On a normal Instagram account that’s set to public status, anyone can go to your profile and see who follows you by tapping on your follower count.
But let’s say you don’t want this to be possible. Maybe you only want your followers to be able to see who is a fan of your account, or maybe there are only specific people you want to hide that information from.
This wouldn’t be surprising, especially if you’re concerned about your privacy or the privacy of your followers following a hacking, a security breach, or a troll attack on your posts.
If you want other users not to be able to see the accounts that follow you, there are a few methods you can use to make this happen.
How To Hide Instagram Followers From Non-Followers?
The first method we want to talk about is hiding your followers on Instagram from all accounts that don’t follow you.
The key to making this work is setting your account to private status. This means that only your followers will be able to see who’s following you, but they’re also the only ones who will be able to see your posts, Stories, and Reels. Non-followers don’t have these privileges.
Furthermore, if someone wants to follow you, you have to approve them first. If you don’t know them or like them, you always have the option to deny their follow request.
One other added bonus of going private is that people who don’t follow you won’t be able to see who you follow. They can see the number of accounts you follow, but not the accounts themselves. It’s a win-win for privacy!
There is, unfortunately, a huge downside to going private that applies to influencers, brands, entrepreneurs… basically, anyone who wants to promote themselves on the app.
Because your posts are only visible to your followers, the algorithm won’t promote them on the Explore page, the Reels feed, or in search results. That means you won’t be able to grow your account, except by accepting people who request to follow you.
But if this drawback doesn’t bother you, then you should have no problem following these steps to set your Instagram account status to private.
Step #1: Open the Instagram app.
Step #2: Tap your profile picture on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
Step #3: Tap the three horizontal lines in the upper right-hand corner on your profile.
Step #4: Tap Settings and Privacy.
Step #5: Tap Account Privacy.
Step #6: Tap the toggle button to set your account status to Private account.
If you ever decide you want your account to be public again, repeat steps 1-6 at any time.
How To Hide Instagram Followers From Your Followers?
For some people, you may have specific followers that you don’t want to give access to your follower list. This may be someone that you let follow you in the past and now regret doing so, or someone that followed you while your account was still set to Public.
Regardless, if there’s an account that follows you that you don’t want to allow access to information about who’s following you (and/or who you’re following, as well), there’s an extra process you need to perform after setting your account to private.
Follow these steps👇to hide your Instagram followers from specific people who follow you.
Step #1: Open the Instagram app.
Step #2: Tap your profile picture in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
Step #3: Tap your follower count at the top of the screen.
Step #4: Tap Remove next to the names of the people you no longer want to follow you.
Once an account is removed from your follower list, and your Instagram account is private, they will no longer be able to see any of the details we covered in the previous section. That includes the accounts that are still following you.
How To Hide Instagram Followers Without Going Private?
What if you don’t want to go private on Instagram? As we mentioned earlier, having a private account on Instagram is not very advantageous for people who want to promote themselves or their brands. So, it makes sense that you would want to keep it Public.
If going private isn’t an option, then there’s only one thing you can do to hide your Instagram followers. And that is to block every account that you don’t want to view your followers.
When you block an account, you not only prevent them from seeing your follower and following lists. You also effectively ban them from viewing any of your posts, Reels, or Stories. They also won’t be able to send you direct messages or tag you in their own posts.
This step can be a tedious one, especially if there are a lot of accounts that you want to block. It’s also a drastic step to take, and it could potentially backfire on you if you use it too liberally. Accounts that block other accounts as a matter of course often draw negative attention.
But sometimes, blocking is absolutely necessary. It can help you ignore bullies or trolls who are picking on you and your followers. Just keep in mind that this isn’t a perfect solution. Even if you block a user, that action doesn’t prevent them from creating a new account to harass you with.
Here’s👇how to block someone on Instagram to prevent them from viewing your follower list.
Step #1: Open the Instagram app.
Step #2: Find the account you want to block, either by searching for their username or finding them in your follower list or comment section.
Step #3: Tap the three vertical dots in the upper right-hand corner of their profile.
Step #4: Tap Block.
Repeat this process for every account whose access to your account you want to limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Can’t I See Someone’s Instagram Followers?
If you can’t see someone else’s Instagram followers, it’s either because their account is set to private or they blocked you.
Can You Hide Your Instagram Followers List From Friends?
Yes. To hide your Instagram followers list from a friend, you must set your account to private status. If that friend is on your followers list, you must remove them. They will not be notified that you removed them as a follower.
Conclusion
Hiding your followers from other accounts may be necessary for your security or your peace of mind. But you still have options when it comes to who you want to hide this information from. You can hide it from all your non-followers by going private, or from specific users by blocking them. You get to choose how far to go for your privacy.
