The interconnectivity that Instagram offers is immense. You can remain in touch with friends, family, and communities around the world. However, with this connectivity comes the need to manage your online interactions effectively. Thankfully, one such feature that can help in this regard is the ability to mute someone on Instagram.
This feature allows you to streamline what you see from a particular individual, thereby enhancing your online experience on Instagram. If you are wondering how to do it, this piece will show you the steps to mute and unmute users on Instagram.
Create your own free link in bio page
Ready to simplify your online presence?
With Pushbio, you can;
- Link all your social media profiles together effortlessly.
- Showcase all your content, products, and services in one space.
- Share everything through a single link.
Create your own free link in bio page
Ready to simplify your online presence?
With Pushbio, you can;
- Link all your social media profiles together effortlessly.
- Showcase all your content, products, and services in one space.
- Share everything through a single link.
How to mute someone on Instagram
Muting someone on Instagram is handy because it lets you see less of what they post without having to unfollow them. This can be helpful if you want a break from their content or if you don’t want to see it anymore. It’s a quiet tool that helps you stay connected while personalizing your Instagram to what you like.
To mute users on Instagram, here is what you need to do:
- Open Instagram on your mobile device or log in via a desktop browser;
- Navigate to the user’s profile either by searching for their username or tapping their profile picture in your feed;
- Click on the Following or Follow button on their profile;
- Choose the Mute option from the menu that appears;
- Instagram will prompt you to select what to mute (posts, stories, or both);
- Adjust your preferences accordingly by toggling the options on or off;
- Once done, return to the previous screen, and the user will be muted based on your selections.
How to mute someone’s Instagram story
Alternatively, you can mute the stories of an IG account from the story header. When browsing stories, follow these steps if you want to mute only the stories.
- Navigate to the account’s story;
- Click on the three dots located in the upper right corner;
- Choose the “Mute” option from the menu;
- Select the type of content you wish to mute: either “Story” or “Story and Posts.”
- Click on the selected option to confirm the mute action.
Can I mute someone’s DM on Instagram?
Yes, Instagram offers its users the ability to mute someone’s DM. This way, you can restrict how the person reaches out to you via direct messaging.
To mute an account from sending you new messages, follow these steps:
- Open the Instagram app on your device;
- Click on the messenger icon at the top of the page above your stories feed;
- Scroll to and long press on the chat with the person you want to mute.
- Choose the Mute messages option.
- Select the appropriate time frame for muting incoming messages.
- Alternatively, choose ‘until I change it’ to mute the account indefinitely.
What happens when you mute someone on Instagram?
When you mute someone on Instagram, several things happen:
- You won’t see their posts in your feed anymore. This includes photos, reels, and carousels. However, you can still visit their profile to view their content manually.
- Their stories won’t appear at the beginning of your story feed. Muted stories are positioned at the far end of the row, distinguishable by their slightly grayed-out appearance.
- You won’t receive notifications for their posts, stories, or any direct messages they send you.
- Direct messages from the muted account will still go to your inbox, but you won’t receive notifications for them.
Why can’t I unmute someone on Instagram?
If you are unable to unmute an account on Instagram, this can be due to other settings or actions you’ve taken regarding the user’s account. If you’ve previously blocked someone’s account, you’ll find that the option to unmute them is no longer available. To unmute a user in this scenario, you would first need to unblock their account.
Similarly, if you’ve unfollowed a user, attempting to unmute them will prove futile. Since you’re no longer receiving their posts or stories in your feed, unmuting becomes irrelevant. Finally, you might also experience technical issues that prevent certain actions, like unmuting a user. In such cases, restarting the app or your device may resolve the issue.
How to unmute someone on Instagram
To reverse the mute on an Instagram account, you’ll simply need to follow a few steps while on their profile page.
- Navigate to the profile of the person you wish to unmute.
- Tap the Following button located under their bio.
- Select the Mute option.
- Choose between muting or unmuting Posts and Stories by adjusting the sliders accordingly.
How to unmute someone on an Instagram story
Alternatively, you can unmute an IG account’s stories from the story header. If you remember the muted account’s username, you can search for it and unmute its stories for it to reappear on your story feed.
- Open the Instagram app on your device;
- Head to your Instagram story feed;
- Scroll to the end of the feed, and muted stories will be grayed out;
- Tap and hold it to pull up a menu, and then select Unmute Story.
Alternatively, if the account does not currently have a story up, you can still unmute it by following these steps:
- Navigate to the account profile and click on the current story.
- Click on the three dots located in the upper right corner.
- Choose the “unmute” option from the menu.
The account stories will be unmuted and will appear on your feed once more.
Can I see a list of muted Instagram accounts?
Yes, Instagram provides a feature on its app where users can see all muted accounts. This is very helpful if you’ve muted a significant number of accounts and can’t recall their usernames.
- Open your account and tap the hamburger menu (three bars icon) located at the top right corner.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Choose Privacy, then Muted Accounts, to view the accounts you’ve muted and the content you’ve muted from them.
- Select the account whose stories you wish to unmute.
- You’ll be directed to their profile page, where you can proceed with the steps to unmute them.
Is muting the same as blocking on Instagram?
Muting and blocking are two distinct actions on Instagram, each serving different purposes. In simple terms, muting is about controlling what you see from a specific user while blocking is about completely cutting off communication and access from that user.
When you mute someone on Instagram, their posts and stories will no longer appear in your feed. However, you are still connected to them, and they can still interact with your content and send you direct messages. Muting is a way to manage what you see without severing the connection entirely.
Blocking someone on Instagram is a more drastic action. It means that the blocked user can no longer see your posts, stories, or profile. They are also unable to follow you, send you direct messages, or interact with your content in any way. Blocking is typically used to prevent someone from accessing or engaging with your account altogether.
In summary
Muting on Instagram is a powerful tool that allows users to customize their social media experience. When you mute someone, you filter out content that may not align with your preferences without severing the connection entirely. Unmuting gives you the flexibility to re-engage with muted accounts when desired, ensuring a dynamic and tailored feed. By muting instead of blocking, you maintain a level of respect and open communication while still managing what you see.
