Turn off the Friend Tab Feature on Instagram if you value privacy. This particular tab above on the Reels page lets you see what your friends have liked, commented on, or even posted.
It also shows your likes and comments on them. While it can help find new content, it may reveal more than you want. Thankfully, disabling it takes only a few minutes.
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Key Takeaways:
- The Friends tab lets you see the content your friends liked, commented on, or published.
- It is possible not to share your own activity by shifting some privacy settings.
- Disabling the feature protects privacy and keeps engagement private.
What the Friend Tab Feature on Instagram Does
The Friend tab is located in the Reels section. It appears alongside the main Reels feed. Instead of showing trending content, it displays posts from your friends’ activity.
So with this feature, it will be easy to track the Reels your friends liked, commented on, or published. At the same time, your own Reels engagement becomes visible to them.
Only people you follow back appear as friends here. This makes it easy to track what close contacts are enjoying. While this can make Instagram feel more social, it also means less privacy. Even a casual like or comment may appear highlighted in their feed.
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Disable Sharing the Content in the Friends Tab Feature
It’s possible to hide your activity in this tab. Here’s how:
- Open Instagram and make sure you are logged in.
- Tap your profile picture at the bottom right.
- Press the three-line menu in the top right corner.
- Scroll and select Settings and Activity.
- Find and tap Activity in the Friends tab.
- Now you’ll see an option saying this: “Who can see your likes and comments?” Just select “No one” and you’re good to go.
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Once done, your likes and comments will not appear in the Friends tab. The catch is that it will still be easy for you to see your friends’ activity, but they won’t be able to see yours.
You can also mute activity bubbles from specific people if you want to filter their updates without removing yourself entirely.
Turn Off the Friend Tab Feature (Why You Need to)
There are many reasons to disable this feature:
- More control: You decide what others see about you.
- Privacy protection: Your engagement remains private and low-key.
- Less distraction: Avoid constant notifications about your activity.
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Instagram often enables social features automatically. Without changing settings, your activity might be shared instantly. Disabling this ensures that only you control what becomes visible to others.
Things to Remember When Disabling the Friend Tab Feature
This privacy option started rolling out in early 2025. Most users now have access to it. If you cannot find the setting, update Instagram from the Play Store or App Store. After disabling, ask a friend to check their Friends tab for confirmation. Your activity should no longer be visible there.
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The End Note
Turn off the Friend Tab Feature on Instagram to regain privacy. It keeps your likes and comments away from friends’ feeds.
The feature can be fun, but it also overshares your activity. Adjusting this setting ensures you control what others know. Stay private, browse freely, and enjoy Instagram without unnecessary exposure.
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