Do you use Instagram to share your personal life and photos to connect with your family and friends? If so, you may want to consider making your account private. If your account is set to “public”, anyone can see your profile and posts, even if they don’t follow you. But don’t worry; Switching to a private account is easy. This means that only your approved followers can see your posts, and any hashtags you use will be hidden from search. This article will show you how to make your Instagram account private across devices. So if you want to control who can see your posts, read on!

Why Make Your Instagram Account Private?

Have you ever considered making your Instagram account private? It’s relatively easy to do, and there’s a good reason you might want to do it. For one thing, having a private account means that only people you give permission to can see your posts. If your account is public, anyone can see and view your photos and videos. But if you switch to a private account, only your followers can see your posts.

This can be important if you share your own photos or just want to limit who can contact you on Instagram. It only takes a few seconds to change your account to private, and you can always change it back if you change your mind. So if you’re worried about your privacy on Instagram, it’s definitely worth considering keeping your account private.

How to Make Your Instagram Account Private on Mobile [Android/ iPhone]

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make your Instagram account private:

• Open the Instagram app and tap the person-shaped icon at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen to go to your profile page.
• Tap the three lines menu at the top right of your profile page.

• Tap the cog-shaped icon at the top of the pop-up list to go to your settings.
• Tap on “Privacy” next to the padlock-shaped icon.

• Look at your “Account Privacy” options halfway down the next page and tap this.
• Toggle the button to blue to “Private account” to change your Instagram account privacy settings. The first time you do this, Instagram will give you the useful option to review your current followers in case you want to revoke access for anyone on that list.

• Once you set your Instagram to private, people who don’t follow you can no longer see your photos.

To make your account public again, simply toggle the Private Account button back to white to deactivate the extra privacy.

It’s important to note that when you first switch to a private account, Instagram will show you a warning window to ensure that you understand the changes you are making.

How to Make Your Instagram Account Private [Desktop]

Here’s how to make your Instagram account private on a computer or mobile browser:

• Open your preferred web browser and go to www.instagram.com. If you’re not already signed in, enter your login details to access your account.
• Click on your account avatar in the top right-hand corner of the screen to go to your profile page.
• Click the cog-shaped icon to bring up your settings menu.

• In the pop-up menu that appears, click “Privacy and Security.”

• Below the “Account Privacy” header at the top of your screen, click to check the box next to “Private Account.”

By following these simple steps, you can easily switch your Instagram account to private on a computer or mobile browser.

What Happens When Your Account is Set to Private

When you set your account to private, only people who follow you can see your posts and lists of followers and people you’re following. If someone visits your profile page, they will only be able to see your basic information and profile photo, as well as a message that your account is private with instructions on how to send a follow request.

If you receive a follow request, it will appear in your “Activity” feed, which you can access by tapping the heart-shaped icon. You can then decide whether to approve or ignore the request. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide who you want to allow to follow your private account.

Is it Better to Have Your Instagram Private or Public?

There is no definitive answer as to whether Instagram private or public, is better, as it depends on your personal preferences and goals. Here are some potential benefits and considerations for both options:

Benefits and Considerations of Public Accounts:

	Benefits	Considerations
Your Content Visibility	Visible to a wider audience, which can help you gain more followers and increase your reach	Anyone can view your posts, which can be a privacy concern if you’re sharing personal information or photos
Business Use	Public accounts can be useful for businesses, influencers, and creators who want to promote their brand	You may receive unwanted attention or spam comments from strangers
Networking and Collaboration	Public accounts can be helpful for networking and collaboration opportunities	It can be more difficult to control who sees your content and manage your followers

As you can see, having a public Instagram account can have benefits such as increasing your reach, being useful for business purposes, and providing opportunities for networking and collaboration. However, there are also considerations, such as privacy concerns and managing followers.

Benefits and Considerations of Private Accounts:

	Benefits	Considerations
Control Over Who Sees Your Posts	You have more control over who sees your content, as only approved followers can view your posts	Your content is not visible to the wider Instagram community, which can limit your reach and potential followers
Privacy Concerns	Private accounts can be helpful for maintaining privacy and sharing personal content with a select group	Private accounts can be less helpful for business or promotional purposes
Comfortable Sharing Personal Info	You may feel more comfortable sharing personal information and photos on a private account	You may need to spend more time managing follow requests and approving new followers

As it is evident from the table above, having a private Instagram account can have benefits such as greater control over who sees your content and maintaining privacy for personal content like who can see your likes and postes. However, there are also considerations such as limited reach and potential followers, and it may not be as useful for business or promotional purposes.

Conclusion

Making your Instagram account private is a simple process that allows you to control who can see your posts and who can follow you. Whether you want to protect your privacy, build a personal brand, or create a sense of exclusivity, making your account private is a great option. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily make your Instagram account private and control who sees your content. Remember, if you change your mind, you can always make your account public again.

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