Make a personal Instagram account private

Before you begin

A private account helps control who follows you and views your posts. Review existing followers before changing the setting: switching to private does not empty that list. These steps concern personal accounts rather than business account controls.

Follow these steps

Check that the active Instagram profile is the account you intend to use. If you manage several accounts, inspect the name and profile picture first. Menus may differ by app version, language and personal or professional account type.

1. Open the intended Instagram profile and its settings. Find Account privacy and read the current status before changing the privacy setting.
2. Enable Private account if it is available for your personal account. Read the confirmation so you understand which people keep access afterward.
3. Review your current followers. Check unfamiliar accounts and use the follower controls if you do not want them to retain access to your content.
4. After the change, inspect new follow requests individually. Avoid approving requests solely because a display name or profile photo looks familiar.

Check the result

Private does not hide every profile detail from the internet. Choose a profile photo and biography you are comfortable showing publicly. If the option is unavailable on a professional account, consider the account’s needs before changing its type.

Audience restrictions help control access on Instagram but cannot prevent recipients from saving or resharing information. Before uploading, check for other people's faces, addresses and personal details that may appear in the image.