What the Close Friends feature does and how to find it
Instagram's Close Friends is a list you create of accounts you want to share Stories with privately. When you post a Story and choose "Close Friends" instead of "Your Story," only the people on that list can see it. The feature lives in your Settings, and you can change who is on the list at any time.
To find your Close Friends list, open Instagram and tap your profile icon in the bottom right. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner, then scroll down and tap Close Friends. You will see the accounts currently on your list and options to add or remove people.
Key Takeaways
- Your Close Friends list is a separate group you create for private Stories — it does not affect who can see your regular posts or profile.
- You can add people by searching their username or scrolling through your followers, and remove them by tapping the checkmark next to their name.
- People on your Close Friends list cannot see that they are on it, and there is no notification when you add or remove someone.
- You can create multiple Close Friends lists if you use a business or creator account, but personal accounts are limited to one.
How to add people to your Close Friends list
Open your Close Friends list and tap Add Friends at the top. You will see a search bar and a list of your followers below it. You can type a person's username in the search bar to find them quickly, or scroll through your followers and tap the plus icon next to their name to add them.
When you tap the plus icon, a checkmark appears next to their name, confirming they have been added. You can add as many people as you want — there is no limit to the size of your Close Friends list. Once you are finished adding people, tap Done in the top right corner to save your changes.
How to remove people from your Close Friends list
Open your Close Friends list and you will see all the accounts currently on it. Tap the checkmark next to any name to remove that person. The checkmark disappears, and they are no longer on your list. You can remove multiple people at once by tapping the checkmark next to each one, then tapping Done.
Removing someone from Close Friends does not block them, unfriend them, or notify them in any way. They can still see your regular posts and Stories posted to "Your Story" — only Stories you post to Close Friends will be hidden from them going forward.
The difference between Close Friends and blocking or muting
Close Friends is not the same as blocking or muting. When you remove someone from Close Friends, they remain your follower and can still see everything else you post. If you want to hide all your content from someone, you would block them instead. If you want to keep following someone but hide their posts from your feed, you would mute them.
Close Friends is specifically for controlling who sees Stories you mark as private. It is useful when you want to share something with a smaller group without unfollowing or blocking anyone. You can post a Close Friends Story one day and a public Story the next day to the same audience — the choice is yours each time you post.
How to post a Story to your Close Friends list
Once you have created your Close Friends list, posting to it is straightforward. Open Instagram and tap your profile icon or swipe left to create a new Story. Take or upload a photo or video, add text or stickers if you want, then look for the sharing options at the bottom of the screen.
Instead of tapping Your Story, tap Close Friends. The button will turn green with a star icon to show that the Story is private. Tap Send To or Share to post it. Only people on your Close Friends list will see this Story in their feed, and it will not appear on your public profile or in the Stories ring at the top of other users' feeds.
Using Close Friends on business and creator accounts
If you have a business or creator account, Instagram lets you create up to five separate Close Friends lists instead of just one. This is useful if you want different Stories for different groups — for example, one list for family, one for close collaborators, and one for a specific project.
To create additional lists, go to your Close Friends settings and tap Create List. Name the list, add people to it the same way you would for your main Close Friends list, then save it. When you post a Story, you can choose which list to send it to. Personal accounts cannot create multiple lists — you are limited to one Close Friends list.
What happens when you change your account type
If you switch your account from personal to business or creator, your existing Close Friends list stays in place. You can then create additional lists if you want. If you switch back to a personal account, Instagram will keep your main Close Friends list but delete any additional lists you created.
Your Close Friends list also stays the same if you change your account privacy settings from public to private or vice versa. The Close Friends feature works independently of whether your account is public or private.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can people tell if they are on my Close Friends list?
No. People on your Close Friends list cannot see that they are on it, and Instagram does not send them a notification when you add or remove them. The only way they would know is if you tell them directly or if they notice they can see a Story you posted to Close Friends.
What happens if I remove someone from Close Friends and then add them back?
Nothing special happens. They are simply added back to the list. They will not receive a notification, and there is no record of the removal. You can add and remove people as often as you want without any consequences.
Can I see who viewed my Close Friends Story?
Yes. Tap on a Close Friends Story you posted, then swipe up to see who viewed it. The list works the same way as it does for regular Stories — you can see usernames and the time they viewed it, but not the order in which people watched it.
What if someone I removed from Close Friends asks why they cannot see my Stories?
You are not required to explain. You can simply say you are sharing that particular Story with a smaller group, or you can choose not to respond. Close Friends is a private feature, and you have full control over who is on your list.
Do Close Friends Stories disappear after 24 hours like regular Stories?
Yes. Close Friends Stories follow the same 24-hour expiration as regular Stories. After 24 hours, the Story disappears from your profile and your followers' feeds, though people who viewed it can still see it in their archive if they saved it.