How to Hide Followers on Instagram 2026: Complete Privacy Guide
TL;DR - Quick Answer
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How to Hide Followers on Instagram 2026
Short answer: You can't hide your follower count number, but you can hide your follower list by going private.
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Method 1: Go Private
The most effective way to hide your follower list.
How to Make Account Private
Mobile:
- Tap profile icon
- Tap menu (three lines)
- Select Settings and privacy
- Tap Account privacy
- Toggle Private account ON
Desktop:
- Go to instagram.com
- Click profile picture > Settings
- Select Privacy and security
- Check Private account
What Private Actually Hides
You want to hide your follower list but keep posts public. Is this possible?
Method 2: Remove Specific Followers
Hide your profile from specific people without blocking.
How to Remove a Follower
- Go to your profile
- Tap Followers
- Find the person
- Tap Remove
- Confirm
What happens:
- They won't be notified
- Can't see your posts (if private)
- Can still request to follow again
Method 3: Block Users
Completely hides your profile from specific people.
How to Block
- Go to their profile
- Tap three dots
- Select Block
- Choose to block new accounts too (optional)
What blocking does:
- They can't see your profile
- Can't find you in search
- Previous DMs move to requests
- No notification sent
You removed someone as a follower. Will they get a notification?
Method 4: Restrict Users
A softer option than blocking.
How to Restrict
- Go to their profile
- Tap three dots
- Select Restrict
What it does:
- Their comments only visible to them
- Can't see when you're online
- Read receipts hidden
- They stay on your followers list
Method 5: Hide Activity Status
Stop others from seeing when you're online.
Turn Off Activity Status
- Settings and privacy
- Messages and story replies
- Show activity status
- Toggle OFF
Note: You also won't see others' status.
Method 6: Hide Stories from People
Close Friends List
Share stories with only selected people:
- Settings and privacy
- Close friends
- Add people who CAN see
- Post to Close Friends only
Hide from Specific People
- Settings and privacy
- Story
- Hide story from
- Select people to exclude
A coworker keeps watching your stories. What's the best solution?
Business Account Limits
Business and Creator accounts have restrictions:
Switch to Personal
If privacy matters more than insights:
- Settings and privacy
- Account type and tools
- Switch to personal account
- Confirm
You'll lose Insights and business features.
Privacy Checklist
- Account set to private (if desired)
- Activity status off
- Story sharing configured
- Close friends list set up
- Two-factor authentication on
- Linked apps reviewed
- Unknown followers removed
Can you hide your follower count number?
Avoid Third-Party Apps
Apps claiming to hide your follower count:
- Violate Instagram's Terms
- May steal login credentials
- Can get your account suspended
- Often contain malware
Don't use them.
Quick FAQ
Will people know I went private? No notification. They'll see "This Account is Private" when visiting.
Can I hide followers from boyfriend/girlfriend? Only by going private. They'd need to be your follower to see the list.
Will removed followers know? No notification sent, but they might notice later.
Related Guides
Instagram Privacy
- How to Block Bots on Instagram
- Instagram Privacy Settings
- How to Hide Instagram Highlights
- What Happens When You Block Someone
- How to Hide Likes on Instagram
- How to Hide Hashtags on Instagram
- Does Instagram Notify Screenshots
- Can You See Who Viewed Your Profile
- How to View Instagram Stories Secretly
Instagram Account Management
- Instagram Creator vs Business Account
- Instagram Business Account Setup
- How to Turn Off Professional Account
- How to Delete Instagram Account
- Multiple Instagram Accounts Guide
- Instagram Follow Limits Explained
- How to See Who Doesn't Follow Back
Instagram Stories
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