By default, Instagram allows everyone who follows you to check your stories and reply to them. These replies or comments will slide into your DM. If you are getting a lot of spam messages or want to stop some people from commenting on your stories, there are multiple ways to deal with it. You can stop the replies to your stories completely, hide stories from specific people, or choose to only share Instagram stories with some specific people. Here’s how to stop replies on your Instagram Stories.
How to Stop Replies on Your Instagram Stories
To stop the replies completely on Instagram Stories:
1. Open the Instagram app and tap on the profile icon at the bottom right corner. Then tap on the hamburger menu at the top right and select the Settings option.
2. In Settings, tap on the Privacy option, then select Story.
3. Now scroll down to Replying section. Here under Allow message replies, select the Off option. This will remove the reply option completely on your Stories stopping the spam dead in its track. Now no one can comment on your Instagram stories.
4. Selecting the People you follow option will only allow the accounts you follow on Instagram to reply. If the spam is mostly from people you don’t know and don’t follow, then this option is the way to go. Your friends can still comment and engage with you and the spam count should reduce or disappear.
Pro Tip: How to Add Links to Instagram Stories – For All Users
How to Stop Message Requests on Instagram
A better way to handle comments on your Instagram Stories is by stopping new message requests. Instagram, by default, allows anyone to message you. But if you are not following the other user, then it keeps them in the Message requests section. By stopping the message requests, you are not only stopping the spam on stories, but also from all sources. People you don’t follow will not be able to message you at all.
1. On the Instagram Settings screen, select the Privacy option and then select the Messages option.
2. Here select the Your followers on Instagram option and then select the Don’t receive requests option. This will stop everyone from messaging you except the people you follow.
How to Hide Your Instagram Stories From Specific People
Instead of blocking comments on stories, you can hide your stories from people you are getting the spam messages from. This way, they cannot check your stories, and so cannot reply to them either.
1. On the Instagram Settings page, select the Privacy option and then select the Story option.
2. Now tap on the People option under Hide story from. Here select all the users from whom you want to hide your stories.
Once done, your stories will not be visible to them anymore.
Must Read: How to Schedule Posts and Stories on Instagram
How to Post a Story Only to Specific People on Instagram
Alternatively, instead of hiding your story from all sources of spam, you can make your story available only to some specific people you care about.
1. Open Instagram Settings > Privacy > Story option.
2. Now tap on the people option under Close friends. Here select all the accounts that you want to share your Instagram story with.
3. In order to share your stories with Close friends, while uploading the story, tap on the arrow icon and select the Close friends option. Then tap on Share to finally share it with your Close friends list.
Note: you can tap on the drop-down below the Close friends option to add or remove people from your Close friends list.
However, if you want to publish the story so everyone can comment on it, while publishing, you can just leave it in your Story option and then tap on Share to share the story with everyone.
Alternatively, you can also customize the Close friends list by opening your profile page, tapping on the hamburger menu, and then selecting the Close friends option.
Control Replies to Stop Instagram Stories Spam
Instead of stopping replies completely, and hiding your stories, a better way to stop spam is to block the user who is spamming you on Instagram. To block a user, open his/her profile, tap on the three-dot menu icon and then select the Block option. You can also report the user. Check out the difference between block vs report vs restrict on Instagram and how to do all three.
Did you know you can also turn off comments for Instagram Ads, Live, Posts, and Videos? Learn how right now.
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