Where to find Instagram notification settings
Instagram notification controls live in your account settings, not in your phone's settings — though you can also silence them there. Open Instagram, tap your profile icon in the bottom right, then tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines). Scroll down and tap Settings and privacy, then tap Notifications. From here you can turn off specific types of alerts without deleting your account or logging out.
The notifications menu shows you every category Instagram can alert you about: likes, comments, messages, story replies, and activity from accounts you follow. Each one has its own toggle. You do not have to turn everything off — you can silence just the notifications that interrupt you most, and leave the ones you want to see.
Key Takeaways
- Instagram notifications are controlled in Settings and privacy > Notifications, where you can turn off specific types of alerts without affecting your account.
- You can silence notifications from all accounts, or turn off alerts only from accounts you do not follow closely.
- Turning off notifications in Instagram does not turn off notifications from your phone — you may need to adjust both places to fully silence the app.
- If you want to keep some notifications but silence others, turn off only the categories that bother you most.
Turning off notifications by type
Once you are in the Notifications menu, you will see categories like Likes, Comments, Messages, Story replies, and Follows. Tap any category to see more options. For example, if you tap Likes, you can turn off all like notifications, or you can tap From accounts you do not follow to silence only likes from strangers while keeping notifications from people you follow.
This granular control is useful if you want to stay connected to close friends but do not want alerts every time someone you do not know engages with your posts. The same breakdown exists for most notification types — you can usually choose to silence notifications from everyone, from accounts you do not follow, or from specific people.
Silencing notifications on your phone instead
If you want Instagram to send notifications but your phone to stay quiet, you can turn off notifications at the phone level. On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Instagram, then toggle off Allow Notifications. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Instagram > Notifications, then toggle off Show notifications. This silences Instagram without changing any settings inside the app itself.
Some people use this approach when they want to check Instagram on their own schedule but do not want the app pinging them throughout the day. The notifications are still there if you open the app — you just will not see badges or hear sounds.
Turning off notifications for specific people
If one person's posts or messages generate too many notifications, you can silence them without unfollowing or blocking. Open their profile, tap the three dots in the top right, and tap Mute. You will see options to mute their posts, their stories, or their messages separately. Muting hides their content from your feed and stops notifications about their activity, but they will not know you muted them.
This is different from unfollowing — you still follow them, and they can still see your posts if they visit your profile. You just will not see their content or get notified about it. You can unmute them the same way if you change your mind.
Handling message and chat notifications
Message notifications work slightly differently from other alerts. In the Notifications menu, tap Messages to control whether you get alerts for direct messages. You can turn off all message notifications, or tap From accounts you do not follow to silence only messages from strangers while keeping alerts from people you follow.
If you want to silence notifications from a specific person's messages without muting their entire account, open the conversation, tap their name at the top, then tap Mute notifications. You will still see the message when you open the app — you just will not get a notification about it.
Turning notifications back on when you need them
If you turn off notifications and later want to turn them back on, go back to Settings and privacy > Notifications and toggle the categories back on. The same applies to muted accounts — unmute them from their profile the same way you muted them. Instagram does not delete your notification history when you turn them off, so you can switch them on and off as often as you need.
Some people turn off notifications during work hours and turn them back on in the evening. Others turn them off permanently for certain categories and leave them on for others. There is no right way — it depends on what interrupts you most.
What happens when notifications are off
When you turn off a notification type, Instagram stops sending you alerts about that activity. You will not see a badge on the app icon, hear a sound, or get a notification on your lock screen. However, the activity still happens — people can still like your posts, comment, or message you. You just will not be told about it until you open the app and check manually.
This is why some people turn off notifications for likes and comments but keep them on for messages — they want to know when someone is trying to reach them directly, but do not need to know every time someone engages with their posts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will people know if I turn off their notifications?
No. Turning off notifications, muting someone, or silencing message alerts does not send them any signal. They will not see that you muted them or that you turned off notifications for their posts. The only exception is if you block someone — they will know they are blocked because they cannot find your profile.
Can I turn off notifications for just one person's messages?
Yes. Open the conversation with that person, tap their name at the top, then tap Mute notifications. You will still see their messages when you open Instagram — you just will not get a notification about them. You can unmute them the same way.
If I turn off notifications on Instagram, will my phone stop showing the app badge?
Turning off notifications in Instagram settings usually removes the badge, but it depends on your phone. On some phones, you may need to turn off notifications at the phone level (in your phone's Settings app) to remove the badge completely. Test both places if the badge is still showing.
Do I have to turn off all notifications, or can I silence just some types?
You can turn off just the types that bother you. Go to Notifications and toggle off only the categories you do not want to see — likes, comments, messages, or follows. You can leave the others on. This way you stay connected to what matters to you and silence the rest.
What is the difference between muting someone and unfollowing them?
Muting hides their posts from your feed and stops notifications about their activity, but you still follow them and they can see your posts. Unfollowing removes them from your feed entirely and they will not see your posts unless they visit your profile directly. Muting is quieter — they will not know you did it.