How to mute someone on Instagram (posts, stories and notes)

Mute someone from their profile

This is the quickest way to mute posts and stories together.

1. Open their profile: tap their name on a post or story, or search for them.
2. Tap Following below their profile info.
3. Tap Mute.
4. Switch on Posts, Stories, or both.

To unmute them, follow the same steps and switch the toggles off.

Mute someone from a post in your feed

1. Tap the three dots next to their post.
2. Tap Hide.
3. Tap Mute [username], then Mute posts or Mute posts and story.

Mute just their stories

At the top of your feed, press and hold their profile picture, tap Mute, then Mute stories. Their story leaves the bar at the top, but their posts still show up in your feed. To unmute, go to their profile, tap Following, then Mute, and switch off Stories.

Mute their notes

Notes are the short updates above your messages. Muting someone’s posts or stories doesn’t mute their notes, so do it separately:

1. Tap Messages.
2. Press and hold their note.
3. Tap Mute notes, then confirm.

To unmute, go to their profile, tap Following, then Mute, and switch Notes back on.

All of this happens in the Instagram app. Instagram’s help center only lists these steps for iPhone and Android, not for a computer.

Stop seeing someone you don’t follow

Muting only works on accounts you follow. If a stranger keeps turning up as a suggested post, tap the three dots on the post (on a reel, they’re at the bottom right), tap Not interested, then Don’t suggest posts from [name]. To clear out suggestions more broadly, see how to reset your Instagram algorithm.

When muting isn’t the right tool

• Restrict if the problem is how they interact with you. Their new comments on your posts are only visible to them (you can tap See comment to read one), you don’t get notified about their comments, and they can’t see when you’re online or have read their messages. Go to their profile, tap the three dots at the top right, then Restrict.
• Unfollow if you don’t want their posts at all. Go to their profile, tap Following, then Unfollow. They aren’t notified, but they may notice.
• Block if you want no contact. It’s in the same three-dot menu on their profile.
• Switch to the Following view to see only accounts you follow, newest first. Tap the Instagram logo at the top of your feed and choose Following (or Favorites, for a short list of accounts you pick).

What muting doesn’t do

Muting is quiet and easy to undo, but it’s narrow:

• It’s one account at a time. Mute a friend who posts about the election and the same news arrives from everyone else.
• It covers your feed and the story bar. Instagram describes muting as hiding someone’s posts from your feed and their story from the top of it. It doesn’t say it removes them from Reels or Explore.
• It doesn’t change what they see. They can still see your posts, comment and message you.
• Notes are separate, as above.
• It only works in the app.

If what you’re really tired of is a topic, not a person, muting can’t help. For words in comments and messages, see how to block words on Instagram.

Questions