Instagram is a social media platform loved by billions of people of all age groups. From celebrities to commoners, everyone enjoys sharing photos and videos on Instagram. Besides the fun factor, people love Instagram because it's a highly visual platform.
But along with lots of fun features, Instagram might be a bit dangerous if you ignore your privacy on the platform.
There are three main Instagram privacy settings to be aware of. The first one is 'Public,' which allows anyone to view your posts.
The second one is 'Private,' which keeps your account private but allows you to post content publicly to a limited audience.
Lastly, 'Custom' lets you pick the audience for each post or story based on specific criteria, such as age or location.
You can adjust the privacy level for individual posts or stories in the app's settings menu. When using 'Public,' 'Private,' or 'Custom,' make sure to select the option that best suits your needs and applies them consistently across different devices and platforms.
Most people don't realize that Instagram has privacy settings that you can play around with to keep your account secure and private. In this blog, we'll cover things you can do to keep your account secure on Instagram.
Enable two-factor authentication
First and foremost, you have to take care of your authentication on Instagram, just like any other social media platform.
Enabling two-factor authentication is the most important thing you can do using Instagram privacy settings.
Here is how:
- Go to your IG profile
- Click the top icon to go to the settings
- Choose Privacy and Security
- Go down to Two-factor authentication
- Click Edit the setting of two-factor authentication
- Select the security method you like to add
Limit people, and don't let them remix your photos
You can control who can view your posts and stories by creating specific audiences for each post or story. You can also limit who can comment on your posts by setting a comment filter. Finally, turning on the mute button can prevent people from using your photos in remixes.
These steps will help ensure that the information on your account is secure and private.
Limit who can message you on Instagram
If you want to limit who can message you on Instagram, you can do so by changing your privacy settings.
To change your privacy settings, tap the profile icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the app and then select "Privacy." From there, scroll down to "Interactions" and tap "Messages."
You can then choose one of three options: Everyone (meaning anyone can message you), People You Follow (meaning only people you follow on Instagram can message you), or Off (meaning no one can message you).
Hide your posts from certain people
Another thing you can do is review and adjust who can view and comment on your posts. You can choose who can view your posts by using the 'Who Can View Posts' setting under 'Account Settings.'
Additionally, you can prevent comments from appearing on your posts by turning the feature off under 'Comment Settings.'
In addition, you can change the visibility of past posts and Stories by using the 'Activity Controls' option in your profile's 'Settings' menu. With these tips, you can keep yourself safe and secure using Instagram.
Restrict access to your data
You may also examine how much access Instagram really requires. The app functions beautifully if you don't grant it access to your microphone, camera, location, photos, contacts, or the rest of your entire biodata because it just keeps up with buddies, family, and favorite accounts.
It's up to you how much Instagram gives you access to things and how you use it. On your phone, go to Settings > Privacy and make sure that Instagram requires the minimum amount of permissions. You may find that you can actually remove access to a whole lot of stuff unless you're a content creator whose income depends on Instagram.
You can also use a hashtag filter to limit the visibility of certain hashtags on your post. This prevents unintended exposure to the sensitive information contained in those tags, such as a location or a person's name. Lastly, you can clear recent searches for hashtags, locations, and people to ensure a clean and consistent browsing experience for yourself and others.
By adjusting the privacy settings on Instagram, you can ensure the appropriate level of privacy for yourself and your audience.
Delete Instagram's third-party apps
You have to find and delete third-party apps connected to your Instagram account. Although they're so useful, especially for marketers, you can't trust many of them.
Try to use them in a way that they don't access your data. Before deleting an app, make sure you understand why you're doing so and why it may be important for you to do so. This way, you can make an informed decision.
Limit third-party apps' access to your account data. By limiting third-party apps' access to your account data, you can control which apps have access to personal information such as login credentials and sensitive information like location data and photos.
This will help ensure that only authorized parties have access to the personal information stored on your Instagram account.
Protect Your Instagram Account From Hackers
You can follow the steps below to protect your Instagram account from hackers. Firstly, you need to enable two-factor authentication for extra security.
This requires you to enter a password, and a code sent to your device via text message or the Google Authenticator app. On top of that, you should also review who can view your posts, stories, and profile information.
This includes limiting access to followers only and disabling comments on your posts. Lastly, you can manage who can tag you in posts and comment on your posts by hiding your profile from search engines and opting not to appear in searches made using the hashtags "# account-specific" or "IG" when using the Instagram app on a mobile device. By following these simple steps, you can keep your account secure from hackers.
Conclusion
With so many social media platforms available, securing your account on every platform is imperative. Make sure to pay attention to Instagram just because it's less popular than Facebook or Twitter. And that's why we have written this blog for you - to help you understand how to use Instagram more securely and learn about some lesser-known features that will help you take charge of your privacy on the app. There are some other pieces of advice, like clearing recent searches and browsing history, taking away Instagram's location offerings, and making Instagram Ads a little less personal.