Adults
Staying Safe on Instagram
Staying safe online
Setting privacy and safety controls
Instagram connects you with friends and influencers, and lets you share photos and videos. What you post, see and interact with can shape your online experience. Learning how Instagram works and adjusting your settings can help you stay safe online.
How can Instagram’s feed affect you?
Your Instagram feed is personalised. It learns from what you like, follow, comment on and watch.
While Instagram tries to filter out content that breaks its community rules, you may still come across posts that:
Pressure you to look or act a certain way
Spread harmful or misleading information about health or lifestyle
Involve cyberbullying, harassment or hurtful comments
Comes from impersonation accounts pretending to be someone you know
If your feed starts to make you feel uncomfortable or pressured, that is a sign to adjust your settings to protect yourself.
How can you protect yourself on Instagram?
Review your settings to help you manage what you see, who can contact you and how much time you spend on the app.
Choose what you see
Tap “Not interested” on posts (opens in new tab) you do not want to see more of
Change your content setting to “Limited content” (opens in new tab) to further reduce sensitive content
Hide inappropriate content (opens in new tab) that you find upsetting or offensive
Filter out or hide comments, message requests or keywords (opens in new tab) that bother you
Mute (opens in new tab) or unfollow (opens in new tab) accounts that make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe
Reset your suggested content (opens in new tab) in settings
Control who can see your content and interact with you
Review the personal data visible on your account
Make your account private (opens in new tab) so that only approved followers can see and interact with your content
Use the "Close Friends” feature (opens in new tab) to share certain content with a select group of people
Turn off comments (opens in new tab) or adjust audience settings (opens in new tab) for your posts and stories
Manage tags (opens in new tab) and decide who can mention or tag you (opens in new tab)
Choose who can see your activity status (opens in new tab)
Temporarily limit interactions (opens in new tab) to close friends or from recent followers
Leave group chats that make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe
Remove followers (opens in new tab) or block accounts (opens in new tab) you do not want to interact with
Report inappropriate content or behaviour (opens in new tab)
Watch your screen time
Set daily screen time limits (opens in new tab) to get a reminder when you have spent a certain amount of time on Instagram
Notice how Instagram makes you feel after long sessions
Take breaks when scrolling starts to feel overwhelming
What else can you do when something does not feel right?
Sometimes, certain content or interactions may cause discomfort and make you feel unsafe.
When that happens, remember:
You do not have to respond or explain yourself
Saving screenshots or links can help if you want to report harmful behaviour
Blocking or reporting is okay
Getting support early can prevent things from getting worse
Where can you learn more about Instagram’s safety tools?
Visit these resources to find out more about staying safe on Instagram:
Instagram Help Centre (opens in new tab): Get help with your account, settings and security, and find answers to common questions
Instagram Safety Page (opens in new tab): Explore safety, privacy and account security features on Instagram
You can also explore other online safety resources on our website for more advice on staying safe online.