Where to find Instagram's notification settings

Open Instagram on your phone and tap your profile icon in the bottom right corner. Then tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right, and select Settings and privacy. From there, go to Notifications. You'll see a list of notification types that Instagram can send you — this is where you control what reaches you and what doesn't.

On a computer, the process is similar: click your profile icon, select Settings, then Notifications from the left menu. The options are the same across devices, though the layout looks slightly different on desktop.

Key Takeaways

  • Instagram's notification settings are split into push notifications (on your phone's lock screen), email notifications, and in-app notifications — you can turn off each type separately.
  • You can silence notifications from specific people, accounts, or types of activity without unfollowing or blocking anyone.
  • Turning off all notifications from a category (like comments or likes) is faster than managing them one at a time, but Instagram also lets you mute individual accounts if you want to stay connected to some people and not others.
  • If you turn off push notifications entirely, Instagram will still send you notifications inside the app itself unless you disable those separately.

Turning off push notifications vs. in-app notifications

Instagram sends you notifications in three different ways, and turning off one does not turn off the others. Push notifications are the alerts that pop up on your phone's lock screen or notification center — these are usually the most intrusive. In-app notifications appear only when you're actively using Instagram, as a small bell icon or banner at the top of your screen. Email notifications arrive in your inbox.

Most people want to turn off push notifications but keep in-app ones, since in-app alerts only bother you when you're already on the app. To do this, go to Settings and privacy > Notifications > Pushes, then turn off the categories you don't want. Leave the in-app and email sections as they are. If you want to turn off everything, you can disable all three types, but you'll need to do it in separate sections.

Which notification types you can control individually

Instagram breaks notifications into specific categories so you can be selective. Under Pushes, you'll find options like Likes and comments on your posts, Messages, Story replies, Suggested posts, Reels recommendations, and Account activity. You can turn each one on or off independently.

For example, you might want to keep message notifications on so you don't miss direct messages from friends, but turn off likes and comments so you're not constantly reminded when someone engages with your posts. Or you might turn off all recommendations and suggested content but keep notifications about your own posts. The choice is yours for each category.

Muting notifications from specific people or accounts

If you want to stay connected to someone but don't want their notifications, you can mute them without unfollowing or blocking. Go to their profile, tap the menu icon (three dots), and select Mute. You'll see options to mute their posts, stories, or both. You can also choose to mute their notifications specifically — this means you'll still see their posts in your feed, but you won't get alerts when they post or go live.

This is useful when you follow someone whose content you occasionally want to see, but you don't want constant notifications about their activity. They won't know you've muted them, and you can unmute anytime by going back to their profile and selecting Unmute.

Turning off notifications for messages and stories

Message notifications and story notifications are often the most frequent, so controlling them separately can make a real difference. Under Notifications > Pushes, find Messages and Story replies. You can turn these off entirely, or you can be more selective by going to Message notifications or Story reply notifications and choosing to receive alerts only from people you follow, or only from close friends.

If you want to keep message notifications but only from certain people, you can also mute notifications from individual chats. Open a direct message conversation, tap the person's name at the top, and select Mute notifications. This silences that specific conversation without affecting your other messages.

Stopping recommendations and suggested content alerts

Instagram frequently sends notifications about recommended posts, Reels, and accounts to follow. These are often the least useful notifications for most people. Under Notifications > Pushes, look for Suggested posts, Reels recommendations, and Suggested accounts, and turn them off. You can also disable Reminders if Instagram keeps trying to get you back into the app.

Turning these off won't prevent you from seeing recommendations inside the app — it just stops Instagram from sending you alerts about them. If you want to reduce recommendations in your feed itself, that's a separate setting under Settings and privacy > Preferences > Suggested content, but that's beyond notification control.

What happens when you turn off all notifications

If you turn off all push notifications, you'll stop getting alerts on your phone's lock screen, but Instagram can still send you in-app notifications and emails. Some people prefer this because they check Instagram on their own schedule rather than being interrupted by alerts. Others turn off everything and rely on checking the app manually.

Keep in mind that turning off notifications doesn't delete your messages or hide activity — it just means you won't be alerted about it. If someone sends you a direct message and you have message notifications off, the message will still arrive and wait for you; you just won't get a ping about it. The same applies to comments, likes, and any other activity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will people know if I turn off their notifications?

No. Turning off notifications is invisible to other people. They won't know whether you receive alerts about their posts, messages, or stories. The only exception is if you mute someone's account — they still can't see that you've muted them, but if you're very close with someone, they might notice you're not responding to their stories or messages as quickly.

Can I turn off notifications for one person but keep them for everyone else?

Yes. Use the mute feature on that person's profile to mute their notifications, or mute their direct message conversation if you want to silence just their messages. This keeps notifications on for everyone else without unfollowing them.

If I turn off message notifications, will I still see unread message badges?

Yes. The small red badge showing you have unread messages will still appear on your inbox icon, even if notifications are off. You just won't get an alert on your lock screen. This means you can check messages on your own time without being interrupted.

Do I need to turn off notifications in both the Instagram app and my phone's settings?

Not necessarily. Turning them off in Instagram's settings is usually enough. However, if you want to be absolutely certain Instagram can't send you any alerts at all, you can also go to your phone's settings, find Instagram in your notification permissions, and turn off all notifications there. This is a more aggressive approach and prevents Instagram from sending any alerts, even in-app ones.

What's the difference between muting and unfollowing?

Muting hides someone's posts and stories from your feed and silences their notifications, but you stay following them. Unfollowing removes them from your feed entirely and you stop seeing their posts. Muting is less dramatic and reversible — the person doesn't know, and you can unmute anytime. Unfollowing is more permanent and they may notice if they check their follower count.