Instagram has begun testing a new ‘Mute’ option to help you stop seeing content from accounts you follow; without having actually to unfollow them.
Social media has its own set of complicated social dynamics to manage. Unfollowing someone can sometimes have deeper consequences in your real-life relationships. However, there are times when you just can’t continue to see content from someone anymore. That’s when the ability to mute an account becomes really useful.
Instagram has begun testing the Mute option, and some users can already see the benefits of it. It makes it easier to customize your feed, see more of what you like, and less of what you are not so keen to see. And now you can do all that, without having to unfollow – nor tell – the people you choose to exclude from your feeds.

Instagram is adding a feature to “mute” accounts without having to unfollow them
When you mute an account, the user will not be informed. And because you didn’t have to unfollow the account in the first place, you can still access the content on its profile page, whenever you want to. After muting, you will also still receive notifications about comments or posts that you are tagged in. You also have the option to “un-mute” accounts.
The feature is currently being tested among a select group of users and should be rolling globally in the coming weeks.
We all wanted it, so great news, right?
Dear @instagram,
Please can you add a mute button to our options?
I reckon I speak for a few who want to mute people who you can’t unfollow without hurting their feelings.Thanks
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) April 19, 2018
You might also like
More from Instagram
Instagram Now Lets You Go Live With Up To 3 People
New Instagram Live Rooms let you go Live on the platform with up to three people at a time.
Facebook And Instagram Introduce Cross-App Messaging
Facebook and Instagram have introduced cross-app messaging, letting users from one app find and message you on the other.
Instagram Introduces More Resources For People Affected By Eating Disorders
Instagram is introducing more resources for people that are affected by eating disorders.
Instagram Celebrates Lunar New Year
Instagram is celebrating the Lunar New Year with special stickers, an AR filter, and special appearances by Creators.
Instagram To Start Removing Accounts That Send Abusive DMs
Instagram has announced new measures against bad behavior on its platform, including removing accounts that send abusive DMs.
Instagram Will Deprioritize Content Recycled From Other Apps
The Instagram algorithm will make content recycled from other apps like TikTok less discoverable on Reels.
Instagram, TikTok, And Twitter Team Up To Fight Username Hacking
Username hacking consists of stealing rare and coveted usernames on platforms like Instagram, and then sell them for a profit.
The New Instagram Content Publishing API Makes Scheduling Posts A Reality
Instagram has rolled out a new Content Publishing API that will support scheduling and publishing single photo or video posts.