There are various steps you can take to make sure you keep as safe as possible when using Instagram.

Private Profile - This makes sure only followers that you know and allows can see your posts.

Public Profile - Your posts and activity can be seen by everyone who uses Instagram. Your profile is set to be Public, to change this to a Private Profile select the gear icon in the top right of your profile view followed by Private Profile.

The sharing and posting of content

There are 3 options to think about when you post content and who you share it with:

Public - This is  the least secure profile setting. All photos and videos are searchable and can be viewed and commented on by all users.

Private - Videos and photos are only seen by ‘approved followers’ you have chosen. All followers must be approved by you.

Direct - Instagram has an option to send content directly to up to 15 people. Messages are deleted after 2 weeks if they are ignored. 

Location tagging

Tagging a location when posting will show where a photo or video was taken, take extra care and think if you want to reveal your location.  

Managing the content in your feed

To manage the content that you can see on your feed you can:

Unfollow a user - If you no longer want to see a particular user’s content or don't like what you see, you can simply unfollow that person. This can be done from your profile page.

Block a user and/or report their content as inappropriate - A user can be blocked, or their content reported as inappropriate through your profile page. Select ‘Block User’ and/or ‘Report Inappropriate Content’.

Keeping Comments Safe

You can use the keyword moderation tool to restrict any comments that contain a list of words you consider offensive or inappropriate. You can choose your own list or use a default words provided on the app.

Turning Off Comments on Posts

Simply select the post you wish to remove the commenting function from, tap on the three dots on the right-hand corner and choose ‘Turn off commenting’. If you’d like to turn this off before posting, click on advanced settings before posting and swipe to ‘Turn off commenting’.

How to Remove Followers

With your private account you can remove any followers and the person will not be notified. Instagram has made it easier to remove followers without blocking them. Simply select the follower(s) you want to remove and press remove, they will not be notified but they will no longer see your posts.

Instagram Stories

What is Instagram story and how does it work?

Your Instagram Story can be either a photo or video you upload to your profile that’s visible on the app for 24 hours before it disappears.

Who can comment on your Instagram story?

When you post a Story, one of your followers can send you a message while viewing your Story, but they won’t be able to leave a public comment on it for others to see. You can also decide who is allowed to send you a message in reply to your Story.

How do you know who’s looked at your Instagram story?

Instagram also keeps a log of your viewers so you can see which Instagram users have viewed your Story. This viewers list can only be seen by you and not the rest of your Instagram followers.