How to Mute Someone on Instagram
It is impossible to fully like all the people you add to your social media accounts, and Instagram is not the exception.
Although it is “Instagram etiquette” not to directly block users you might know in real life, it gets really annoying when you want a person you don’t like posting pictures or videos on your feed.
So, how do you get rid of that user without getting them blocked? Is there a way to do so?
Fortunately, there is, and it’s called Instagram muting! If you don’t know what muting someone’s story or post means, then do not despair - we are going to show you everything you need to know about this feature.
Keep reading this helpful article to get precise information about these topics:
- How to mute someone on Instagram;
- Understanding what happens when you mute someone on Instagram;
- What to know about the “Muting” button on Instagram.
What Happens When You Mute Someone on Instagram?
When you mute someone on Instagram, you will stop seeing the posts or stories posted by that user on your Instagram account feed.
You are not getting rid of muted users from your profile page - you will still see them if you search for them, but they won’t appear on your feed unless you unmute them.
The mute feature on Instagram is one of the most used across the platform, and other apps have integrated similar features as well. It can be used in many different scenarios, such as:
- Prevent spam from appearing on your feed. New accounts and users who recently started to use Instagram might take a while to understand that spamming is not allowed on the platform;
- Hide another user you don’t want to block, delete, or restrict from your account;
- Still want to send messages to another person, but just want to establish a conversation and that’s it - you don’t want their posts visible!
Read Also: Is your Instagram post doing great? Nice! You can see the total number of people that have saved your content. But, can you See Exactly Who Saved Your Instagram Post? Learn more about this matter in our related article.
Mute vs. Restrict vs. Block
You might have noticed that Instagram also has blocking and restricting features on the platform, but what’s the difference between them?
- Blocking on Instagram entirely removes a friend or user from your account. They won’t be able to send you a message, make a comment on your post, and they won’t even appear when you look for them;
- Restricting an Instagram Account means that all the interactions that take place between their profile and yours won’t be visible to others. They can make comments on your post, but only you will see them. Likewise, you might mute messages on your inbox that come from restricted accounts;
- On the other hand, when you mute someone on Instagram, you are preventing them from appearing on your profile page. They can send you direct messages and navigate through your posts, but you won’t see theirs unless you unmute them.
How to Mute Someone on Instagram
Now that you know what muting is about and how you can use it, it is time to learn how to mute someone on Instagram quickly and easily.
Fortunately, the process is really quick, which means that you just need to press a couple of buttons and go to a simple menu in order to do so.
So, if you don’t want to unfollow, block, or restrict someone, let’s learn how to mute someone on Instagram as soon as possible!
Step 1: Open the Instagram App
Firstly, open Instagram on your iPhone or Android - the steps are similar, so you don’t need to worry about the version you are using.
Step 2: Search for User’s Profile you Want to Get Muted
Then, look for the username of the person you want to get muted.
You just need to put their user profile name on the search bar, and press the magnifying glass icon.
In case Instagram says “User Not Found,” perhaps they have blocked your profile page beforehand!
Step 3: Tap on the “Following” Icon
Once you have opened the user’s profile page, you need to press the “Following” icon, which is located right under their profile picture.
A menu will appear with multiple options.
Do not tap on the three dots icon that appears at the top right corner of the user’s account - here you cannot mute posts or stories, you can only block or restrict people from these three dots.
Step 4: Select the Mute Icon
Select the “Mute” option, and another menu will appear on the screen. Continue with the final step and you will be ready to go.
Step 5: Mute Someone’s Stories and Posts
Here you will have two options: mute posts, and mute Instagram stories. This means that it is possible to hide story from your feed, or hide posts instead.
Consequently, you can choose whether you only want to mute posts or mute stories.
You can mute both their posts and Instagram stories if you feel like it - it’s your choice!
After you have selected the desired option in this menu, your changes will be saved and you will be good to go. That’s how you get people muted!
Do Instagram Accounts Get Notifications When Someone Uses the “Mute Story / Post” Button?
No. Others won’t know that you have muted them. They can still send you messages, make comments, and reply with a message to your posts or stories if they want.
If, for some reason, you now need to unmute them, you just select “Settings” on your profile, go to the privacy tab, and look for the people you have on “Mute.”
You can toggle off the mute feature from this list if you ever need to do so.
For more Instagram content, constantly check the news we have for you on our website!
FAQ
Can You Mute Someone’s Posts from Instagram Desktop Version?
No, you can only block and restrict someone from the Instagram app. If you use the web browser version, you can indeed restrict and block people, but not mute.
Karen is a senior technical writer and copywriter at Hypegrowth. Her area of expertize are social media apps and new media.