Instagram’s mobile platforms are quite extensive and offer the user a lot of control through the settings. Unfortunately, settings menus aren’t always the easiest to understand, and Instagram’s settings menus aren’t always the easiest things to find.

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3 Steps to Change your Privacy Settings on Instagram

Step 1: Open the app and tap on the profile icon

Open the Instagram app on your device and tap on the profile icon located in the bottom right corner of the screen. This will take you to your profile page. The profile will have your recent photos displayed and what your profile looks like to other people.

Step 2: Select the menu in the top right and select “Settings”

Once you are on your profile page, locate the menu icon located in the top right corner of the screen (it is three horizontal lines stacked on top of each other in a pattern known as a “hamburger menu”). Tap on this icon to open the menu. From there, tap on Settings to access the settings page for your account.

Step 3: Select the Privacy option

In the settings page, scroll down to find the option labeled Privacy. Select this option to open the privacy settings page.

This page has a LOT of options and will allow you to adjust settings related to your account’s privacy, such as who can see your posts, who can send you direct messages, and who can see your stories and activity. You can also control your data sharing and block or unblock users, among other options.

For more information on what each of these individualized settings can do, check out the breakdown below.

Breaking Down the Privacy Settings on Instagram: Instagram’s Privacy Settings Explained

Account Privacy

Making an account private through the Private Profile slider in the Privacy Settings allows you to limit who can see your posts and stories to only approved followers. This feature can be used to keep your content more private and control who can see your activity on Instagram. The small slider seen on the mobile platform can be seen across a few of Instagram’s settings pages. Privacy Settings and Account Settings, for example, both have the slider available.

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