How to Control Your Instagram Privacy: Hide Likes, Followers & More

Every post is a performance.

Every like is a signal.

Every follower is a quiet vote of confidence or curiosity.

In the age of social media, visibility is a form of currency. But so is privacy.

And on Instagram—the stage for creators, brands, influencers, and everyday users alike—how much you show is just as important as what you post.

Let’s talk about control. Not just of content, but of perception. Because building an audience doesn’t mean surrendering your privacy.

What You Can Hide—And Why It Matters

Why hide likes?

Because numbers change behavior.

When others can see how many likes a post got, they subconsciously measure its worth—and yours. You start playing for applause instead of expression.

How to do it:

Hide likes on your posts (before posting)

1. Start a new post

2. Before sharing, tap Advanced Settings

3. Toggle on Hide like and view counts on this post

Hide likes on existing posts

1. Go to the post

2. Tap the three dots

3. Select Hide like count

Hide like counts on others’ posts

1. Go to Settings, under the “What you see” section, tap on Like & Share Counts

2. Toggle on Hide Like and View Counts

Result?

A cleaner feed. Fewer comparisons. And more authentic creativity.

Why limit access to your followers/following list?

Because people draw conclusions from patterns, who you follow becomes a proxy for what you value.

Sometimes, that’s flattering. Other times? Unfair.

How to hide your followers and following list

There’s no direct toggle for this. But there’s a simple system-level shift:

Set your account to Private

1. Go to Settings → Account Privacy

2. Toggle on Private Account

When your account is private:

• Only approved followers can see your content

• Your followers/following lists are only visible to your accepted connections

• Your profile stops being an open dossier

Not ready to go private?

You can still remove followers discreetly—without blocking or alerting them.

Just:

1. Tap your Followers

2. Select the user

3. Tap Remove

Clean break. No drama.

How to turn off Activity Status

1. Go to Settings → Messages & Story Replies → Activity Status

2. Toggle off Show Activity Status

Heads up: You won’t be able to see others’ status either.

A fair trade for freedom.

A single unflattering tag can throw off the perception you’ve carefully curated.

How to control tagged photos and videos

1. Go to Settings → Tags & Mentions

2. Choose:

   • Allow Tags From → Everyone (Public Account) / People You Follow / No One

   • Toggle on Manually Approve Tags to pre-approve before they show up

Result?

You decide what enters your gallery of identity.

Engagement is good. But not all comments are helpful—or kind.

From here, you can manage and filter comments or messages that may be offensive, spammy, or unwanted. You have two main customization areas:

1. Unwanted Comments and Message Requests

• Hide Comments
  Automatically move potentially offensive, misleading, or spam comments to a hidden section.

• Advanced Comment Filtering
  Enable stricter filtering to automatically hide more comments based on Instagram’s criteria.

• Hide Message Requests
  Move potentially offensive or spammy DMs to the Hidden Requests folder. (Currently not supported on web or Meta Quest.)

2. Custom Words for Messages and Comments

• Manage Custom Words and Phrases
  Create your own list of words, emojis, or phrases to filter from comments and messages.

• Hide Comments
  Comments containing custom words or similar misspellings will be filtered—visible only to the author.

• Hide Message Requests
  Message requests with your custom words will also be hidden. (Not supported on web or Meta Quest.)

This isn't about silencing criticism. It's about curating your digital space with purpose.

Set DM access rules

1. Go to Settings → Messages and story replies → Message Control

2. Choose who can:

   • Send message requests

   • Add you to group chats

   • Message you directly

This matters for mental bandwidth. Especially if you're growing fast.

Why All of This Isn’t Just About Privacy—It’s About Strategy

Here's the secret no one tells creators starting out:
You don’t need to be fully exposed to be fully successful.

Hiding likes doesn’t kill engagement.

Making your profile private doesn’t stunt growth.

Disabling DMs doesn’t shut out opportunity.

In fact, the opposite is often true.

Controlled visibility = Clearer boundaries = More intentional engagement

It’s not a retreat. It’s a reset.

Let’s be honest.

For better or worse, numbers still influence first impressions. Even if you hide your like count, brands check your follower metrics. Viewers judge your ratio. Algorithms notice patterns.

This is where platforms like BuyRealFollows.com (BRF) come in.

• Realistic growth that doesn’t feel artificial

• Discreet methods that don’t risk your account

• Audience building that supports your strategy, not derails it

Think of BRF as a growth partner, not a gimmick.

They’re not promising fame overnight.

They’re offering momentum when you need it most.

Especially useful for:

• New creators breaking out of the zero-follower zone

• Small businesses testing Instagram before committing ad budgets

• Personal brands needing early traction to attract real engagement

Social proof isn’t vanity. It’s leverage, when used wisely.

Final Thoughts: Control Is the New Confidence

You don’t need to post everything.

You don’t need to show everything.

You just need to know what you’re choosing to reveal—and why.

That’s the real power of privacy on Instagram. It’s not withdrawal. It’s curation.

And when you combine it with authentic-looking growth tools like BRF, you get the best of both worlds:

• A brand that feels real

• A profile that feels safe

• And growth that feels true to you

Because at the end of the day, the goal isn’t just visibility.

It’s meaningful visibility.

The kind that leaves you in charge.