You're scrolling. You see someone you know, or maybe a brand you’re curious about, and you tap their "Following" count. Suddenly, a list pops up. You see every niche meme page, every ex-coworker, and every fitness influencer they track. Then it hits you. Can people do that to me? Can I hide my following list on Instagram before my boss sees I follow "Quiet Quitting Tips" or my partner sees I'm still keeping tabs on an old flame?
Privacy on social media feels like a game of whack-a-mole. Just when you think you've locked your front door, you realize the windows are wide open. Instagram is notoriously cagey about this. They want engagement. They want you to discover people through other people. It's the "social" part of social media, but for many of us, it feels like a massive overshare.
The short answer? It's complicated. There isn't a single "Hide Following" toggle in the settings menu that makes that number unclickable. Instagram doesn't work like Facebook in that specific regard. But, if you know where to look and which levers to pull, you can basically achieve the same result. You just have to be willing to change how you use the app.
The Brutal Truth About Instagram Privacy Settings
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. If your account is public, anyone—literally anyone with an internet connection—can see who you follow. They don't even need an Instagram account. They can use third-party viewers or just a web browser. If you’re trying to keep your following list a secret while keeping your profile open for the world to see, you're fighting a losing battle. Instagram’s current architecture simply doesn't allow for a "Public Profile, Private Following" setup.
Why? Because Instagram's algorithm relies on these connections. Adam Mosseri, the Head of Instagram, often talks about "connecting people with what they love." In their eyes, knowing who you follow helps other people find things they might love too. It’s a feature, not a bug, even if it feels like a privacy nightmare to you.
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Going Private: The Only Real Shield
The most effective way to handle the "can I hide my following list on Instagram" dilemma is to flip the Private Account switch. When you go private, the wall goes up. People who don't follow you can still see the number of people you follow (e.g., "450 Following"), but the list itself becomes a dead link. They tap it, and nothing happens.
- Go to your profile.
- Hit the three lines (the "hamburger" menu) in the top right.
- Tap Settings and privacy.
- Scroll to Account privacy.
- Toggle Private account to on.
It’s a trade-off. You lose the ability to go viral easily. You can't use certain professional tools if you're a creator. But you gain a massive amount of peace of mind. Now, only your approved followers can see that list. But wait—what if the person you're trying to hide your list from is already following you?
That’s where things get tricky. Even with a private account, your followers have full access to your lists. If you have 1,000 followers, you have 1,000 people who can see exactly who you're interested in. If there's one specific person you’re worried about, your only real option is to remove them as a follower or block them entirely.
Verified Accounts and the "Hide" Feature Myth
You might have noticed that some massive celebrities or verified "Meta Verified" accounts seem to have hidden following lists. You click on a pop star's following list, and it says "Only [Name] can see all followers."
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This creates a lot of confusion. People think, "Oh, if Taylor Swift can do it, I can too!"
Honestly, you probably can't. Instagram has historically tested a feature for high-profile accounts or specific business regions (like the EU, where GDPR rules are strict) that limits the visibility of follower/following lists to prevent scraping and harassment. Unless you have millions of followers or a very specific type of creator account in a specific jurisdiction, that button won't appear in your settings. It’s a classic case of the "blue check" perks that don't trickle down to the rest of us.
The "Restricted" Workaround
Sometimes you don't want to block someone because that creates drama. If you "Restrict" someone, it doesn't hide your following list from them, but it hides their interaction with you. It's a soft-touch privacy tool. But if your goal is specifically to hide your following list, restriction won't cut it.
I’ve seen people try to "soft block"—where you block someone and then immediately unblock them. This forces them to unfollow you without them getting a notification. It’s sneaky. It’s effective. If you're on a private account, they’re now on the outside looking in, unable to tap that following list.
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Why Do People Want to Hide This Anyway?
It’s not always about being "shady." There are plenty of valid, professional reasons to want to keep your interests private.
- Competitive Intelligence: If you're a business owner, you might not want your competitors to see which vendors or industry leaders you're following.
- Safety: For people dealing with stalkers or harassment, a following list is a roadmap of their life. It shows where they shop, who their friends are, and what gyms they go to.
- Mental Health: Sometimes you just want to exist online without feeling perceived or judged for your interests.
The "following" list is essentially a public declaration of your tastes. In 2026, where data is the new oil, keeping that list close to the chest is just smart digital hygiene.
The Future of Instagram Privacy
Meta is under constant pressure from regulators like the FTC and the European Data Protection Board. We are seeing a slow shift toward "Close Friends" lists and "Flipping" (Instagram's feature for a secondary, more private profile).
The trend is moving away from the "one big public square" model. Instagram knows that users are migrating to DMs and smaller circles. Because of this, it’s highly likely that we might eventually see a "Hide Following" feature for everyone, but for now, the platform is still holding onto that data visibility to keep the "social graph" strong.
Actionable Steps to Secure Your Profile
If you're serious about your privacy, don't wait for Instagram to give you a magical button. Take these steps now:
- Audit your followers. Go through your list. If you don't know them, remove them. This is the only way to ensure your following list stays within a "trusted" circle on a private account.
- Use the "Close Friends" feature for Stories. Since you can't hide your following list, at least control who sees your actual daily activity.
- Consider a "Finsta." It sounds very 2018, but having a secondary, highly private account for following niches you don't want linked to your main identity is still the most robust solution.
- Check your "Suggestions for You." Even if your list is hidden, Instagram might suggest people you follow to your friends. To stop this, you have to log in via a desktop browser, go to Edit Profile, and uncheck the box for Show account suggestions on profiles.
You can't fully disappear on a platform built for visibility, but you can certainly make it harder for people to snoop. Start with the private toggle and work your way out from there. Privacy isn't a setting; it's a habit.