Ever checked someone’s Instagram profile and found no stories, even though you know they usually post? Wondering if they’re hiding their story from you? In this ultimate guide, you’ll discover all the reasons people hide their Instagram stories, how to know for sure, and what you should do next. Updated for 2025!
For more on Instagram story privacy, check out How to know if someone blocked you from their story?
Quick Answer: Why Would Someone Hide Their Instagram Story from You?
Someone might hide their Instagram story from you for privacy, personal reasons, relationship issues, or to avoid offense or misunderstandings. Sometimes, it’s accidental or due to technical glitches. Always consider the context and your relationship before jumping to conclusions.
What Does Hiding the Instagram Story Mean?
Hiding an Instagram story means you are excluded from viewing that user’s stories—even if you visit their profile directly. Instagram allows users to control who can see their stories, and hidden stories are invisible to selected users for as long as the setting is active.
Stories last 24 hours and disappear automatically, but if you’re hidden, you won’t see them at all.
Top Reasons Someone Might Hide Their Instagram Story from You
- Privacy: They want to share personal content with a select group.
- Avoiding offense: They don’t want to upset or hurt your feelings with certain stories.
- Relationship issues: There may be misunderstandings, drama, or tension.
- Personal reasons: They have aspects of their life they prefer to keep private.
- Not showing online presence: They want to appear less active or avoid being seen online.
- Different groups of followers: They use the “Close Friends” list to share with a select audience.
- Testing new features: They’re experimenting with Instagram’s privacy or story settings.
- By accident or technical glitch: Sometimes users hide stories unintentionally or due to app bugs.
- Connectivity issues: Sometimes, stories don’t load due to internet problems.
How to Know If Someone Has Hidden Their Instagram Story from You
If you suspect someone has hidden their story from you, look for these signs:
- You can see their posts and reels, but no stories appear on their profile.
- Mutual friends can see their stories, but you can’t.
- Their highlights are missing or empty for you, but visible to others.
- You see “This story is no longer available” or a blank story icon.
- Using a second account (or a friend’s account), you can see their stories.
| Method | What You See | What Others See |
|---|---|---|
| Your account | No stories, no highlights | Stories visible |
| Mutual friend | No stories | Stories visible |
| Second account | No stories | Stories visible |
Step-by-Step: How to Check If Someone Hid Their Story from You
- Go to the user’s profile and look for the story ring or highlights.
- If you see no stories but mutual friends do, you’re likely hidden.
- Ask a trusted mutual friend to check if they can see the user’s stories.
- Use a second account (or a friend’s account) to view their profile and check for stories.
- If you see “This story is no longer available,” it may be hidden or expired.
What Happens When Someone Hides Their Story from You?
- You won’t see their stories or highlights, even if you visit their profile directly.
- You can still see their posts, reels, and profile info.
- You won’t get any notification or alert from Instagram.
- They can still see your stories and interact with your content.
If you hide your story from someone, they won’t know unless they check with a mutual friend or second account.
What’s the Difference Between Hiding and Blocking on Instagram?
| Action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Hiding story | User can’t see your stories or highlights, but can see posts and profile |
| Blocking | User can’t see your profile, posts, stories, or interact with you at all |
How to Hide Your Instagram Story from Someone (Step-by-Step)
- Go to your Instagram profile and tap the menu (three lines).
- Tap Settings > Privacy > Story.
- Tap Hide Story From and select the users you want to hide your story from.
- Tap Done to save your settings.
You can change this setting anytime, and the user won’t be notified.
FAQ: Hiding Instagram Stories
Why would someone hide their Instagram story from you?
Someone might hide their Instagram story from you for privacy, personal reasons, relationship issues, or to avoid offense or misunderstandings.
How to know if someone hide their story from you on Instagram?
To know if someone hid their story from you, check if you can see their posts but not their stories, while mutual friends can.
What happens when someone hides their story from you on Instagram?
When someone hides their story from you, you won’t see their stories or highlights, but you can still see their posts and profile.
If someone hides their story on Instagram, can you see their highlights?
No, if someone hides their story from you, you also can’t see their highlights.
What does hide your story mean on Instagram?
Hide your story on Instagram means you prevent specific people from seeing your stories, but they can still see your posts and profile.
Will someone know if I hide my story on Instagram?
No, Instagram does not notify users when you hide your story from them.
Have you ever noticed someone hiding their story from you? Share your experience or questions below!
Conclusion
People hide their Instagram stories for many reasons—privacy, relationships, or just by accident. If you suspect someone hid their story from you, check with a mutual friend or second account, and always respect their privacy. Have you ever hidden your story from someone? Why?
4 Responses
What does it mean if someone hides their story from you? Is it always something personal?
It’s not always personal. Many people hide stories for privacy, to share with a select group, or to avoid drama.
How to know if someone hide their story from you on Instagram? I can see their posts but not their stories anymore.
If you can see their posts but not their stories, and a mutual friend still sees their stories, it’s a strong sign they hid their story from you.