[Guide] How to Make Instagram Profile Private
Nowadays, Instagram is the most popular social networking site for sharing visual content, such as photographs, videos, and stories, with friends and followers. People have been watching and uploading reels and videos for hours.
But do you know, this trend of social media addiction also comes with its own downsides? Yes, we are talking about the privacy aspect. Instagram is also filled with scammers and harassers who bully and harass others, especially teenagers and women. While we cannot get rid of all of them, at least we can protect ourselves from most of them by a simple method called private profiles on Instagram.
Making an Instagram profile private serves a number of important purposes when considering online privacy and security. Sharing personal data online has become more widespread over time; making a profile private gives an additional layer of control over who accesses your content, an action that has particular resonance today given the potential risks associated with openly disclosing information online.
Benefits of Making Instagram Profile Private
Making your Instagram profile private offers several benefits, including:
Increased Privacy: By making your profile private, you have more control over who can see your content. Only approved followers will be able to view your photos, videos, and stories. This reduces the chances of strangers or unwanted individuals accessing and misusing your personal information.
Protection from Strangers: When your profile is set to private, only people you’ve specifically allowed to follow you will be able to access your content. It provides an extra layer of security against potential acquaintances or strangers who may use or exploit your images or personal details in unauthorized ways.
Avoiding Unwanted Interactions: Setting your account to private significantly reduces the likelihood of receiving unsolicited direct messages and comments from unknown users or bots. This helps you maintain a safer and more positive online experience by reducing spam, harassment, and undesirable interactions.
Personal Space Control: With a private profile, you have control over who can leave comments on your posts. You can restrict interactions to only those individuals who follow you, reducing the risk of negative or offensive comments on your content.
Enhanced Security for Personal Information: By setting your Instagram profile to private, you add an extra layer of protection for sensitive information such as contact details, location data, and personal photos that could potentially be abused if accessed by unauthorized individuals.
Preserving Artistic Works: If you are a photographer, artist, or creator who wants to share your work on Instagram but restricts access to a targeted audience, setting your profile to private can help protect your intellectual property from unauthorised use or copying.
So, let’s learn how to make your Instagram profile private by following the step-by-step procedure and hiding it from unknown people.
Step 1: Open the Instagram App
To make your Instagram account private, you first need to open the Instagram app on your smartphone or tablet. Alternatively, if you don’t have an account on Instagram yet and you would like to start making one as a private you’ll need to create an account before you can follow these steps.
Step 2: Go to your profile
Once you’ve opened the app, tap on the profile icon (the person silhouette) in the bottom right corner to go to your profile. This is where you’ll be able to make changes to your account’s privacy settings.
Step 3: Tap on the three lines in the top right corner
Once you’re in your profile, tap on the three lines in the top right corner of the screen. This will open up a menu with several options.
Step 4: Tap on Settings
From the menu, tap on the “Settings” option. This will take you to the settings for your Instagram account.
Step 5: Tap on Privacy
From the settings, tap on the “Privacy” option. This will bring up the privacy settings for your Instagram account.
Step 6: Turn on the Private Account setting
In the privacy settings, you’ll see an option to turn on the “Private Account” setting. Simply toggle the switch to the “On” position. Once you do this, your Instagram account will be set to private, and only people who follow you will be able to see your posts and stories.
Step 7: Review your followers
After making your account private, you should review your current followers to make sure you’re comfortable with them having access to your content. If there are any accounts that you don’t recognise or trust, you can remove them as followers.
Step 8: Review new follow requests
Going forward, when someone wants to follow your private account, you’ll receive a follow request. You can review these requests and decide whether or not to approve them. If you don’t know the person or don’t trust them, you can decline their follow request.
As for the rest, that’s all! By taking these easy measures, you can ensure that only your approved followers have access to your Instagram account. Once you make your account private, anybody interested in viewing your posts will need to follow you before they can do so.
Conclusion
It’s important to note that while setting your Instagram profile private offers many benefits, it also limits the visibility of your content and could reduce opportunities for exposure or engagement with a wider audience. Consider these trade-offs when deciding whether to keep your profile private or public.