HomeWinBuzzer TipsHow to Mute Someone on Instagram

How to Mute Someone on Instagram

We show you multiple ways to mute someone on Instagram through direct messages, the Instagram feed, their Instagram Stories, and via Instagram Profiles.

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Sometimes, your feed might get overwhelmed with posts that you'd rather not see. Whether it's from friends, family, or co-workers, not every post resonates with your interests. Fortunately, Instagram offers a discreet solution to this dilemma: muting.

Muting someone on Instagram allows you to hide their posts or stories from your feed without unfollowing or blocking them, maintaining your digital connections intact. They won't be notified, making it a considerate way to curate your experience. This tutorial will guide you through the various methods to mute someone on Instagram, ensuring your feed remains a reflection of your preferences.

What Happens When You Mute Someone on Instagram

Muting someone on Instagram gives you the flexibility to silence their stories, posts, or both. This action hides their content from your feed, but you'll still remain followers. Communication through direct messages remains unaffected, and you can visit their profile to view their posts or stories anytime. Importantly, the muted individual won't be notified of this change, allowing you to manage your feed discreetly. Should you change your mind, unmuting is always an option.

How to Mute Someone in Instagram Direct Messages

Muting someone in Instagram Direct Messages is ideal for when you want to stop receiving notifications from specific conversations without blocking or ending the conversation. This method is perfect for minimizing distractions from frequent message alerts while still keeping the lines of communication open for future interactions.

  1. Access Instagram Messages
     
    Tap the “Paper Airplane” icon at the top right of your Instagram home screen to open your direct messages.
     
    Android - Instagram - Message Icon
  2. Select the Conversation
     
    Scroll through your message list and tap on the conversation you wish to mute.
     
    Android - Instagram - Message Icon - Chat
  3. Access Mute Settings
     
    Tap on the contact's name at the top of the conversation screen to open the chat settings.
     
    Android - Instagram - Message Icon - Chat - Details
  4. Enable Mute
     
    In the “Details” section, toggle the options for “Mute Messages” and “Mute Call Notifications” to prevent any alerts from this conversation.
     
    Android - Instagram - Message Icon - Chat - Details - Mute

How to Mute Someone From Your Feed on Instagram

If you find your Instagram feed cluttered with posts from certain accounts that no longer interest you, muting them directly from your feed is a quick and discreet solution. This method allows you to hide their posts without unfollowing, maintaining a cordial online relationship while keeping your feed tailored to your current preferences.

  1. Open Post Options
     
    Locate a post from the individual you want to mute, then tap the “Three Dots” at the top right corner of the post.
     
    Android - Instagram - 3Dots Person
  2. Initiate Muting
     
    Choose “Hide” from the dropdown menu to hide the post from your feed.
     
    Android - Instagram - 3Dots Person - Hide
  3. Confirm Mute
     
    After selecting “Hide“, you'll be prompted with an option to mute the account. Tap “Mute [username]” to proceed with muting their posts.
     
    Android - Instagram - 3Dots Person - Hide - Mute

How to Mute Someone on Instagram via Their Profile

When you want more control over what you see from specific accounts, muting them via their profile is an effective approach. This method provides the option to mute either their posts, stories, or both, directly from their profile page. It's a targeted way to customize your interaction with their content, ensuring your feed and story reel remain aligned with your interests.

  1. Navigate to User Profile
     
    Search for and select the profile of the person you wish to mute and tap on the “Following” button.
     
    Android - Instagram - Person - Following
  2. Select “Mute” from the menu
     
    Android - Instagram - Person - Following - Mute
  3. Select Mute Preferences
     
    You'll be presented with switches to mute “Posts” or “Stories.” Toggle the appropriate switch based on your preference.
     
    Android - Instagram - Person - Following - Mute - Posts Stories

How to Mute Instagram Stories via Your Instagram Feed

For those times when you wish to stop seeing someone's stories without affecting their posts in your feed, muting their stories via your Instagram feed is the way to go. This method is particularly useful for bypassing content from users whose stories you find less engaging, allowing you to streamline the stories reel to include only those that capture your attention.

  1. Long Press on Story
     
    On your Instagram feed, press and hold the profile picture of the account whose story you want to mute.
     
    Android - Instagram - Feed - Story
  2. Choose to Mute
     
    From the popup menu, select “Mute“.
     
    Android - Instagram - Feed - Story - Mute
  3. Mute Story or Posts

    You'll have the option to mute just the story or both stories and posts. Tap “Mute Story” to proceed with muting the story alone.
     
    Android - Instagram - Feed - Story - Mute

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions About Muting on Instagram

Can you mute Instagram Direct Messages from multiple people at once?

No, Instagram requires you to mute Direct Messages on an individual conversation basis. You need to go into each conversation separately to mute it.

Does muting someone affect your mutual followers or interactions?

Muting someone has no impact on mutual followers or past interactions. It only affects your ability to see their future posts or stories in your feed.

If I mute someone, will Instagram suggest their content in other areas like Explore?

Muting someone mainly affects your feed and stories. Their content may still appear in your Explore tab or other recommendation areas on Instagram.

Can the muted person see the content I like or comment on?

Yes, muting someone does not restrict them from seeing your activity, such as the posts you like or comment on, unless you also adjust your privacy settings.

Is there a limit to how many people I can mute on Instagram?

Instagram does not specify a limit for the number of accounts you can mute. You can mute as many accounts as you need to curate your feed.

How can I quickly find and manage all the accounts I've muted?

To see and manage muted accounts, go to your profile, tap Settings > Privacy > Muted Accounts. Here, you can review and unmute accounts as needed.

Can muting someone help in reducing data usage on Instagram?

Muting stories or posts from frequent posters can indirectly reduce data usage by loading less content in your feed, but the impact might be minimal.

Does muting work for Instagram Live videos and Reels?

Muting an account's posts or stories does not directly mute their Live videos or Reels. These might still appear in your feed or the Reels tab.

Can I mute someone's comments on my posts?

You cannot mute someone's comments, but you can delete individual comments, report inappropriate ones, or use comment filters to manage visibility.

Is it possible to mute hashtags or specific topics on Instagram?

Instagram does not currently offer an option to mute specific hashtags or topics. You can choose not to follow certain hashtags to reduce related content.

What's the difference between muting and restricting on Instagram?

Muting hides an account's posts or stories from your feed, while restricting limits interactions without blocking, making their comments visible only to them unless approved.

How does muting someone affect Instagram's algorithm for my feed?

Muting may influence the Instagram algorithm by indicating your preferences, potentially adjusting future content recommendations in your feed.

Can I mute ads from specific advertisers on Instagram?

While you can't mute specific advertisers, you can hide individual ads and provide feedback, which helps Instagram tailor the ads you see.

If I mute someone, will it affect my story view count or insights?

Muting someone does not affect your story view counts or insights. Anyone who views your story, muted or not, will still contribute to your view counts.

Can I schedule muting to automatically unmute after a certain period?

Instagram does not currently support scheduling for muting or unmuting accounts. You have to manually unmute accounts whenever you decide.

Extra: How to Delete a Comment on Instagram and Use Comment Filters for Unwanted Words 

Comments on Instagram are public interactions that can shape the perception of your profile. A hastily written comment or an unintended typo can sometimes lead to misunderstandings or misrepresentations. At times, you might find yourself in a situation where you need to delete a comment – maybe it's a typo in your comment, a change of mind, or an inappropriate remark left by someone else on your post. Whatever the reason, Instagram provides a straightforward way to handle these situations. In our other guide, we show you how to delete comments on Instagram manually, how to block them automatically with keyword filters and how to mute someone to not see anything from them anymore.
 
Featured - how to delete a comment on instagram

Extra: How to Block or Unblock Someone on Instagram

On Instagram you sometimes may encounter people who are rude, annoying, or abusive. In such cases, you may want to block them from seeing your posts or contacting you. Blocking someone on Instagram means that they can no longer see your profile, posts, stories, reels, or IGTV videos. They also can't send you direct messages, comment on your posts, or mention you in their stories. Blocking someone on Instagram can help you protect your privacy and mental health from unwanted interactions. Our other guide shows you how to block/unblock others, how to see who you have blocked, and how you can remove followers on Instagram.
 
Featured - How to block unblock someone on Instagram

Extra: How to Turn off Active Status on Instagram

The activity status on Instagram is a feature that lets other users you follow and anyone you message see when you were last active or currently active on Instagram. There are several reasons why you might want to turn off your activity status on Instagram. In our other guide we will explain you everything about Instagram active status and show you how to turn it off, if you want to.
 
Featured - how to turn off active status on instagram

Markus Kasanmascheff
Markus Kasanmascheff
Markus is the founder of WinBuzzer and has been playing with Windows and technology for more than 25 years. He is holding a Master´s degree in International Economics and previously worked as Lead Windows Expert for Softonic.com.

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