Instagram does not allow users to hide individual posts from others. That means anyone who is following you can see your photos and videos easily. If you want to specifically prevent someone from doing so, you will need to block them on the platform. Blocking a person will prevent them from even finding your account on Instagram, making it an extremely effective option.

However, if that seems too extreme for you, another option is to make your account private. When an account is private, only people who follow that account can view posts made through it. On top of that, you will be able to approve new followers before they can view anything you post on the platform. As for Stories, you can hide them from individuals so you don't have to block them or make your account private.

Option 1: Blocking a user

Blocking a user on Instagram is the best option if you want to completely hide your account from them, including your posts and Stories. A blocked user will not be able to find your account to follow it or send you messages.

  1. Open Instagram and search for the user profile you want to block. You can do so using the 'Search' icon at the bottom or even from your chats if that person has contacted you via a DM.
  2. Once you find the profile of the person you want to block, tap on their profile picture or name to go to their profile page.
  1. On the profile page of the account you want to block, tap on the three dots on the top right.
  2. Then tap on 'Block' in the pop-up menu.
  1. Finally, tap on the 'Block' button to block that profile. Now, they will no longer be able to find your account, follow you, or see your posts unless you unblock them yourself.
Note: You can also use the 'Block and report' option if you want Instagram to review that user profile. This can be handy if someone is using their Instagram account to harass you or violating the rules and policies of the platform in other ways.

Option 2: Hide your Stories from a specific user

To prevent someone from viewing your Instagram Stories by hiding them from specific individuals.

  1. On the Instagram app, tap on your profile picture in the bottom right.
  2. Then tap on the hamburger menu that appears as three horizontal lines on the top right of your profile page.
  1. On the next page, tap on 'Hide story and live'.
  2. Then tap on 'Hide story and live from' on the next page.
  1. Now you can search for a specific Instagram profile using the search box on the next page from which you want to hide your Stories.
  2. Tap on the checkbox next to the profiles you want to hide your Stories from before tapping on 'Done' on the top right.

Option 3: Make your account private

You can make your Instagram account private to ensure that only people who follow you can see your posts. You will need to approve the Follow request of anyone else before they can view your posts.

  1. Tap on your profile picture on the bottom right.
  2. Then tap on the hamburger menu to go to your profile page.
  1. On your profile page, tap on 'Account privacy'.
  2. Then tap on the 'Private account' toggle to make your account private.
  1. When you do so, you will see a pop-up explaining what happens when you make your account private. Tap on the 'Switch to private' button to finish.

Things to know

  • Instagram also lets you restrict users, including followers and non-followers, which can limit their interaction with your content. However, this will not completely hide what you post on the platform from them.
  • Alternatively, if you only want specific individuals to be able to view your content, you can create a 'Close Friends' list. While this will ensure only people added to this list can see your posts and stories, it may not be ideal when you only want to hide your content from a few people.
  • Archiving posts is yet another option you can use to hide your content, but when you archive a post, it will be hidden from everyone else. Only you will be able to see it by going to the 'Archive' section.
  • All three methods shared here work on both the Instagram mobile and web apps, so you can use either to control who views your content and ensure your privacy.