What muting does and when to use it
Muting an Instagram account hides that person's posts and stories from your feed without unfollowing them or letting them know you've done it. When you mute someone, you stay connected—they can still see your posts if your account is public, and you can visit their profile anytime—but their content stops appearing in your feed automatically. It's useful when you want to step back from someone's updates without the social friction of unfollowing or blocking.
Muting is different from unfollowing or blocking. Unfollowing removes them from your feed but they may notice if they check your follower list. Blocking prevents them from seeing your profile, messaging you, or finding your account at all. Muting is the middle ground: invisible to them, reversible at any time, and it keeps the connection intact.
You can mute posts, stories, or both separately. You might mute someone's posts but keep their stories visible, or the reverse. This flexibility makes muting useful for accounts you don't want to unfollow entirely—a coworker, a distant relative, or someone whose content you simply don't want to see right now.
Key Takeaways
- Muting hides someone's posts and stories from your feed without unfollowing them or alerting them that you've done it.
- You can mute posts, stories, or both independently, giving you control over what content you see from that account.
- The mute button appears on someone's profile or when you long-press their post or story in your feed.
- You can unmute the same account at any time, and muting does not affect your ability to message them or visit their profile.
- Muting is invisible to the other person—they have no notification that you've muted them.
How to mute posts from someone's profile
Open Instagram and navigate to the account you want to mute. This can be someone you follow or anyone whose profile you can see. Tap the three dots (menu icon) in the top right corner of their profile header, just below their username and bio.
A menu will appear with several options. Look for "Mute" and tap it. A submenu will show you choices: "Posts," "Stories," or "Posts and Stories." Select whichever you prefer. If you choose "Posts," their feed content will disappear from your home feed, but their stories will still appear. If you choose "Stories," only their stories will be hidden. If you choose "Posts and Stories," both will be hidden.
Once you tap your selection, the mute is active immediately. There is no confirmation screen—the menu simply closes and you return to their profile. You can verify the mute worked by going back to your home feed; their posts should no longer appear.
How to mute posts from your feed
You do not have to visit someone's profile to mute them. If you see their post or story in your feed and want to mute them on the spot, long-press (press and hold) their post or story. A menu will appear with options including "Mute [Username]."
Tap "Mute [Username]" and you will see the same submenu: "Posts," "Stories," or "Posts and Stories." Choose what you want to hide. The post or story you were viewing will remain visible, but future content from that account will be hidden according to your selection.
This method is faster if you are scrolling and encounter someone you want to mute without leaving your feed. It works the same way as muting from their profile.
Muting stories separately from posts
Instagram lets you mute stories without muting posts, or vice versa. This is useful if you want to see someone's feed posts but not their daily stories, or if you want to keep up with their stories but hide their feed content.
To mute only stories from someone you follow, go to their profile, tap the three dots, select "Mute," and choose "Stories." Their feed posts will continue to appear in your home feed, but their stories will not show in your story bar at the top.
If you later decide you want to see their stories again but still have their posts muted, return to their profile, tap the three dots, and select "Mute" again. You will see which type of content is currently muted (it will have a checkmark). Tap "Stories" to toggle it off and unmute their stories while keeping posts muted.
How to unmute an account
Unmuting is just as simple as muting. Go to the account's profile, tap the three dots, and select "Mute." The submenu will show which content types are currently muted (marked with a checkmark). Tap the one you want to unmute. If you want to unmute everything, tap each option that has a checkmark to turn it off.
Once you unmute, their content will start appearing in your feed again. If they posted while you had them muted, you will not see those old posts retroactively—only new content going forward will show up.
There is no list of all the accounts you have muted, so if you forget who you muted, you will need to check individual profiles. Visit someone's profile and tap the three dots; if they are muted, the "Mute" option will show a checkmark next to the muted content type.
What the muted person sees and does not see
The person you mute has no way of knowing you have muted them. Instagram does not send them a notification, and there is no indicator on their profile or in their messages that you have muted their content. They can still see your posts if your account is public, and they can still message you or interact with your content normally.
If they visit your profile, they will see that you are still following them. If they check their follower list, your name will still be there. From their perspective, nothing has changed. The mute is entirely private to you.
You can still visit their profile, see all their posts and stories, and interact with them (like, comment, message) at any time. Muting only affects what appears automatically in your feed—it does not restrict your ability to engage with them if you choose to.
Muting versus other ways to limit contact
Muting is one of several tools Instagram offers to manage your feed and connections. Understanding the difference helps you choose the right tool for your situation. Unfollowing removes someone from your feed and they may notice if they check your follower list, though Instagram does not notify them. Blocking prevents them from seeing your profile, messaging you, or finding your account, and it is the most restrictive option.
Restricting an account (available on some profiles) limits their ability to see when you are online, whether you have read their messages, and it hides their comments on your posts from other people. Muting is less restrictive than restricting or blocking—it only hides their content from your feed, and they retain all normal access to your profile and messages.
If you want to step back from someone's content without any social consequences or restrictions on either side, muting is the right choice. If you need to prevent someone from contacting you or seeing your activity, restricting or blocking is necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I mute someone without following them?
Yes. You can mute any account whose profile you can see, whether you follow them or not. If you do not follow them, muting their posts prevents them from appearing if they show up in your Explore page or in search results. Muting works the same way regardless of whether you follow the account.
Will they know I muted them?
No. Instagram does not notify the person when you mute them. They cannot see that you have muted their content, and there is no way for them to find out unless you tell them. The mute is completely invisible to them.
What happens to posts they made while I had them muted?
Posts they made while you had them muted will not appear in your feed retroactively. You will only see new posts going forward after you unmute them. If you want to see what they posted while muted, you can visit their profile directly at any time.
Can I mute someone and still see their stories?
Yes. When you mute an account, you choose whether to mute posts, stories, or both. Select "Stories" only if you want to hide their stories but keep seeing their feed posts. You can change this setting anytime by going back to their profile and adjusting which content types are muted.
Can I mute a private account?
If you follow a private account, you can mute them the same way you mute any other account. If you do not follow a private account, you cannot see their posts or stories, so muting is not necessary. Once you follow them, the mute option becomes available.