Instagram is a vault of creativity, entertainment, and informational videos, posted by
millions of its users every day. Small budding creators or the “I want to be famous”
phase users typically start posting anything and everything on the platform. Without
professional editing or without much of a thought those random reels are made and
posted. Such posts can expose a lot of private information which can be misused.
Thankfully, Instagram provides robust privacy settings to help you safeguard your
information, control who sees your content, and manage interactions. Here’s how you
can take charge of your privacy on Instagram.
1. Switch to a Private Account
The simplest way to control who can view your content is by setting your account to
private. Go to Settings > Privacy > Account Privacy. With this setting, only followers you
approve of can see your videos, giving you more control over your audience and
helping protect against unwanted viewers. But if you are an influencer or content
creator, be mindful of every content you post on the platform. Don't fall for scams like
clicking the link or gaining new followers this might be enticing, but they are not
trustworthy at all.
2. Manage Your Followers Carefully
Once your account is private, you have more control over who follows you, but regular
follower reviews can still enhance your privacy. Check your follower list periodically by
going to Profile > Followers. Here, you can see who is following you and remove any
unfamiliar or suspicious accounts to keep your audience safe and trustworthy. If you are
a creator and have many spam followers, it is recommended to remove them from your
account. Also, if you have a website or blog of your own and want to guide niche-
specific followers from the website or blog to your Instagram page, it can be done by
embedding your Instagram feed on your website, where website visitors can see your
actual Instagram profile and can access it with just a click. To enable this feature all you
have to do is use the instagram feed embed code feature by Stormlikes, and you’re
good to go!
3. Limit Who Can Comment on Your Videos
Comments allow viewers to interact with your videos, but they can also attract unwanted
attention. To limit who can comment, go to Settings > Privacy > Comments and select
Friends or No One to restrict or completely block comments from unknown users or
followers using hate speech. You can even block selected words in the setting. This will
help to maintain a positive and controlled comment environment on your videos.
4. Control Who Can Send You Direct Messages
Receiving messages from strangers can be intrusive. Instagram allows you to control
who can send you direct messages through Settings > Privacy > Messages. Choose
from Friends, No One, or Followers You Follow Back to ensure only selected users can
contact you, reducing the likelihood of receiving unwanted messages. You can turn off
the “Read Status” toggle to prevent others from knowing that you are reading their
messages.
5. Use the “Sensitive Content Control” to Filter Content
Restricted Mode on Instagram helps keep your feed appropriate by filtering potentially
harmful or mature content. To activate this, go to Settings > Sensitive Content >
Sensitive content and choose how much sensitive content you want to see. This feature
is especially helpful if you’re a younger user or if you want a more family-friendly
experience on Instagram.
6. Control Who Can Download Your Videos
While sharing is encouraged on Instagram, you may not want strangers saving and
distributing your content. To manage this, go to Settings and Privacy > Sharing and
reuse and toggle off the Allow people to download your reels option. This will prevent
other users from downloading your videos, keeping them safer within the app. As a
creator it is impossible to control as you want your video to be shared and loved, in this
case you only can request your followers to share and use your content with proper
credits and mentions.
7. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
To further secure your account, enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). This feature
adds an extra layer of protection by requiring a second verification step when logging in.
Head to Settings and Privacy > Password and Security > Two-Factor Authentication
and enable it using SMS or an authentication app. This prevents unauthorized access
and ensures only you can log in to your account. When you are a creator, it is essential
to take your privacy seriously and protect your account from hackers. It is always better
late than sorry.
8. Manage Your Data Sharing Preferences
Instagram collects data to improve user experience, but you can limit what data is
shared. Go to Settings > Ad preference > Manage info and adjust settings to restrict the
type of information Instagram collects and uses, keeping your personal data secure.
You can even review ad topics to manage what you want to see less, which will
personalize your feed and control what type of ad you will get to see in your feed.
9. Limit Who Can Duet and Stitch with Your Videos
Instagram’s Duet and Stitch features let others use your content in their videos, which
may not always be desirable. To control this, go to Settings and Privacy > Privacy >
Reels and Remix (To control who can remix your reels and photos) to restrict or prevent
others from using your content in their videos, keeping it protected from misuse.
10. Regularly Review and Update Your Privacy Settings
Since Instagram’s features are constantly being updated it will be advisable to always
check your privacy settings for new added features. Spend a couple of minutes each
month reviewing or revisiting, Settings > Privacy to confirm your privacy settings match
your privacy preferences. One can easily fall victim of exposure and harassment on the
platform, but constant monitoring of the privacy features will help one avoid such cases.
If you are a creator, you can even ask the professionals on how to enhance safety on
your account to avoid being misused.
Final Thoughts
Social media can be entertaining and a platform for creation, but it has its risks, and you
need to take care of your account and just be safe. It is necessary to mention ten tips
that will let you use all the apps without worrying about the security of your information
and interactions. Everything from changing your account type to private to setting up
two-factor authentication is incredibly easy and can greatly improve your privacy on
Instagram. Always take your privacy seriously to avoid any fraud, scam or information
leak on social media platforms.
