Where to find Instagram notification settings
Instagram notifications come from three places: your phone's operating system, the Instagram app itself, and your web browser if you use Instagram on a computer. To stop them, you need to turn them off in the app first, then confirm the change in your phone's settings. Most people find the notifications they want to control are already off in Instagram but still coming through because the phone itself is set to allow them.
Open Instagram and tap the menu icon — three horizontal lines — in the bottom right corner. Tap Settings and privacy, then Notifications. You will see a list of notification types with toggles next to each one. Any toggle that is blue and switched to the right is currently on. Any toggle that is gray and switched to the left is off.
Key Takeaways
- Instagram notifications are controlled in two places: inside the Instagram app under Settings and Notifications, and in your phone's system settings under Apps or Notifications.
- Turning off a notification type in Instagram does not always stop it from appearing on your phone — you may need to disable it in your phone's settings as well.
- On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Instagram and toggle off the notification types you do not want; on Android, go to Settings > Apps > Instagram > Notifications and do the same.
- If you want to keep some notifications but silence others, you can turn off sounds and badges while leaving notifications visible, or turn off notifications entirely during specific hours using Do Not Disturb.
Turning off notifications inside the Instagram app
In the Notifications section, you will see toggles for different types of alerts: Likes and comments, Messages, Story replies, Suggested posts, Reminders, and others depending on your account type. Tap any toggle to turn it off. The toggle will turn gray, and you will stop receiving that type of notification from Instagram.
If you want to keep notifications but control how they reach you, scroll down to Notification delivery. Here you can choose whether notifications arrive as push notifications (alerts on your phone's lock screen or home screen), in-app notifications (alerts only when Instagram is open), or both. You can also turn off Notification sounds and Badges — the red numbers that appear on the Instagram app icon — without turning off the notifications themselves.
Confirming the change in your phone's system settings
Even after you turn off a notification type in Instagram, your phone may still send you alerts if Instagram has permission to do so at the system level. On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Instagram. You will see a list of notification types that match what you saw in the app. Make sure the toggles for any notifications you turned off in Instagram are also turned off here. If you want to turn off all Instagram notifications at once, toggle off Allow Notifications at the top.
On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Instagram > Notifications. You will see toggles for different notification channels. Turn off any that match the notifications you disabled in the Instagram app. If your Android version is older, the path may be Settings > Applications > Instagram > App notifications instead. The exact wording varies by phone manufacturer, but the concept is the same: find Instagram in your app list and look for a Notifications section.
Silencing notifications without turning them off completely
If you want to receive notifications but do not want them to interrupt you constantly, you have options that do not require turning them off entirely. In Instagram's Notification settings, you can set Quiet mode — available on some accounts — which delays notifications until you open the app. You can also turn off notification sounds so alerts arrive silently, or turn off badges so the red number does not appear on your app icon.
Another approach is to use your phone's built-in Do Not Disturb feature. On iPhone, go to Settings > Focus and create a new Focus called "Instagram" or "Quiet time." Set it to allow notifications only from people in a specific contact list, or turn off all notifications entirely. On Android, go to Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb and set a schedule for when you want notifications silenced. This way, Instagram notifications still exist but will not bother you during the hours you specify.
What happens when you turn off different notification types
Turning off Likes and comments means you will not be notified when someone likes your post or replies to your caption, though you can still see these interactions if you open the post. Turning off Messages stops notifications for direct messages, but the messages themselves will still arrive in your inbox when you open Instagram. Turning off Story replies means you will not be alerted when someone replies to your story, though you can still view replies by opening your story.
Turning off Suggested posts stops Instagram from notifying you about content the app thinks you might like. Turning off Reminders prevents Instagram from sending you alerts to post a story or reminding you to check the app. None of these changes delete anything or prevent you from seeing the activity — they only stop the alerts from reaching you. You can turn any of them back on at any time by going back to Settings > Notifications and toggling them on again.
Handling notifications from Instagram on the web
If you use Instagram in a web browser on a computer, you may receive browser notifications even if you have turned off notifications in the app. When you first visit Instagram in a new browser, the site may ask for permission to send notifications. If you click Allow, notifications will appear as alerts on your desktop. To turn these off, click the lock icon in the address bar (or the information icon, depending on your browser), find Notifications, and change the setting from Allow to Block.
If you do not remember whether you allowed notifications and want to check, go to your browser settings. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Notifications and look for instagram.com in the list. Click it and change the setting to Block. In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Permissions > Notifications and do the same. Safari handles this differently — go to Safari > Settings > Websites > Notifications and find Instagram in the list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I still getting Instagram notifications after turning them off?
You likely turned them off in the Instagram app but not in your phone's system settings, or vice versa. Instagram notifications require permission at both levels. Go to your phone's Settings app, find Instagram in the Apps or Applications section, and check the Notifications settings there. Make sure the toggles match what you set inside Instagram.
Can I turn off notifications for one person but keep them for others?
Instagram does not have a built-in feature to mute notifications from specific people. However, you can mute their posts and stories so their content does not appear in your feed, which reduces how often you will see their activity. To do this, go to their profile, tap the menu icon, and select Mute. You can also use your phone's Do Not Disturb feature to silence all notifications during certain hours.
Will turning off notifications affect my messages or direct chats?
Turning off the Messages notification type means you will not receive alerts when someone sends you a direct message, but the message will still arrive in your inbox. When you open Instagram, you will see the message waiting for you. If you need to receive messages from specific people, turn Messages back on and instead turn off notifications for less important notification types like Suggested posts or Reminders.
How do I turn notifications back on if I change my mind?
Go back to Instagram > Settings and privacy > Notifications and toggle on any notification type you want to receive again. Then go to your phone's system settings and make sure Instagram has permission to send notifications there as well. The changes take effect when ready.
What is the difference between turning off notifications and muting someone?
Turning off a notification type (like Messages or Likes) stops all alerts of that type from all people. Muting someone stops their posts and stories from appearing in your feed, but you can still see their profile if you search for them. These are separate features that do different things. You can use both together if you want to reduce notifications and also hide someone's content from your feed.