If you use Instagram regularly, you must have used Stories at least once to share photos, videos, or anything else worth sharing. Stories on Instagram are a great way to keep your friends and followers updated on what’s happening in your life. It doesn’t matter if or not there is an occasion or whether the update is big or small. Instagram Stories can be shared anytime and anywhere in a matter of clicks.
Talking about stories, in general, not all stories are meant for everyone. Some stories are best kept in the domain of a small audience. Not all stories are published for the world to read or listen to; some remain confined to a small group of people. Some stories are best kept private.
The same can be true for Instagram Stories. You can post as many stories as you like on Instagram, but at times, you might want to share a story with just someone special. It would feel great to enjoy the memories together- just the two of you and no one else.
But is it even possible to do such a thing? Can you post a story, make it visible to only one person, and hide it from everyone else? To get the answers to these questions, you need to keep reading this blog, where we will discuss this and other secret features of Instagram Stories. So, let’s start.
Can You Hide Story from Everyone on Instagram Except One Person?
If you want to upload a story hidden from everyone except one person, we have good news for you. Instagram understands its users’ needs well, and this is just one of the ways it proves that.
Instagram enables its users to upload a story and allow it to be viewed by only some selected people, even a single person alone. And this is what makes Instagram Stories all the more interesting.
And what makes it even more interesting is that the method is pretty easy to use. You don’t need to scratch your heads finding the correct way to share a private story. All you have to do now is follow some simple steps we have laid down for you. Keep reading to know more.
How to Hide Instagram Story from Everyone Except One Person
A story visible to a selected few people is not a new concept. Most of the social media platforms we use today are equipped with a version of this feature. For example, the omnipresent WhatsApp has the Status Privacy setting change who can see your status updates.
Similarly, Snapchat has Private Stories with which users can share a story only with some selected people. On Facebook, you can choose who can view your story by choosing from Public, Friends,or Custom options.
As expected, Instagram knows better than to lag behind other platforms by not providing the corresponding privacy settings for your stories. The feature to allow a few people to view your story is available on Instagram. We are talking about the Close Friends feature.
With the Close Friends feature for stories, Instagrammers like you can create a list of people who can see your story. Each time you post a story, you can choose if you want to share it with everyone or only with people on the Close Friends list.
Follow these steps to set up your Close Friends list and share a story with only one person.
Step 1: Open the Instagram app and log in to your account.
Step 2: Go to your Profile tab by tapping on your Profile icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
Step 3: Tap on the three parallel lines at the top-right corner. A list of several options will appear.
Step 4: Tap on the Close Friends option. You will see a list of people you follow or have interacted with in the past.
Go through the list, select the person you want to show your stories to, and tap on Done. Your Close Friends list will get updated. With this, half of the work is done. Now, you need to post a story that will be visible to only those people who are part of this list.
Step 5: From within your Profile tab, tap on the + icon next to the three parallel lines and select Story from the list of options that appear.
Step 6: Choose the photo or video you want to upload. You can also click a photo or record a video then and there if you want.
Step 7: Once you have chosen or clicked the photo or video, you will see some options at the bottom of the screen. These are Your Story, Close Friends, and an arrow(>) button.
Tap on the Close Friends button to share your story only with the person(s) you added in Step 4. Your story will then be shared with everyone on your Close Friends list.
Bonus Tip: If you want to add or remove one or more people from your list just before sharing the story, you can do that by tapping and holding the Close Friends button. Then, add or remove the required people and tap on Done. Tap on the Close Friends button again to share the story.
In this way, you can easily share your story with a specific person while hiding it with everyone else. We know you might have some questions in your mind after reading this blog. We understand you, and that’s why we have tried to answer some of the questions you have.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Will the person be notified if I add them to my Close Friends list?
Adding someone to the list does not notify them. They won’t be notified if you delete them from the list or make any changes to the list. The Close Friends list is a private list, and only you can see who is on your list.
However, if you share a story with your close friends, they will see a green-colored star banner on your story. By seeing this banner, they can know that they are part of your Close Friends list, but they won’t know who else is on the list.
Can I update the Close Friends list after uploading a story? If yes, how will this action affect the viewers of the uploaded story?
Yes. You can make changes to the list even after uploading the story. No one will be notified about the change. If you remove someone from the list as part of this change, the removed user will no longer be able to see your story, even if they had viewed it earlier.
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