If I Hide Someone from My Instagram Story, Can They See My Highlights?

Instagram’s privacy features can be confusing—especially when it comes to Stories and Highlights. Many users wonder: “If I hide someone from my Instagram story, can they see my highlights?”

If you hide someone from your Instagram story, they cannot see any new highlights you create from stories posted after you hid them. Highlights are collections of your stories, and if a user is blocked from seeing your stories, they are also blocked from seeing any highlights made from those stories. However, they may still see highlights created from stories posted before you hid them—unless you remove those highlights or unhide the person.

• Hiding someone from your story = hiding them from new highlights made from those stories
• Old highlights (from before hiding) may still be visible
• Unhiding someone restores their access to your highlights

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn exactly how Instagram’s privacy settings work, what happens when you hide someone from your stories, and how it affects their ability to view your highlights.

For more on Instagram privacy, check out Can You See If Someone Screenshots Your Instagram Story Highlights?

Table: Instagram Story & Highlight Privacy (2025)

How to Hide Someone from Your Instagram Story (Step-by-Step)

1. Go to your Instagram profile and tap the menu (three lines)
2. Tap Settings > Privacy > Story
3. Tap Hide Story From and select the users you want to hide your stories from
4. Tap Done to save your settings
5. Those users will not see your stories or any new highlights made from those stories

Tip: You can unhide users at any time to restore their access.

How Does Hiding Stories Affect Highlights?

When you hide someone from your stories, Instagram also hides any new highlights you create from those stories. However, highlights made from stories posted before you hid the person may still be visible to them. If you want to keep certain highlights private, remove them or re-create them after hiding the person.

• New highlights (from hidden stories): Hidden from the user
• Old highlights (from before hiding): May still be visible
• Unhiding: Restores access to all highlights

Can You Hide Highlights from Someone Without Hiding Stories?

No, Instagram does not currently allow you to hide highlights from someone without also hiding your stories. The privacy settings for stories and highlights are linked—if you hide someone from your stories, they can’t see your new highlights either. If your account is private, only approved followers can see your stories and highlights.

• Highlights = stories saved to your profile
• Privacy settings for stories = privacy settings for highlights
• No separate “hide highlights” option (as of 2025)

How to Check If Someone Can See Your Highlights

1. Switch to a friend’s account or ask a trusted friend to check your profile
2. See if your highlights are visible to them
3. If you’ve hidden them from your stories, new highlights should be hidden too
4. For public accounts, anyone can see highlights unless blocked or hidden from stories

Pro tip: Use a “Close Friends” list for extra privacy on sensitive stories.

Instagram Privacy Settings: Stories, Highlights, and More

Instagram provides a powerful set of privacy settings that allow you to control exactly who sees your content. Understanding these tools is key to creating a comfortable and safe online experience. Here is a detailed breakdown of each feature:

• Private Account:This is the most comprehensive privacy setting. When you set your account to private, only followers you have personally approved can see your profile, posts, stories, and highlights. This is the best option if you want to share your content exclusively with a trusted circle of friends and family.
• Hide Story From:This feature offers more selective control. You can create a list of specific users who will be unable to see your stories, live videos, and story highlights. This is a perfect solution when you don’t want to block someone completely but prefer that they don’t see your daily, more personal updates. The users on this list will not be notified, and they can still view your profile and regular posts.
• Close Friends:Instead of excluding people, the Close Friends feature allows you to create an exclusive list of followers who can view certain stories. When you post a story, you can choose to share it only with your Close Friends list. These stories are marked with a green ring, letting those viewers know they are part of your inner circle. People are not notified when you add or remove them from this list.
• Block:Blocking is the most definitive way to cut off contact with another user. When you block someone, they will be unable to find your profile, see your posts or stories, or send you messages. It effectively makes your account invisible to them. This is the best tool for dealing with spam, harassment, or any situation where you want zero contact.
• Archive:The archive is a personal privacy feature that automatically saves your stories after they disappear from public view after 24 hours. This feature is enabled by default and ensures you have a private collection of your past stories. Only you can see your archive, and it is the source from which you can create and add to your story highlights.

By using these tools together, you can customize your Instagram privacy to fit your exact needs, ensuring you share your moments with the right audience.

For more, see Instagram’s official privacy help page.

How Privacy Settings Affect Relationships and Interactions

While Instagram’s privacy tools are designed to give you control, the choices you make can sometimes have an impact on your online and offline relationships. It is important to be mindful of how these settings can be perceived by your followers, especially your friends.

The Social Impact of Hiding Content

When you hide your stories or highlights from someone, they will not receive a notification. However, if they notice that they can no longer see your updates—perhaps through a mutual friend or by visiting your profile—they might feel confused, hurt, or left out. This can lead to misunderstandings or create a sense of distance in the friendship. Similarly, if you remove someone from your Close Friends list, they may notice they no longer see the green ring on your stories and wonder why.

Balancing Privacy with Communication

Your mental health and comfort online should always be your top priority. However, if you are concerned about how your privacy choices might affect a close friendship, open communication can be helpful. Here are a few things to consider:

• Be Honest (When Appropriate): If you are hiding stories from a close friend for a specific reason—like planning a surprise or dealing with a personal issue—it might be worth letting them know in a private message. A simple explanation can prevent hurt feelings and strengthen your relationship.
• Use “Close Friends” for Sensitive Content: The Close Friends feature is a great way to share your most personal moments without excluding everyone else. By curating this list, you are being intentional about who sees your sensitive content, which can feel more inclusive than hiding stories from specific people.
• Remember: Your Account, Your Rules: Ultimately, you are in control of your social media experience. You are not obligated to share every part of your life with everyone, and it is perfectly acceptable to set boundaries. True friends will understand and respect your need for privacy.

Navigating social media privacy is a balancing act. By using Instagram’s tools thoughtfully and communicating openly when needed, you can protect your own well-being while maintaining healthy relationships with your followers.

Common Scenarios: Hiding Stories, Highlights, and More

Understanding how to apply these privacy settings in real-life situations can help you better manage your Instagram experience. Here are some common scenarios where these tools are most effective:

Scenario 1: You want to hide your story from an ex.

After a breakup or a falling out with a friend, you might not want them to see your daily, personal updates. Instead of a full block, you can simply hide your stories from them. A key thing to remember is that if you create a highlight from a story that was hidden from them, that highlight will also be invisible to that person. This is a discreet way to create distance and move on without the drama of a full block.

Scenario 2: You want to keep your work and personal life separate.

If you have coworkers, clients, or professional contacts following you, you might not want them to see your weekend plans or personal moments. The “Close Friends” feature is the perfect solution. You can create a list of your trusted friends and family and share your more personal stories exclusively with them. This allows you to maintain a professional image on your main profile while still sharing freely with your inner circle.

Scenario 3: You want to make your entire account private.

If you want total control over who sees your content, setting your account to private is the best option. When your account is private, only followers you have personally approved can see your posts, stories, and highlights. This is ideal for people who want to share their life only with a small, known audience and avoid unwanted attention from strangers.

Scenario 4: You need to block someone completely.

In situations involving harassment, spam, or if you simply want zero contact with a person, blocking is the most powerful tool. When you block someone, your entire account—including your profile, posts, stories, and highlights—becomes completely invisible to them. They will not be able to find you in search or contact you through Instagram.

Pro tip: These scenarios show that a simple privacy tweak can completely change your Instagram experience. By choosing the right tool for each situation, you can feel more comfortable and in control of who sees your content.

FAQ: Instagram Highlights, Stories & Privacy

How to hide highlights from someone on Instagram?

You can’t hide highlights separately—hide your story from them, and new highlights will be hidden too.

If I hide someone from my story, can they see my highlights?

No, they can’t see new highlights made from hidden stories. Old highlights may still be visible.

Can people who you hide your story from see your highlights?

No, not for new highlights. They may see old highlights unless you remove them.

Can you hide your Instagram highlights from someone?

Not separately. Hiding stories also hides new highlights from that person.

Can you view highlights on Instagram without them knowing?

Yes, Instagram does not notify users when you view their highlights.

Why can’t I see someone’s highlights?

You may be hidden from their stories, blocked, or they have a private account.

Can you still see highlights if blocked from a story?

No, you can’t see new highlights made from stories you’re blocked from.

How often should I review my Instagram privacy settings?

Review your settings regularly, especially if your social circle or privacy needs change.

Have you ever managed your Instagram privacy settings? Share your experience or questions in the comments below!

• Why do my story highlights keep disappearing?
• Why would someone hide their Instagram story from you?
• How to know if someone blocked you from their story?

For more on Instagram privacy, see this Quora discussion.

Conclusion

Instagram’s privacy settings for stories and highlights are powerful tools for controlling who sees your content. If you hide someone from your story, they can’t see any new highlights made from those stories. Old highlights may still be visible unless you remove them. Review your privacy settings regularly, communicate openly with friends if needed, and use features like “Close Friends” for extra control. Have a question or tip about Instagram privacy? Leave a comment below and check out our other guides for more social media insights!