As our lives become increasingly intertwined with the internet, we must be mindful of the security and privacy implications that accompany us. Like any other platform, Instagram has challenges regarding protecting data and ensuring a safe environment. Privacy is a fundamental aspect of any online platform, and Instagram recognizes this by providing users with various privacy settings. These allow you to control who views your posts, follows you, or access your information.
You can create a public account, where anyone can view your content, or a private account, where only approved followers can see your posts. You can also customize privacy options for individual posts, allowing you to share, or rather not share, content with specific groups.
Furthermore, Instagram has various features to enhance security and protect users from threats. Two-factor authentication, for instance, adds a layer of security through a verification code in addition to your password when logging in from a new device. This helps prevent unauthorized access to your account and ensures only you can control your profile.
Instagram has also introduced proactive measures to combat cyberbullying and offensive content. The platform has implemented AI-powered tools to detect and remove harmful or inappropriate comments and features that allow users to filter out specific keywords or block certain accounts. These measures aim to foster a safe and positive environment for users to engage with one another.
While Instagram is committed to maintaining a secure platform, users must be proactive in protecting their privacy. Avoid sharing sensitive information like your address or phone number on your profile. Be cautious when interacting with unfamiliar accounts or clicking on suspicious links, as these can be sources of phishing attempts or malware.
In today’s blog, we’ll be discussing if your followers will still be able to find you on Instagram after you set your Instagram account to private.
If I Set My Instagram Account to Private, Will Followers Still Able to Find Me?
Let’s get straight to the topic: If you set your Instagram account to private, would your followers still be able to locate your profile on the platform? The answer to this question is yes; of course, they’ll still be able to do so.
You see, a private account provides privacy, but there’s obviously an extent to it. While Instagram does aim to hide you from the public’s eyes, you are still on a social media platform. If all your followers won’t be able to find you, what’s the point of creating an account in the first place?
Now that you’ve gotten the answer you’re looking for, you must feel there’s no need to go on. However, we’d insist that you read on to learn more about Instagram’s privacy services. After all, from the question you’ve asked us, you don’t know much about how it all works.
Here’s how account privacy on Instagram works
Let’s see how Instagram’s privacy settings work so that you can make the most of your experience.
Public accounts
A public account on Instagram is open to everyone, meaning anyone with an account can view the user’s profile and content and interact with their content. Here are some key features of public accounts:
Profile visibility: The profile and its information, such as the bio, profile picture, username, and number of followers and following, are visible to anyone who visits it.
Post and story visibility: All posts, including photos, videos, captions, and comments, are visible to the public. Similarly, stories are also accessible to anyone.
Follower interaction: Public accounts can be followed by others interested in the content. Followers can interact, share the posts, send DMs, and tag the account in their content.
Discoverability: Public accounts appear in Instagram’s search results, explore pages, and hashtags, making it easier for new users to discover its content.
Private accounts
A private account provides more control over who views the profile and content. By setting an account to private, the user restricts access to their content and other information. Here’s how private accounts work:
Profile visibility: The profile information of a private account is only visible to the user’s approved followers. However, the bio, profile picture, and follower and following count are visible to all users except blocked ones.
Post and story visibility: When an account is private, all content becomes visible only to the approved followers. Non-followers can’t view or interact with them unless they are granted access.
Follower requests: To view the content of a private account, users need to send a follow request. The account owner has the authority to either approve or deny these requests.
Direct messages: Private accounts can receive DMs from followers and non-followers. However, messages from non-followers are moved to Message Requests. The account owner can accept or ignore these requests.
Increased privacy: By setting an account to private, users have more control over who can see their content. Those who want to maintain privacy and control over their presence often prefer this.
In summary, public accounts are open to everyone, allowing anyone to view and interact with the content.
In contrast, private accounts control who can see the profile and content, requiring approval for followers to gain access.
How can you find someone on Instagram?
So, returning to the original point, there’s not much one can do to hide from your view on Instagram without blocking you. The same goes for you; if you don’t want someone finding you on Instagram, beat them to the punch and block them immediately.
As far as followers are concerned, the answer is yes. Regardless of whether you have a public or private account, all followers can access your profile. It’s not an unfair rule, too. What’s the point of following someone if you cannot see their profile, won’t you agree?
Here’s how to find someone on Instagram
Step 1: Open Instagram and go directly to the Explore page.
Step 2: At the top, you’ll see a search bar; enter the name of the user you’re looking for.
Step 3: Select this user’s profile from the search results, and that’s all you have to do!
Now you know exactly how anyone, including your followers, can find you on Instagram. There are a few ways to prevent them from doing so, but the most straightforward method would be to simply block them.
Here’s how to block someone on Instagram
Follow all the steps from the last section to get to this user’s profile.
Step 1: At the top right, you’ll see a vertical ellipsis icon; tap on it.
Step 2: Tap on Block on the menu that’ll appear. Now, Instagram will explain blocking to you in brief.
Step 3: Tap on the Block button at the bottom of the screen again, and that’s all!
Final thoughts
Now that we’ve discussed our topic for today, let’s quickly review everything we’ve discussed.
Instagram is a large social media platform and cannot afford to let its users have an unhappy experience. While there’s not much they can do for personal matters, they can certainly optimize the platform to ensure it doesn’t add to anyone’s problems.
For starters, you can have a public or private account, block users left and right, restrict viewership on your stories, and restrict comments on your post. So, if you think there’s a very obvious flaw in Instagram’s security or privacy, no, there isn’t.
However, all that being said, your followers will still be able to find your profile even if you’ve switched to a private one. This is because followers are meant to be able to see your content.
If our blog has managed to help you with your question, let us know all about it in the comments below!
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