Instagram Stories have become a huge part of how we connect and share moments with friends, family, and followers. But let’s be honest – sometimes you just don’t want to see every single story from everyone you follow.
Maybe your coworker posts 20 stories a day about their lunch, or perhaps you’re trying to avoid spoilers from a friend who’s watching a show you haven’t caught up on yet.
That’s where the mute feature comes in handy. It’s like having a remote control for your Instagram experience, letting you curate what you see without the awkwardness of unfollowing someone. Let’s see how to mute or unmute stories on instagram.
Why Do People Mute Instagram Stories?
People mute stories for all sorts of reasons, and honestly, most of them are pretty relatable:
Too Much Content: Some people are just really enthusiastic sharers. While you might love them as a person, seeing 15 stories about their morning routine every day can be overwhelming.
Avoiding Spoilers: Nothing ruins a good show or movie like having the ending spoiled in someone’s story. Muting helps you stay in the dark until you’re ready.
Work-Life Balance: You might follow colleagues or your boss on Instagram, but that doesn’t mean you want to see their weekend adventures mixed in with your close friends’ updates.
Reducing Distractions: Stories can be addictive. Muting certain accounts helps some people focus better and spend less time mindlessly scrolling.
Protecting Your Peace: Sometimes people share content that stresses you out or brings down your mood. Muting gives you control over your mental space.
Staying Connected Without the Noise: You want to remain friends with someone, but their constant posting doesn’t align with what you want to see in your feed.
The beauty of muting is that it’s completely private – the other person has no idea you’ve muted their stories, so there’s no hurt feelings or awkward conversations.
How to Mute Someone’s Stories?
Muting stories on Instagram is surprisingly simple once you know where to look. Here’s how to do it:
Method 1: Mute from the Stories Bar
- Open Instagram and go to your home feed
- Look at the stories bar at the top of your screen (those circular profile pictures)
- Find the person’s story you want to mute
- Press and hold their profile picture in the stories bar
- Tap “Mute” from the menu that appears
- Choose your muting options: You can mute just their stories, just their posts, or both
- Confirm your choice by tapping “Mute Stories”
Method 2: Mute While Viewing Their Story
- Open the person’s story by tapping on their profile picture
- Tap the three dots (more options) in the bottom right corner while viewing their story
- Select “Mute” from the menu
- Choose what you want to mute (stories, posts, or both)
- Tap “Mute Stories” to confirm
Method 3: Mute from Their Profile
- Go to the person’s profile by searching for them or tapping their username
- Tap the “Following” button (it should be blue)
- Select “Mute” from the dropdown menu
- Choose your muting preferences
- Confirm by tapping “Mute Stories”
How to Unmute Someone’s Stories
Changed your mind? No problem. Here’s how to bring someone’s stories back to your feed:
Quick Unmute Method
- Go to the person’s profile
- Tap the “Following” button
- Select “Mute” from the menu
- Toggle off the “Stories” option (it should turn from blue to gray)
- Their stories will immediately start appearing in your feed again
Through Instagram Settings
- Go to your profile by tapping your profile picture in the bottom right
- Tap the three lines (hamburger menu) in the top right corner
- Select “Settings and Privacy”
- Tap “Privacy”
- Choose “Muted accounts”
- Find the person you want to unmute
- Tap “Unmute” next to their name
Managing Your Muted Accounts
Instagram makes it easy to keep track of who you’ve muted and manage these settings:
Finding Your Muted List: Head to Settings > Privacy > Muted accounts to see everyone you’ve muted. This includes both stories and posts.
Bulk Management: You can quickly unmute multiple people from this list without having to visit each profile individually.
Temporary Muting: Remember that muting isn’t permanent. You can always change your mind and unmute someone later.
The Difference Between Muting Stories and Posts
When you mute someone, Instagram gives you options:
Muting Stories Only: You’ll still see their regular posts in your feed, but their stories won’t appear in your stories bar.
Muting Posts Only: Their stories will still show up, but you won’t see their regular posts in your main feed.
Muting Both: Complete radio silence – you won’t see any of their content, though you’ll still be following them.
Most people choose to mute just stories since that’s usually where the overwhelming content lives.
What Happens When You Mute Someone
Here’s what changes and what stays the same:
What Changes:
- Their stories disappear from your stories bar
- You won’t get notifications about their stories
- Their content won’t appear in your main feed (if you muted posts too)
What Stays the Same:
- You’re still following each other
- They can still see and interact with your content
- You can still visit their profile and view their stories manually
- Direct messages work normally
- They have no idea you’ve muted them
Tips for Smart Story Muting
Start Small: Don’t go on a muting spree right away. Try muting one or two people and see how it affects your Instagram experience.
Consider Close Friends Lists: Instead of muting people, you might want to create a close friends list for your own stories and encourage others to do the same.
Regular Reviews: Every few months, check your muted accounts list. You might want to unmute someone or realize you don’t even follow them anymore.
Use It for Breaks: Muting can be temporary. Maybe you want to mute someone during a particularly busy week and unmute them later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell if I’ve muted their stories?
No, Instagram doesn’t notify people when you mute them, and there’s no way for them to check who has muted their stories.
Will muting affect my relationship with that person on Instagram?
Not at all. You’re still following each other, and all other interactions remain normal. It’s completely invisible to them.
Can I still see their stories if I want to?
Yes! You can always visit their profile directly and view their stories manually, even if you’ve muted them.
What’s the difference between muting and unfollowing?
Unfollowing means you stop following them entirely, which they might notice. Muting lets you stay connected while just hiding their content from your feeds.
Can I mute someone’s highlights too?
Muting stories doesn’t affect highlights. You’ll still be able to see their story highlights on their profile.
Does muting expire automatically?
No, muting lasts until you manually unmute someone. It doesn’t expire on its own.
Can I mute stories from business accounts?
Yes, the muting feature works the same way for personal and business accounts.
Will I miss important updates if I mute someone?
If you’re worried about missing something important, you can periodically check their profile manually, or consider just reducing your Instagram usage instead of muting.
Making Instagram Work for You
The mute feature is really about taking control of your social media experience. Instagram can feel overwhelming when you’re following hundreds of people who all share stories regularly. Muting gives you the power to customize your feed without hurting anyone’s feelings or burning bridges.
Think of it as curating your daily Instagram experience the same way you might choose what to watch on TV or which podcasts to listen to. You’re not obligated to consume everyone’s content just because you follow them.
The key is using this feature thoughtfully. Mute the accounts that genuinely detract from your Instagram experience, but don’t go overboard. Social media is supposed to help you connect with others, and over-muting might leave you feeling disconnected from your community.
