How to Mute Someone on Instagram (and Unmute Them)
Here's how to mute someone on Instagram: go to their profile, tap Following, then Mute, and turn on Posts, Stories or both. They're never told, and you keep following them.
Quick answer
Go to their profile, tap Following, tap Mute, then turn on Posts, Stories or both.
To mute their messages, tap their name at the top of your chat, then Mute. To unmute, do the same and turn the switches off. Instagram never tells them.
How to Mute Someone on Instagram (Posts and Stories)
Checked November 2026 against Instagram's mute help page.
Step 1: Go to the person's profile. Tap Following under their name.
To get there, tap their name on any post or story, or search for them.
friend86posts1.2Kfollowers388followingFollowing TapMessageStep 2: Tap Mute.
Mute TapStep 3: Turn on the switch next to Posts, Stories or both. That's it.
Notes have their own switch here. Muting posts or stories doesn't hide notes.
Posts TapStoriesNotes
That's how to mute someone on Instagram without unfollowing them. Instagram won't let them know, and their posts and stories just stop showing up for you.
Free tool
Instagram Unfollowers Checker
How to Mute Someone's Story on Instagram
Only want to hide their stories? You can do it right from the top of your feed:
Step 1: At the top of your feed, press and hold the person's profile picture. Tap Mute.
Mute TapStep 2: Tap Mute stories.
Mute stories Tap
Their stories won't show at the top of your feed anymore. You'll still see their posts and notes.
How to Mute Someone's Messages
Step 1: Open Instagram and tap Messages at the bottom. Tap the chat with the person.
Don't see Messages at the bottom? Tap the paper plane ✈️ at the top of your feed.
yournameMessages
friend TapStep 2: Tap their name at the top of the chat.
friend Taphey!hi 👋did you see it?Message…Step 3: Tap Mute at the top.
friendMute TapStep 4: Turn on Mute messages. Turn on Mute calls too if you want.
Mute messages TapMute calls
Their messages still arrive. You just don't get a notification for each one.
On a computer? On instagram.com, click Messages on the left and click the chat. Click the Information icon (ⓘ) in the top right, then turn on Mute messages.
How to Mute Someone's Notes
Step 1: Tap Messages at the bottom. Press and hold the person's note at the top, then tap Mute notes.
Instagram asks you to confirm. Say yes, and their notes stop showing.
Mute notes Tap
Notes are separate. Muting someone's posts, stories or messages doesn't hide their notes, and muting their notes doesn't hide anything else. See Instagram's notes help page.
How to Unmute Someone on Instagram
Step 1: Go to the person's profile. Tap Following under their name.
To get there, tap their name on any post or story, or search for them.
friend86posts1.2Kfollowers388followingFollowing TapMessageStep 2: Tap Mute.
Mute TapStep 3: Turn off the switches next to Posts and Stories.
Their posts and stories show up again straight away.
Posts TapStoriesNotes
That's how to unmute someone on Instagram. To unmute their messages, follow the message steps above and turn off Mute messages. You can also unmute a story from the story itself: open it, tap ⋯ in the top right, then tap Unmute story.
How to Unmute Someone's Notes on Instagram
Step 1: Go to the person's profile. Tap Following under their name.
To get there, tap their name on any post or story, or search for them.
friend86posts1.2Kfollowers388followingFollowing TapMessageStep 2: Tap Mute.
Mute TapStep 3: Turn off the switch next to Notes.
Their notes show up at the top of your Messages again.
PostsStoriesNotes Tap
What Happens When You Mute Someone on Instagram?
- They aren't told. Instagram doesn't let anyone know they've been muted.
- You still follow them. Muting isn't unfollowing.
- Their posts leave your feed and their stories leave the top of your feed.
- You can still see everything by going to their profile.
- Nothing changes for them. They can still see your posts and stories, like them and message you.
- Their notes still show unless you mute notes too.
So what does mute mean on Instagram? It means "hide this from me, quietly". It only changes what you see.
Mute vs. Unfollow vs. Restrict vs. Block
| What it does | Are they told? | |
|---|---|---|
| Mute | Hides their posts, stories, notes or message alerts from you. You still follow them. | No |
| Unfollow | You stop following them, so their posts and stories leave your feed. | No |
| Restrict | Their new comments only show to them unless you approve them, and their chat moves to message requests. They can't see when you're online or if you've read their messages. | No |
| Block | They can't find your profile, see your posts or stories, or message you. | No |
Pick mute when you just need a break from someone, and unfollow when you're done with them. The unfollowers checker shows who doesn't follow you back, which makes that choice easier.
Pick restrict when their comments bother you, and block when you don't want them to see you at all. To restrict or block, go to their profile, tap ⋯ in the top right, then Restrict or Block. Source: Instagram's own guide to Restrict, Mute and Block. Think you've been blocked yourself? Here's how to tell.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does mute mean on Instagram?
Muting hides someone's posts, stories, notes or message alerts from you without unfollowing them. They aren't told, and nothing changes on their side.
How to mute someone on Instagram without them knowing?
Just mute them the normal way, because Instagram never tells anyone they've been muted. Go to their profile, tap Following, tap Mute and turn on Posts, Stories or both.
What happens when you mute someone on Instagram?
Their posts stop showing in your feed and their stories stop showing at the top, but you still follow them and can see everything on their profile. They can still see your posts and stories and message you.
How to mute someone's story on Instagram but not their posts?
At the top of your feed, press and hold their profile picture, tap Mute, then tap Mute stories. Or go to their profile, tap Following, tap Mute and turn on only Stories.
How to unmute someone's notes on Instagram?
Go to their profile, tap Following, tap Mute and turn off the switch next to Notes. Their notes show up at the top of your Messages again.
Does muting someone unfollow them?
No. You keep following them, and nothing changes on their side. If you want them off your following list, unfollow them instead.
Can you mute someone on a computer?
Only their messages. On instagram.com, open the chat, click the Information icon in the top right and turn on Mute messages. Instagram's help only shows muting posts, stories and notes in the app.
Wrapping Up 👋
Now you know how to mute someone on Instagram: go to their profile, tap Following, then Mute, and pick what to hide. Do the same and turn the switches off to unmute. They're never told they've been muted, so use it whenever you need a break.
