In an effort to enhance user control and foster more meaningful interactions, Instagram is introducing a new feature that enables users to restrict interactions to their "Close Friends" list. This optional feature serves as a virtual velvet rope, effectively filtering out the noise from followers who are not part of your inner circle.
Once you activate this new feature, only people who are in your Close Friends list will be able to:
- See and comment on your posts.
- Send you direct messages (DMs).
- Reply to your stories.
- Tag you in posts and comments.
- Mention you in their stories.
While other followers can still engage with your content, their comments, messages, and tags will be hidden from both you and the broader Instagram community.
Although this feature is designed with younger users in mind, it provides a valuable tool for anyone looking to curate their online experience and prioritise interactions with their closest contacts.
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What Other Control Features Will Be In Your Hands?
The platform is also rolling out a suite of detailed control options, including:
- Interaction Time Limits: Users can set a specific timeframe for limiting interactions, after which the feature will automatically turn off, prompting them to either extend or disable it.
- Selective Limiting: Users have the option to establish a particular duration for restricting interactions. Once this timeframe ends, the feature will deactivate automatically, prompting users to either extend or disable it.
- Restricted Accounts: Instagram now provides more subtle methods to control interactions with certain accounts without completely blocking them. Restricted accounts won't be notified when you're online, their messages will be sorted into a separate request folder, and any new comments they make on your posts will only be visible to you and them.