Why Would Someone Suddenly Make their Instagram Private?
These days, it’s not uncommon to see people on Instagram posting updates and media to their followers. But sometimes, users decide to make unexpected changes to their accounts – such as turning their profile to private. So, what are some of the top reasons someone might decide to suddenly make their Instagram private?
1. Personal Privacy Preferences
One of the most common reasons is simply a matter of personal privacy. Social media can be a great way to stay connected with friends, family, and colleagues – but this same convenience can also lead to an unwelcome invasion of privacy, as not everyone may appreciate having their life stories on display for the world to see. Making an Instagram account private keeps a person’s posts and activities behind closed doors, limiting the viewable audience to a select few.
2. Cyberbullying
Unfortunately, cyberbullying is all too common on social media. Even if a person has disabled comments and deleted negative remarks, some of their fans could still be determined to share or spread unpleasant messages or stories, which could appear elsewhere online even if they’re removed from the original post. By enabling the private setting on their profile, the user can ensure that only those who they have personally accepted as followers can view their posts – thus reducing the risk of online bullying or harassment.
3. New Brand Identity
Sometimes, businesses need to make sudden changes to their online platforms to better align to a refreshed brand identity. By switching to a private profile setting, businesses can maintain control over who sees their content, communicate with indicated followers, and update followers on changing goals and branding.
4. Concerns of Consent
Another possible reason for switching to a private Instagram account from a public one could be concerns related to copyright consent. If a person has noticed others reposting their content without their permission, turning the account private might be the best way to retain control over the content that’s shared.
Wrapping Up
No matter the reason, if someone feels the need to make their Instagram private, it’s important that they understand both the potential risks and benefits of doing so. Balancing personal privacy, interactivity, and creative control is the key to finding the social media success you seek.
3. How does the Instagram privacy settings work?
Instagram gives you a lot of control over your account’s privacy. By default, your profile, posts, stories and messages will only be visible to your followers, but you can change this by adjusting your privacy settings.
In Settings, under Privacy, you can choose who can view your profile, contact you and follow you. You can also restrict view of your posts, stories, and message requests to either everyone or just your followers. You can also choose to hide your Instagram Live Stories from anyone who doesn’t follow you.
Under Security, you can choose to enable two-factor authentication, which is a great way to keep your account secure. Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring you to enter a code sent to your phone or email address in order to log in.
Under Comment Controls, you can also choose to turn off comments on individual posts as well as hide offensive comments.
By setting your account privacy correctly, you can control who can view your profile, posts, stories, and messages.