With the rapid expansion of internet and social media use, privacy risks are on the rise as our online activities may unintentionally expose more than we wish. Instagram, one of the most popular social platforms, allows billions to share their stories through photos and videos.
To help keep your account secure and maintain your privacy on Instagram, consider these seven effective tips:
1. Set Your Account to ‘Private’
Switching your account to ‘Private’ is a simple way to limit visibility. By doing so, you prevent strangers from seeing your posts and allow only approved followers to access your content. To make this change, go to the Instagram app, head to Settings, select ‘Account privacy’ under ‘Who can see your content,’ and enable the ‘Private account’ option.
2. Unlink Your Facebook Account
While linking Instagram and Facebook can simplify sharing, it may lead to privacy concerns if you have different followers on each platform. To disconnect Facebook, open Settings, tap ‘Accounts Centre,’ select ‘Accounts,’ and click ‘Remove’ next to the Facebook account.
3. Use the ‘Close Friends’ Feature
Want to share certain posts only with a select group? Use the ‘Close Friends’ list to control who sees specific stories. To set this up, go to Settings, choose ‘Close Friends,’ and add people to your list. When posting, you’ll be able to decide whether to share with everyone or just your close friends.
4. Hide Your Stories and Live Videos from Certain Users
To keep certain individuals from viewing your stories or live videos, go to Settings, find ‘Who can see your content,’ and select ‘Hide story and live.’ Add the users you’d like to exclude.
5. Turn Off Activity Status
Instagram’s ‘Last Seen’ feature lets others know when you were last active. To disable this, go to Settings, select ‘Messages and story replies,’ and toggle off ‘Show activity status.’
6. Disable Read Receipts
If you’d prefer not to alert others when you’ve read their messages, you can turn off read receipts. Navigate to ‘Messages and story replies’ in Settings, select ‘Show read receipts,’ and turn off the toggle.
7. Limit Interactions from Certain Users
If someone is causing issues, you can temporarily restrict their interactions with you. This option limits their ability to message, comment, or mention you. To activate this, go to ‘Limit interactions’ under ‘How others can interact with you’ in Settings. Adjust the toggle as needed, and Instagram will remind you to disable it later.
By following these steps, you can make your Instagram experience more private and secure.
