Hey Trish! I want to stop receiving DMs on Insta. They can get so creepy! How do I do that?
Hi there, and welcome back to another week of Ask Trish! I hope you’re all having a wonderful May.
Thank you so much to this week’s questioner for the fantastic question. And really, I should say questioners…because over the last few weeks, I’ve received several (slightly different, but generally similar!) questions from folks about to leverage Instagram’s user tools/settings to create a more safe, comfortable experience on the app.
Of course, social media tools/settings aren’t perfect, so it’s (sadly) not always possible to achieve a certain goal. With that said, there are plenty of things you can do with Instagram’s tools/settings, and this week, that’s what I am going to shine a light on. In this week’s relatively brief, word-light post, I walk through how to troubleshoot/respond to the three most common Insta issues I’ve seen folks cite. I hope this guide makes it easier for you to take on these issues and create the Insta experience you want! Remember, these tools/settings exist for a reason, and (should you want to,) you should take advantage of each and every one to set the boundaries you need to feel safe and comfortable on the app.
Let’s get into it:
Issue #1: Preventing folks from sending you message requests
Sadly, several of you cited receiving scary, inappropriate, or otherwise weird message requests – and asked about how to stop receiving them altogether. Believe it or not, you actually can do this with Insta’s tools. Just follow the following steps:
1) Open the Instagram app
2) Go to your profile
3) Click on the menu (the 3 horizontal lines) at the top right of your screen
4) Click on “Settings”
5) Click on “Privacy”
6) Click on “Message Controls”
7) Under each of the three categories – “Your followers on Instagram,” “Others on Instagram,” and “People on Facebook,” change your settings to “Don’t receive requests”
All done!
Issue #2: Stop your account from being promoted
Several others of you have asked how you can stop your Insta account from suggested on other profiles (great question!): You’ll want to:
1) Open Instagram on your web browser (as I learned – quite painfully! – you cannot make this change on the mobile app)
2) Go to your profile
3) Click on “Edit profile”
4) At the bottom of the page, uncheck the box that says “Choose whether people can see similar account suggestions on your profile, and whether your account can be suggested on other profiles”
Problem solved!
Issue #3: Stop folks from knowing when you’re using Instagram
Finally, several of you have complained that folks can see when you’re active on Instagram – and it makes you uncomfortable. Thankfully, once again, you can change this! You should:
1) Open the Instagram app
2) Go to your profile
3) Click on the menu (the 3 horizontal lines) at the top right of your screen
4) Click on “Settings”
5) Click on “Privacy”
6) Click on “Activity Status”
7) Uncheck “Show Activity Status”
And boom! You’re done.
I hope you found this post informative, and these tips aid you in your effort to create a more personalized and ultimately, more comfortable and healthy Insta experience. Remember, these tools exist for a reason, and you should leverage them to set digital boundaries and create a “safe space” for you on the app. Let me know if this guide helped you take advantage of these settings…and if you’d like guides to troubleshooting issues on any other social media platforms/apps!
And now, as always, before I sign off…I’d like to make my weekly request to ask all of you to share any of your thoughts, questions, or concerns about the Internet here. As I like to remind y’all, it is so simple and easy to fill out the form. (It legitimately takes 30 seconds – no lie.) So what are you waiting for? Submit away! I can’t wait to hear from you. Oh, and one last thing – don’t forget to hype up our Ask Trish videos on social media. Like the videos, comment on them, and share them with your friends! Thanks so much in advance for spreading the #AskTrish word!
Have a great week,
Trish