the profile of the person you want to restrict.
  2. Step 2. Tap the three dots in the top-right corner.
  3. Step 3. Choose Restrict from the options.
  4. Restrict Them to Hide Instagram Following List

What Happens

  • Unless you approve their comments, that is only visible to them.
  • They will not see your online status or that you have read the messages.
  • They also won’t be able to easily see your following list, with other privacy settings adjusted.

2Remove Them to Make Your Following Private on Instagram

If they already follow you, removing them can help.

How to Steps

  1. Step 1. Go to your Followers list.
  2. Step 2. Find the user you want to remove.
  3. Step 3. Tap Remove next to their name.
  4. how to make your following private on instagram

They will not be notified, but they will lose access to follower status. Pair that with story restrictions or close friends lists to truly only allow them to see what you want them to see.

3Block Them to Hide Your Following on Instagram

When you block someone, you have the power over the situation. This blocks them from discovering your profile or seeing your content at all.

How to Steps

  1. Step 1. Go to their profile.
  2. Step 2. Tap the three dots.
  3. Step 3. Select Block, then confirm.
  4. hide your following on instagram

What Happens

  • They can’t see your posts, followers, or who you follow.
  • Your account becomes invisible to them.
  • They won’t be notified.

Keeping someone completely off your following list is the best way to do it.

AirDroid Instagram Tracker
Sync App Notifications to stay updated. Keep your Instagram activity private and secure!
pic kid banner airdroid protect kids on instagram

Part 4: What Happens When You Hide Your Following List?

Restricting who can see your following list has pros and cons. Here’s a quick overview:

Pros

  1. More privacy and peace of mind.
  2. Reduces the chance of being judged for who you follow.
  3. Helps avoid drama or questions about new followings.
  4. Makes your account feel more personal and secure.

Cons

  1. Some people may notice and ask why they can’t view your following list.
  2. You may have to manually handle requests or privacy settings.
  3. Engagement may dip if your visibility is limited.
  4. Blocking or removing someone could affect relationships.

Still, if your priority is to protect your digital space, it’s a small trade-off.

Conclusion

Depending on your needs, there are flexible solutions on how to hide your following on Instagram. It is quick and simple to go private, but if remaining public, possible by limiting, removing, a blocking selected users. If you are not ready to share your personal choices and online boundaries, knowing how to make your following private on Instagram helps you protect all of that.

Whichever method you use, the point is to control your digital space. Whether you want a little more peace, better privacy, or simply be less noticed, these tools have got you covered.

Make sure your Instagram has the level of control and comfort you deserve. Start by checking your privacy settings today.

FAQs

Q1: Can I hide my following list from just one person on Instagram?
Elsa
Elsa
A: Yes, if you restrict, remove, or block that person then that person can't see your list. This gives you the options to adjust visibility without affecting the rest of your followers.
Q2: Will people be notified if I restrict, remove, or block them?
Elsa
Elsa
A: No, Instagram does not send notifications when you make these changes.
Q3: Can third-party apps hide my following list?
Elsa
Elsa
A: No, only Instagram’s built-in settings control privacy. External apps may risk your account’s safety.
Q4: Does hiding the following list also hide my followers?
Elsa
Elsa
A: Yes, if your account is private, both followers and following lists are hidden from people who don't follow you.
Q5: How to make your Instagram following private without a private account?
Elsa
Elsa
A: Use restriction or blocking options to manage who can see your following activity.
Click a star to vote
2410 views
Was This Page Helpful?
Elsa
Elsa
Elsa has worked on a number of iOS & Android solutions, she can always find her way around almost any application. She is an accomplished, skilled and versatile writer with more than 7 years of technical article writing experience.
Discussion
The discussion and share your voice here.

Leave a Reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked*

*

Dislike
AirDroid Parental Control logo
AirDroid Parental Control
Safeguard Your Kids All-around
Try It Free
try AirDroid Parental Control Try It Free