Instagram’s suggestion feature is designed to help you discover new accounts to follow, based on your existing activity, contacts, and interests. While this can be a great way to find interesting content and connect with like-minded individuals, it can also become cluttered with suggestions that are irrelevant or unwanted. Perhaps you’re seeing suggestions for people you already know, accounts you’re not interested in, or you simply prefer a cleaner, more curated experience. Fortunately, Instagram offers several ways to manage and delete these suggestions. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the various methods you can use to clear unwanted suggestions and take control of your Instagram feed.
Understanding Instagram Suggestions
Before diving into the methods for deleting suggestions, it’s crucial to understand how Instagram generates them. Instagram’s algorithm analyzes a variety of factors to determine which accounts to recommend, including:
- Your Following List: Accounts you already follow are a primary source of suggestion data. Instagram analyzes the accounts followed by people you follow, assuming you might be interested in similar content.
- Your Contacts: If you’ve connected your contacts to Instagram, the platform may suggest people from your phone’s address book.
- Your Activity: The accounts you like, comment on, save, and share all contribute to your activity data. Instagram uses this to identify topics and interests relevant to you.
- Related Accounts: When you follow an account, Instagram may suggest other accounts that are similar or related in some way.
- Mutual Connections: If you and another user have mutual followers or mutual friends, Instagram is likely to suggest that you follow each other.
By understanding these factors, you can start to strategically manage your Instagram activity to influence the suggestions you see.
Method 1: Dismissing Individual Suggestions
The most straightforward way to clear Instagram suggestions is to dismiss them individually. This method is best for removing specific accounts that you’re not interested in seeing.
Steps to Dismiss Individual Suggestions:
- Navigate to the “Suggested For You” Section: This section typically appears in your main feed, often interspersed with posts from accounts you already follow. It can also appear on user profiles, especially after you follow someone new.
- Identify the Suggestion You Want to Remove: Scroll through the “Suggested For You” section or the suggested accounts on a profile until you find the account you want to remove.
- Tap the “X” (Dismiss) Button: Located next to the suggested account’s name and profile picture, there’s a small “X” or a “Remove” option. Tap this button.
- Confirm Dismissal (If Required): In some cases, Instagram might ask you to confirm your decision. Simply tap “Remove” or a similar option to confirm.
When you dismiss a suggestion using this method, Instagram learns that you’re not interested in that particular account. While it may not completely eliminate similar suggestions in the future, it will reduce the likelihood of seeing that specific account again. This is an iterative process; the more you dismiss irrelevant suggestions, the better Instagram’s algorithm becomes at understanding your preferences.
Method 2: Hiding Suggestions in Search
When you use the search function on Instagram, you may encounter suggested accounts based on your past searches and activity. You can hide these suggestions to keep your search history and suggested accounts more private.
Steps to Hide Suggestions in Search:
- Open the Instagram App: Launch the Instagram app on your mobile device.
- Tap the Search Icon: Locate the search icon (usually a magnifying glass) at the bottom of the screen and tap it.
- Long Press on the Suggested Account: In the list of suggested accounts, find the one you want to hide and long-press on its name or profile picture.
- Tap “Hide”: A pop-up menu will appear with the option to “Hide.” Tap this option.
By hiding suggestions in search, you prevent Instagram from showing you that specific account in your search results. This helps to refine your search experience and focus on the accounts and topics you’re genuinely interested in. Note that this method only hides the suggestion from your search results and may not affect suggestions in your main feed.
Method 3: Disconnecting Your Contacts
If you’ve connected your contacts to Instagram, the platform uses this information to suggest people you might know. If you’re seeing too many suggestions based on your contacts, you can disconnect them from your Instagram account.
Steps to Disconnect Your Contacts:
- Go to Your Profile: Tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner of the screen to go to your profile page.
- Tap the Menu Icon: Tap the three horizontal lines (the “hamburger menu”) in the top right corner of your profile page.
- Tap “Settings”: From the menu that appears, tap “Settings.”
- Tap “Account”: In the Settings menu, tap “Account.”
- Tap “Contacts Syncing”: Scroll down and tap on “Contacts Syncing.”
- Toggle Off “Connect Contacts”: Turn off the toggle next to “Connect Contacts.” This will prevent Instagram from accessing your contacts and suggesting people you might know based on that information.
- Remove Synced Contacts (Optional): You may also see an option to “Disconnect All.” Tapping this will remove all previously synced contacts from Instagram’s servers. This is an extra step you can take for added privacy.
By disconnecting your contacts, you’ll reduce the number of suggestions based on your address book. Keep in mind that this may also affect other features, such as the ability to find friends from your contacts on Instagram.
Method 4: Adjusting Your Activity
Your activity on Instagram plays a significant role in the types of suggestions you see. By consciously adjusting your activity, you can influence the algorithm and refine the suggestions you receive.
Strategies for Adjusting Your Activity:
- Unfollow Irrelevant Accounts: If you’re following accounts that no longer interest you, unfollow them. This signals to Instagram that you’re not interested in that type of content.
- Engage with Content You Like: Like, comment on, save, and share posts that genuinely interest you. This helps Instagram understand your preferences and provide more relevant suggestions.
- Explore New Interests: Use the Explore page to discover new topics and accounts. The more diverse your activity, the broader and more interesting your suggestions will be.
- Limit Engagement with Unwanted Content: Avoid liking, commenting on, or saving posts that you don’t want to see more of. Even negative engagement can signal to Instagram that you’re interested in the topic.
- Use the “Not Interested” Option on Explore Page: On the explore page, if you see a post you are not interested in, tap the three dots in the top right corner and select “Not Interested”. This helps train the Instagram algorithm.
By actively managing your engagement and unfollowing accounts that don’t align with your interests, you can gradually improve the quality of your Instagram suggestions.
Method 5: Blocking Accounts
While not specifically designed for removing suggestions, blocking an account will prevent it from appearing in your suggestions, as well as any other interaction with you on the platform. This is a more extreme measure, but it can be useful for accounts that are consistently suggested and that you have no interest in.
Steps to Block an Account:
- Go to the Account’s Profile: Search for the account you want to block and go to their profile page.
- Tap the Menu Icon: Tap the three dots in the top right corner of the profile page.
- Tap “Block”: From the menu that appears, tap “Block.”
- Confirm Blocking: Instagram will ask you to confirm your decision. Tap “Block” again to confirm.
Blocking an account will prevent them from seeing your profile, posts, or stories, and it will also remove them from your suggestions. Use this method sparingly, as it’s a more permanent solution.
Method 6: Clearing Your Search History
Your search history can influence the suggestions you see on Instagram. Clearing your search history can help to reset the algorithm and remove unwanted suggestions related to past searches.
Steps to Clear Your Search History:
- Go to Your Profile: Tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner of the screen to go to your profile page.
- Tap the Menu Icon: Tap the three horizontal lines (the “hamburger menu”) in the top right corner of your profile page.
- Tap “Settings”: From the menu that appears, tap “Settings.”
- Tap “Security”: In the Settings menu, tap “Security.”
- Tap “Clear Search History”: Scroll down and tap on “Clear Search History.” (On some versions, it may appear under “Data and History”)
- Confirm Clearing: Instagram will ask you to confirm your decision. Tap “Clear All” to confirm.
Clearing your search history will remove all of your past searches from Instagram’s memory, potentially influencing the suggestions you see in the future. This is a good way to start fresh and refine your suggestions based on your current interests.
Method 7: Reporting Inappropriate Suggestions
If you encounter suggestions that are inappropriate, offensive, or violate Instagram’s Community Guidelines, you can report them. While this won’t necessarily remove all suggestions, it will help to flag problematic accounts and improve the overall quality of the platform.
Steps to Report Inappropriate Suggestions:
- Go to the Account’s Profile: Search for the account you want to report and go to their profile page.
- Tap the Menu Icon: Tap the three dots in the top right corner of the profile page.
- Tap “Report”: From the menu that appears, tap “Report.”
- Select a Reason: Choose the reason for reporting the account. Options may include “It’s spam,” “It’s inappropriate,” or “It violates Instagram’s Community Guidelines.”
- Provide Additional Information (Optional): Depending on the reason you select, you may be asked to provide additional information or context.
- Submit the Report: Tap “Submit” to send the report to Instagram.
Reporting inappropriate suggestions helps to maintain a safe and respectful environment on Instagram. While it may not immediately remove the suggestion, it contributes to the overall moderation of the platform.
Method 8: Using Third-Party Apps (Use with Caution)
While Instagram doesn’t officially endorse or support third-party apps for managing suggestions, some apps claim to offer features for cleaning up your feed and removing unwanted content. Use these apps with extreme caution, as they may violate Instagram’s Terms of Service and could compromise your account security.
Risks of Using Third-Party Apps:
- Account Security: Many third-party apps require you to provide your Instagram login credentials, which could put your account at risk of hacking or unauthorized access.
- Terms of Service Violations: Using unauthorized apps may violate Instagram’s Terms of Service, which could result in your account being suspended or banned.
- Privacy Concerns: Some apps may collect and share your data without your consent, raising privacy concerns.
If you choose to use a third-party app, do thorough research and only use apps from reputable developers with a strong track record of security and privacy. Always be cautious about providing your login credentials and monitor your account for any suspicious activity.
Method 9: Being Patient and Persistent
It’s important to remember that Instagram’s algorithm is constantly learning and evolving. It may take time and consistent effort to refine your suggestions and achieve the desired results. Be patient and persistent in using the methods described above, and over time, you should see an improvement in the quality and relevance of your suggestions.
Tips for Staying Patient:
- Focus on the Positive: Instead of focusing on the unwanted suggestions, focus on the accounts and content that you enjoy.
- Experiment with Different Methods: Try different combinations of the methods described above to see what works best for you.
- Give Feedback to Instagram: Use the “Not Interested” option on the Explore page and provide feedback when you see suggestions that are irrelevant or inappropriate.
- Remember It’s a Process: Refining your Instagram suggestions is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix.
Method 10: Creating a New Account
As a last resort, If you are starting to use instagram and the first suggestions already make you very uncomfortable, or your current account’s suggestions are irredeemably bad, you could consider creating a new Instagram account. This allows you to start fresh with a clean slate and avoid any baggage from your previous activity. When creating your new account, be mindful of the accounts you follow and the content you engage with, as this will shape the suggestions you see in the future.
Steps to Create a New Account:
- Log Out of Your Existing Account: Go to your profile, tap the menu icon, and tap “Log Out.”
- Tap “Sign Up”: On the login screen, tap “Sign Up.”
- Enter Your Information: Follow the prompts to enter your email address or phone number, create a username and password, and provide any other required information.
- Connect with Facebook (Optional): You can choose to connect your new account with Facebook to find friends and get personalized suggestions. However, if you want to avoid suggestions based on your Facebook contacts, skip this step.
- Start Following Accounts: Begin following accounts that genuinely interest you. This will help to shape the suggestions you see in the future.
Creating a new account is a more drastic measure, but it can be effective if you want to completely reset your Instagram experience.
Conclusion
Managing Instagram suggestions is an ongoing process that requires a combination of strategies and patience. By dismissing individual suggestions, disconnecting your contacts, adjusting your activity, clearing your search history, and reporting inappropriate content, you can gradually refine your suggestions and create a more personalized and enjoyable Instagram experience. Remember to use third-party apps with caution and be persistent in your efforts. With a little effort and attention, you can take control of your Instagram feed and discover new accounts that genuinely interest you.
