How to Hide Followers on Instagram in 2025: Quick & Easy Guide

Last Updated on September 16, 2025 by Himanshu Rawat

Instagram is fun to use, but sometimes you don’t want everyone to see what you’re doing. Maybe you’d rather keep your followers private, or you don’t want strangers checking out who you follow. If that sounds like you, you’ve probably wondered how to hide followers on Instagram.

The truth is, Instagram doesn’t give us a simple option to hide the followers or following list completely. But don’t worry—you still have a few ways to control who can see them. In this guide, we’ll show you different options, including how to hide your following list on Instagram without private account, so you can choose the method that works best for you.

Can You Completely Hide Followers on Instagram?

No, you can’t fully hide your followers or following list on Instagram. There’s no setting that removes it for everyone.

But you can control who sees it. By adjusting your visibility settings or removing people you don’t want, you can limit access.

So, while the list can’t be hidden from everyone, you can keep it private from people you don’t trust.

How to Hide Followers on Instagram by Making Your Account Private

The easiest way to hide your followers is to make your account private. When your account is private, only the people you approve can see your followers and following list.

Here’s how you can do it:

• Open Instagram and go to your profile.
• Tap the three lines in the top-right corner.
• Select Settings.

• Go to Account Privacy.

• Turn on the Private account option.

That’s it! Now only your followers can see your list, and you get to choose who those followers are.

How to Hide Following List on Instagram Without Private Account

Not everyone wants to switch to a private account, especially if you use Instagram for business or want to stay public. If that’s you, don’t worry—you still have some ways to control who sees your following list.

1. Restrict Someone

If you don’t want a person to freely interact with your account, you can restrict them.

• Go to their profile.
• Tap the three dots in the top-right corner.

• Select Restrict.

They won’t know you’ve restricted them, but their access to your account will be limited.

2. Block Someone

Blocking is a stronger option. When you block someone, they can’t see your followers or following list at all.

• Go to their profile.
• Tap the three dots.

• Select Block.

3. Remove Followers Manually

Even if your account is public, you can remove followers you don’t want.

• Open your followers list.
• Tap Remove next to the person’s name.

They won’t get a notification, but they’ll no longer see your followers or following list.

Extra Instagram Privacy Settings to Consider

Hiding your followers list isn’t the only way to stay private on Instagram. There are a few other settings that can make your account feel more secure and comfortable.

• Hide your activity status: If you don’t want people to know when you’re online, go to Settings → Privacy → Activity Status and turn it off.
• Control comments and messages: You can choose who’s allowed to comment on your posts or send you DMs. This keeps away unwanted interactions.
• Hide your stories: Don’t want certain people to see your stories? You can either add close friends or use the Hide Story From option.
• Manage tags: You can review tags before they show up on your profile, so you stay in control of what others post about you.

These don’t hide your followers directly, but they give you more privacy and peace of mind while using Instagram.

Professional or Business Accounts & Privacy

If you use Instagram for work, business, or as a public account, it’s harder to hide your followers or following list. People can see them easily.

But you can still protect your privacy a little:

• Follow carefully: Only follow people you are okay with seeing your activity.
• Remove followers: You can remove anyone you don’t want from your followers list, even on a public account.
• Restrict or block users: Limit who can see or interact with your account.

Public accounts have fewer privacy options, but these steps can help you control who sees your followers and following list.

Note: If you manage a business account, our Instagram Marketing guide shows how to grow your page while keeping certain content private.

FAQs About Hiding Followers on Instagram

1. How do I hide my follow list on Instagram?

You can’t hide your follow list completely. The closest options are making your account private, removing followers, or restricting/blocking certain users.

2. Why can’t I see followers on someone’s Instagram?

Some accounts are private, or the person may have removed you as a follower. If their account is private, you need approval to see their followers.

3. Can anyone see your friends list on Instagram?

No, only your followers can see your friends (following) list if your account is public. If your account is private, only approved followers can see it.

4. How to hide followers on Instagram from friends?

You can remove friends from your followers list, restrict them, or make your account private. This way, they won’t see your followers or following list.

5. Can there be hidden followers on Instagram?

Not exactly. Instagram doesn’t let you hide followers from everyone. But you can remove or restrict certain followers to limit who sees your list.

6. What is the ghost mode on Instagram?

Ghost mode isn’t an official Instagram feature. Some people call it ghost mode when they browse Instagram without showing activity, like turning off activity status or hiding story views.

Keep Your Instagram Followers Private

Even though Instagram doesn’t let you hide your followers completely, you still have ways to control who sees them. You can make your account private, remove followers, or restrict/block certain people.

For public accounts, you can’t hide everything, but being careful about who follows you and using privacy settings can help a lot.

With these tips, you can enjoy Instagram without worrying too much about strangers checking your followers or following list.