Master Guide on Instagram’s Close Friends Feature
You want to have as many followers as possible on social media platforms like Instagram, even if you pay for them. It makes you feel loved and good. Also, it allows you to spread a message more effectively. That reach is extremely valuable if you are fighting for a social cause, and why politicians, businesses, and celebrities alike buy Instagram followers via ads and third-party services.
However, having many followers can have its downsides. It makes Instagram not as intimate. Many of your followers are people that you don't know, or they don't know you outside of Instagram. Thus, it removes your freedom to say some of the things you want to say. Your followers may misinterpret a harmless inside joke. That can ruin your reputation. And social media users can be ruthless against users they think are misbehaving.
Thankfully, Instagram allows you to select the audience for some of your published content. For example, you can hide Stories from some people. However, the process is not as simple as you'd want it to be. You have to select the people you want to hide it from. Then, you have to unblock them if you want your next Story to be visible to all.
What would you do if you only wanted a select few to see it? You would need to add almost all your followers to the exception list. At that point, it will be better to send the Story as a DM. But that would require you to send the Story to each person you want to be able to see it. You can also create a group chat – but who does that just to send one photo or video clip?
Instagram released a solution to that in 2018. It gave users the option to post with more privacy by allowing them to make posts visible only to their Close Friends.
How To Create Your Close Friends List on Instagram
The Close Friends feature will allow you to share personal or NSFW materials you want to post only with people who actually know you. It is a handy feature to have, especially if you did not separate your personal and business accounts. So, how do you set it up?
First, open the Instagram app. Log in if you have not done it yet. Then, tap your profile photo on the bottom right of the screen to get to your profile page.
Tap the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) on the top right of your screen. Select “Close Friends.”
Instagram will show you a list of the accounts you follow. Scroll through it and check the users you want to add to your list by tapping the circle across their usernames. If you want to find a user more easily, you can use the search tool. Then, select “Done” to save your list.
Please note that you can't select Close Friends when posting a Story if the list is empty.
How To Remove or Add People To Your Close Friends List
What you put on your Close Friends is not permanent. You can add or remove people as many times as you'd like. And don't worry, Instagram will not notify users when you remove them from your Close Friends list. It also will not notify them when you add them. However, they may know it if they pay close attention to detail.
To add or remove users in your Close Friends list:
Open the Instagram app on your mobile app. Tap your profile picture on the bottom right corner of the screen to get to your profile page. Next, tap the hamburger menu at the top right afterward.
Select “Close Friends.” This time, the list will show check marks for users you have already added to your list. You can tap those check marks to remove them from the list. Alternatively, you can tap “Clear All.” That will empty your Close Friends list.
To add more users, do it as you did last time. Find the users you want to add by scrolling through the list or using the search tool. Tap the circle next to their names. Tap “Done” when you are content with who is on and not on your list.
How To Post Stories Visible Only To Your Close Friends
Launch the Instagram app. Tap your profile photo at the top left side of the screen below the Instagram text logo. It has a small “+” icon next to it and says “Your Story.”
Tap “Camera” if you want to take a new photo or video. Otherwise, select one that is already in your Gallery. Edit the Story as you normally would.
Once done editing, tap “Close Friends” at the bottom of the screen. That will upload the Story and make it visible only to people on your Close Friends list.
If you have not yet added people to your Close Friends list, pressing the button will allow you to edit it. Then, it will publish your Story.
When you post a Close Friends exclusive Story, you will see a green circle around your profile icon instead of pink. People not on your Close Friends list will not see that green circle. Meanwhile, people on your list will see a “Close Friends” label at the top right when viewing your Story. This is how they will know you have added them to your list. Also, it may indirectly inform them when you remove them. They will notice that you are no longer seeing Stories with that label from you.
Takeaways
Social media allows users to connect with so many people. But sometimes, you want to connect only with people close to you. Furthermore, privacy is also one of the top concerns on social media now. So, the Close Friends feature is greatly appreciated.
It is a nice feature that allows you to hide your silly posts from the eyes of the public. The world does not need to know everything you do. So give it a try. Go to Instagram now and edit your list. While you are on it, you might as well create a Close Friends exclusive Story to see for yourself how it works.
Date: December 9, 2022 / Categories: Guide, / Author: Rich Drees
