Do you have someone in your feed who posts way too much? Or maybe a friend whose stories you'd rather skip for a while? Learning how to mute someone on Instagram is one of the most useful things you can do. It cleans up your feed without hurting anyone's feelings — and the best part? They'll never know you did it.
What Does Muting Someone on Instagram Actually Do?
Muting is a soft version of unfollowing. When you mute someone, you stay connected — you're still following them and they're still following you — but their content stops showing up for you.
Here's what changes when you mute someone:
- Their posts disappear from your main feed.
- Their stories stop appearing at the top of your screen.
- They don't get any notification that you muted them.
- You can still visit their profile and see their posts any time.
- They can still see your posts and interact with them normally.
It's basically a way to take a break from someone's content without the awkwardness of unfollowing or blocking them.
To mute someone on Instagram, press and hold their story icon at the top of your feed, then tap "Mute." You can choose to mute their posts, their stories, or both. Alternatively, visit their profile, tap the "Following" button, and select "Mute" from the options that appear.
How to Mute Someone on Instagram — 3 Easy Ways
There are a few different ways to mute someone, depending on where you are in the app. All of them take about five seconds.
Method 1: Mute From Their Story
This is the fastest way if you're already looking at someone's stories:
- Go to your Instagram home screen.
- Find the person's story bubble at the top of the app.
- Press and hold their profile picture.
- A small menu pops up. Tap Mute.
- You'll see options: Mute posts, Mute story, or Mute posts and story.
- Choose whichever one fits what you want.
Method 2: Mute From Their Profile
- Go to the profile of the person you want to mute.
- Tap the Following button (the one that confirms you follow them).
- A drop-down menu will appear.
- Tap Mute.
- Select whether you want to mute posts, stories, or both.
Method 3: Mute From a Post in Your Feed
- Find one of their posts while scrolling your feed.
- Tap the three dots (…) in the top right corner of the post.
- Tap Mute.
- Choose to mute posts, stories, or both.
All three methods do the same thing. Pick whichever feels most convenient at the moment.
How to Mute Someone's Story on Instagram
If you only want to stop seeing their stories — but you still want their posts in your feed — you can mute just stories. This is great for people who post a lot of stories but whose actual posts you enjoy.
Use any of the three methods above and choose Mute story instead of muting everything. Their story bubble will move to the end of your stories list, and eventually it'll disappear from your active stories row entirely.
You can always go to their profile to watch their stories if you want to check in on them.
How to Mute Posts on Instagram
If you love someone's stories but their grid posts are too much, you can mute just posts. Same steps — just pick Mute posts when the option appears.
Their posts will stop showing in your scrolling feed. You can still see all their posts by visiting their profile directly.
Can You Mute Someone on Instagram Without Them Knowing?
Yes, absolutely. This is one of the best things about the mute feature. Instagram does not send any notification when you mute someone. They have no way of knowing unless they specifically check whether you're engaging with their content less.
Even then, Instagram doesn't show people a list of who has muted them. It's completely private.
So yes — you can freely mute on Instagram without any social awkwardness.
How to Unmute Someone on Instagram
Changed your mind? Unmuting someone on Instagram is just as easy as muting them. Here's how:
Unmute From Their Profile
- Visit the profile of the person you muted.
- Tap the Following button.
- You'll see a checkmark next to Mute — that means they're currently muted.
- Tap Mute again to toggle it off.
- Choose which things to unmute — posts, stories, or both.
After unmuting, their posts and stories will start showing in your feed again. It might take a few minutes to update.
Unmute From the Stories Bar
If you muted their stories but want them back:
- Scroll to the end of your stories row — muted stories appear there.
- Press and hold their story bubble.
- Tap Unmute.
Muting vs. Unfollowing vs. Blocking — What's the Difference?
People sometimes mix these up. Here's a simple table in words:
- Muting: You stay following each other. Their content hides from your feed. They don't know. You can undo it any time.
- Unfollowing: You stop following them. They can still follow you and see your content if your account is public. They might notice when checking who follows them.
- Blocking: They can't find your profile, see your posts, or contact you. They may notice they've been blocked. Much stronger action.
- Restricting: Their comments on your posts need your approval before others see them. They can still see your content but their DMs go to a message request folder. Good for dealing with unwanted commenters.
Muting is the lightest option. It's perfect for people you care about but whose content volume is too much for your feed right now.
How Do I Mute Someone on Instagram in DMs?
What about muting notifications from a specific chat? If someone is sending you a lot of DMs and the notifications are too much, you can mute the conversation:
- Open your DMs and find the conversation.
- Swipe left on the chat (iPhone) or press and hold (Android).
- Tap Mute.
- Choose how long: 1 hour, 8 hours, 1 week, or indefinitely.
This mutes message notifications from that chat. You can still open the chat and read messages — you just won't get pinged every time they send something.
How Many People Can You Mute on Instagram?
Instagram doesn't set a limit on how many accounts you can mute. You can mute as many people as you want. Your feed, your rules.
Some people mute dozens of accounts to keep their feed focused on only the content they love most. That's a totally valid way to use the feature.
How to See Who You've Muted on Instagram
There's no dedicated "muted accounts" list in Instagram settings right now. The only way to check if you've muted someone is to visit their profile and look at the Following button — if you see a checkmark next to "Mute," they're currently muted.
It's a bit of a manual process, but it works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will someone know if I mute them on Instagram?
No. Instagram does not notify anyone when they are muted. There is no "muted by" list that users can view. The only way someone might suspect they've been muted is if they notice you're not liking or commenting on their posts anymore — but that's not a guaranteed sign, and Instagram gives them no direct way to confirm it.
Can I mute someone's stories but still see their posts?
Yes. When you tap the mute option, Instagram lets you choose between muting posts, muting stories, or muting both. Just select "Mute story" to keep their regular posts in your feed while removing their stories from the top bar. You can change this setting any time by visiting their profile.
How do I unmute someone on Instagram?
To unmute someone, go to their profile and tap the "Following" button. You'll see a mute option with a checkmark — tap it to toggle the mute off. You can also press and hold their story bubble in the stories row if it's still visible, and select "Unmute" from the menu that appears.
Does muting someone on Instagram affect the algorithm?
Yes, in a good way for you. When you stop engaging with someone's content (by muting them), Instagram's algorithm takes note. Over time, it shows you less of that type of content and more of what you do engage with. Muting can actually help train your feed to show you things you actually enjoy.
Final Thoughts
Now you know exactly how to mute someone on Instagram — from their stories, posts, and even DM notifications. It's one of the kindest features Instagram has built. You get a cleaner feed and they never know a thing.
Whether it's a friend who posts 30 stories a day, a coworker you follow out of politeness, or just an account whose content has shifted in a direction you don't love — muting is always the right first move before unfollowing.
Try it today and see how much calmer your Instagram experience becomes.
