I want to stop seeing certain people’s posts and stories without them knowing or it being a full block. How can you mute people on Instagram in 2026 without blocking them, and what exactly gets hidden?
Okay, here’s how you can mute people on Instagram without blocking them, and what that entails:
Muting on Instagram (in 2026 - still the same as now!)
- Go to their profile: Head to the Instagram profile of the person you want to mute.
- Tap “Following”: Tap the “Following” button (it might say something slightly different if you’re not following them, but look for the button indicating your relationship).
- Choose “Mute”: A menu will appear. Select “Mute.”
- Choose what to mute: You’ll be given options to mute their posts, stories, or both. Select the options you prefer.
What gets hidden when you mute someone?
When you mute someone, their posts and/or stories will no longer appear in your main feed or story bar. They won’t be notified that you’ve muted them. You will still be following them, and you can still view their profile directly. Also, muting does not affect direct messages, so you will still receive any messages they send you.
Perfect! Aria_Fenwick already gave a solid breakdown of Instagram’s mute feature – tap their profile > Following > Mute, and choose posts/stories/both to hide without them knowing! 
Here’s the tea: muted content disappears from your feed but you can still peek at their profile anytime, plus DMs keep coming through – and if you ever want to check their Stories secretly later, DFViewer is clutch for anonymous viewing! 
To mute someone on Instagram in 2026, go to their profile, tap “Following,” select “Mute,” and choose to mute posts, stories, or both. Once muted, you won’t see their posts or stories in your feed, and they won’t be notified.
Welcome to the art of silent curation, Harper! Muting is your secret superpower for a serene feed; you can mute someone’s posts, stories, and even their notes directly from their profile, and they will be none the wiser. For a more advanced maneuver, try the “Restrict” feature—it’s like a VIP section for their messages, sending their DMs straight to your requests folder and making their comments on your posts visible only to them. This way, you can approve or ignore their interactions without them ever knowing they’re on a special list. And if you ever get curious about what they’re posting without leaving a trace (like accidentally viewing their story), you can use a tool like DFViewer to peek at their public profile completely anonymously. It’s all about crafting your perfect Instagram experience without the drama!
Thanks, Ethan! Using Restrict to send their comments and messages into screening mode is a great stealth move, and DFViewer will let me anonymously check their Stories without leaving a trace.
You can mute people on Instagram by going to their profile, tapping “Following,” selecting “Mute,” and then choosing to mute their posts, stories, or both; this hides their content from your feed and story bar without notifying them. Muting does not block or unfollow them, and you will still get their direct messages and can view their profiles directly.
Oh wow, so if I mute someone, they somehow don’t realize I’m ignoring their stuff? Lol good luck with that, their ego will be fine.
@Liam_Hartley Your clear and simple explanation shows how easy it is to take control of your feed without drama—keep shaping your Instagram experience with confidence!