1
Open the account's profile
Go to the Instagram profile of the account whose content you want to see less often.
Instagram Feed Guide · Updated September 2026
How to Mute Someone on Instagram
Instagram lets you mute selected content from an account without unfollowing or blocking it. In current app versions, the account profile provides separate mute controls for content such as posts, Stories and Notes when those options are available.
Stay following the account
Choose what you mute
No direct mute notification
Quick steps
How Do You Mute Someone on Instagram?
Open the person's Instagram profile, tap Following, then tap Mute. Choose the content types you want to stop seeing, such as Posts, Stories or Notes when those controls are shown in your app.
Muting changes what Instagram normally shows you from that account. It does not automatically unfollow the account, block it or prevent the other person from viewing content they are otherwise allowed to see.
Step by step
How to Mute People on Instagram
The profile method lets you choose which supported content types you want Instagram to mute for that account.
2
Tap Following
On the profile, open the Following menu. This does not unfollow the account simply by opening the menu.
3
Tap Mute
Select Mute to open the available content controls for that account.
4
Choose the content types
Turn on the controls for the content you want muted. Current Instagram versions can provide separate choices for Posts, Stories and Notes, although available options can change between app versions.
Same task
How Do I Mute Someone on Instagram?
Whether you want to mute one account or manage several accounts, the profile menu is the clearest general route in the mobile app.
Can you mute someone on Instagram?
Yes. Instagram provides account-level mute controls that let you stop selected content from appearing normally without unfollowing the account.
How to mute an account on Instagram
Visit that account's profile, open Following, choose Mute, and select the available content categories you want to mute.
Mute someone on Instagram without unfollowing
Muting is specifically useful when you want to stay connected to an account while reducing the content Instagram normally shows you from it.
Effects
What Happens When You Mute Someone on Instagram?
Muting primarily changes what you see from the account. It is not a broader access restriction like blocking.
Muted posts stop appearing normally in your feed
If you mute the account's Posts control, Instagram stops normally surfacing those posts to you in the same way in your feed.
Story visibility can be muted separately
Instagram provides a separate Stories control, so muting posts does not mean every other content type is automatically muted too.
Notes can have their own control
In app versions where the Notes control is available in the Mute menu, it can be managed separately from posts and Stories.
Meaning
What Does Muting Someone on Instagram Do?
Muting is a visibility preference on your side. It reduces selected content from that account without turning the relationship into an unfollow or block.
What does it mean to mute someone on Instagram?
It means you are asking Instagram not to normally surface selected content from that account while keeping the account relationship otherwise available.
What does Mute do on Instagram?
The effect depends on which mute options you choose. Posts, Stories and other available content controls can operate separately.
It does not automatically change following status
The account remains followed unless you separately choose to unfollow it.
Separate controls
What Muting Does Not Do
It does not block the account
Muting controls what content you see. It does not create the wider separation associated with an account block.
It does not restrict their comments or messages
Interaction limits are handled through different Instagram controls. Muting someone's feed content should not be confused with limiting how that account interacts with you.
Chat muting is separate
Muting message or call notifications for a conversation is a separate messaging control and should not be treated as the same setting as muting an account's feed content.
Notification
If You Mute Someone on Instagram, Will They Know?
Instagram does not send the account a direct notification telling them that you muted their content.
No direct mute alert
The Mute action is not announced to the other account through a normal Instagram notification.
Do not confuse notification with inference
Someone may form their own guess from changes in interaction, but Instagram does not provide them with a Mute confirmation.
Different purpose
Mute vs Restrict: What Changes?
Mute mainly controls what you see from another account. Restrict is designed to limit parts of that account's interaction with you.
Use Mute for your feed experience
Mute is useful when you still want to follow an account but do not want selected content appearing normally.
Interaction limits are different
Features that limit unwanted interactions, such as Restrict, work differently from Mute and are explained in a separate guide.
Reverse the choice
Want to See the Account's Content Again?
Return to the same profile Mute menu and switch off the content controls you previously enabled. For step-by-step instructions, see how to unmute someone on Instagram.
FAQ
Instagram Mute FAQ
What changes after muting an account?
If you mute someone on Instagram what happens depends on the
content controls you selected. Instagram stops normally surfacing
those selected content types from that account, while you remain
following them unless you separately unfollow.
Does the other account get notified?
If you mute someone on Instagram will they know from an Instagram
notification? Instagram does not send them a direct notification
telling them that you muted their content.
How to mute someone on Instagram?
Open their profile, tap Following, choose Mute, then enable the
content controls you want to mute. Current options can include
Posts, Stories and Notes depending on the app version.
If you mute someone on Instagram, what happens?
Instagram stops normally surfacing the content categories you
selected from that account. You remain following the account unless
you separately unfollow it.
Does Instagram notify someone when you mute them?
Instagram does not send a direct notification telling the account
that you muted its content.
Does muting someone block them?
No. Muting changes what you see from the account and is separate
from blocking.
Can a muted account still message me?
Muting feed content does not itself prevent direct messages.
Message and call notification controls are handled separately.