Previously, if you posted a story on Instagram, it would be visible to everyone unless you hid it using the privacy settings. You had to blacklist people in your stories if you didn’t want them to see your story. Now, Instagram has launched a new feature where you can create a whitelist for your stories.
In other words, you can now share your stories with just a few. Called as Close Friends, this feature is available to both Android and iPhone users. It is a special list of followers with exclusive viewing permissions. You get this feature in both personal and business profiles.
As with any new Instagram feature, there is a little learning curve before you can get the most out of it. So let’s start with that learning and fully understand how to use this new close friends feature like a pro.
Note : Most screenshots are taken on an Android device, but the steps are the same for iOS unless otherwise noted.
Table of Contents
1. Close friends is a manual list
If you notice the close friends feature on your Instagram profile, it should be showing zero close friends. Don’t be disappointed. This is because it is not an automatically generated list by Instagram. You need to add people to this list manually.
2. Add people to close friends
For this, follow these steps:
Step 1: Launch the Instagram app and go to the Instagram profile screen. Next, tap on the three-bar icon in the upper right corner.
Step 2 : Select Close Friends from the list.
Step 3 : On the Close Friends List screen, use search to find people you want to add to this list. Then tap on Add gift next to their name.
You can also use the automatically generated suggestions by Instagram to easily find people. You just have to click on the Suggestions tab.
Step 4: Once you’ve added the people, tap on the Done button at the top.
3. Edit close friends
The close friends feature is not a permanent list. You can add or remove people at any time. To remove people, follow these steps:
Step 1: Go to the Close Friends option in the three-bar menu at the top of the Instagram profile screen.
Step 2: Tap on the Delete option present next to the person you want to delete from the list.
4. Will people be notified when they add or remove
?
Fortunately, Instagram doesn’t notify people when you add or remove them from your close friends.
5. Add on request
The close friends feature is strictly based on the creator’s choice. People cannot request to join the list of close friends. Sure, they can send you a DM asking you to add them to close friends, but there’s no dedicated request button on Instagram.
6. Check who saw your story
Similar to normal stories, you will be able to see people who have seen your story posted in the close friends section.
7. Privacy of close friends
The list is only visible to the creator. No one can see who you have added to the list. In other words, no one can see the other members of the close friends list even if they are on it.
8. Create story for close friends
Instagram provides a one-step way to create stories for close friends only. Once you’ve created your list, tap on the Story icon to create a new story as you normally do. Then instead of tapping the Your Story or Send To options, tap the new green Close Friends option.
Once you publish your story, only members of the list will be able to see it.
9. Identify the story of a close friend
So you open Instagram and you see a green circle around one of the stories. Now what is that? Well, the person has added you to your close friends.
Instagram lets you know that you are viewing exclusive content in two ways. In the first method, you will see a green circle around your profile picture in the stories tray. If you somehow miss the green circle, Instagram also shows a Close Friends icon in the story when you’re viewing it. Click on it to see the options.
10. No Green Circle Around Story
If you see a green circle around the story once, but the next story from the same person has the usual red circle and not the green circle, what does it mean? You would think that the person has alienated you from your close friends. It could be that, but it is not necessary. It could also mean that the person uploaded a normal story visible to everyone.
11. Add to Featured
Like regular stories, you can create summaries from stories posted to close friends. However, they will not be visible to everyone. Only members of your list of close friends will be able to see them on your profile.
12. Share a close friend’s story
You get all the features available in normal stories for close friends. However, you will not be able to share stories of close friends with others. Of course, you can still take a screenshot and share it with others. In case you’re wondering, no, the other person won’t be notified if you take a screenshot of their story.
13. How many lists can you create?
Currently, Instagram only supports one list, that is, close friends. It is a single private list. You cannot create multiple versions of this list.
14. Delete close friends
Although you cannot completely remove the list from your profile, you can empty it. To do this, just remove everyone from the list as shown above.
15. No need to pay per vision
Currently, the closed friends feature is free. That is, Instagram has not provided any option or tool to monetize it. In other words, you don’t need to pay money to be part of a close friends list or to see a story.
However, soon brands or celebrities could use this feature to their advantage and charge users to add them to their close friends list where they will post exclusive stuff.
Friends for life
Instagram is aware that not everyone needs to know everything. Although you can restrict your profile by keeping it private, it doesn’t always help. Fortunately, with the Close Friends feature, you can now share stories with your close friends or with a select group of people.
In a twisted way, Close Friends for Instagram incorporates several functions that are similar to the WhatsApp broadcast list: only the admin can add or remove people, the members cannot see each other on the list, etc.
Also, you can be more free and create amazing things on Instagram like images with quotes, color block stories, moving text, etc.
