How to Turn Off Instagram Notifications (Pause or Stop Them)

Instagram can be noisy. A like here, a comment there, a message, someone going live, and your phone buzzes all afternoon. If you use Instagram for work, you may want the messages and nothing else. If you've been scrolling too long, you may want nothing at all.

Instagram gives you several ways to quieten it, from a short pause to switching individual types off. I've used Instagram's own help pages for the steps, and I'll be clear about the one route that lives outside the app.

What Instagram notifications are

Instagram's Help Centre says it may send push notifications for several reasons, including when someone follows you, likes or comments on one of your posts, mentions you in a comment, sends you a message or goes live. Your notification settings let you choose which posts and interactions you're told about.

There are really three levels to know about. You can pause everything for a while, you can switch off particular types, or you can mute the alerts for one account you follow. After that, there's the nuclear option of turning Instagram off in your phone's settings.

Pausing Instagram push notifications on your phone

A pause is the gentlest option, and it's good if you only want peace for a few hours. Instagram's steps are the same on Android and iPhone.

1. Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right.
2. Tap Menu in the top right.
3. Below How you use Instagram, tap Notifications.
4. Tap Toggle next to Pause push notifications and select a time.

Instagram also says you can tap an individual notification setting below Pause push notifications to turn off those kinds of notifications. That's how you keep, say, message alerts but drop likes.

Turning off Instagram push notifications on a computer

If you use Instagram on a desktop browser, Instagram's help page has a slightly different route.

1. Click More in the bottom left, then click Settings.
2. Click Notifications in the left menu.
3. Click Push notifications and adjust your settings, or click Toggle next to Pause push notifications and pick a time.

Choosing which Instagram notifications to switch off

Instagram says that, as well as pausing, you can manage specific notification settings, and that you can turn on sleep mode. I'd go through the list once rather than leaving it all on. A sensible setup for a business account is to keep messages and mentions on, because those are customers, and switch off the rest.

• Keep: messages, mentions and anything that needs a reply.
• Consider switching off: likes and general activity you check in your own time.
• Pause: everything, when you're away from your phone for the evening.

Turning Instagram notifications off for one account you follow

Sometimes the noise comes from a single account. Instagram says that when you turn notifications on for someone you follow, you get a notification every time they share a post. If you've turned that on and want it off, here's what Instagram's help page says to do.

1. Go to their profile.
2. Tap Notifications in the top right.
3. Tap Posts, Reels or Live videos to turn notifications on or off for that kind of content.
4. Tap the notification option you prefer.

Instagram points out that people aren't told when you turn notifications on or off for them. It also says that if you want to change this for several people, you have to visit each profile and do it individually. And one wrinkle worth knowing: you might still get a push notification when someone you follow shares something for the first time in a while, whether or not you've turned notifications on for that person.

Stopping all Instagram notifications in your phone settings

Instagram's help page says that to completely turn off notifications from the Instagram app, you use your phone's own settings, and it links to the guides for Android and iOS rather than giving a setting inside Instagram. The wording varies by phone and software version, but the idea is the same everywhere: open your phone's Settings, find Notifications or Apps, choose Instagram, and switch off the option to allow notifications.

Turning notifications off there means you won't get alerts for anything, including messages from customers. If you want to keep one kind, use the pause and type settings inside Instagram instead.

Why Instagram notifications keep coming after you turn them off

If you're still getting alerts, run through these likely reasons, all taken from the points above.

• You paused them, and the pause has ended. Check the Pause push notifications toggle.
• You turned off a type, but not the one that's pinging you. Check each type in the Notifications screen.
• The alerts come from an account you follow. Check that account's Notifications button.
• You have more than one device or account logged in. Check the Notifications settings for each.

The last point is common sense rather than something from Instagram's help page, so treat it as a prompt to check, not a guarantee. If settings don't seem to hold, update the Instagram app, as Instagram recommends for anything not working correctly.

Instagram notifications and your focus

If one person is the real problem, switching alerts off may not be enough. It's worth knowing what blocking does, and whether messages disappear when you block someone on Instagram covers that. And if it's your Notes you'd rather keep from one person, there's a guide to hiding Instagram notes from one person.

I'd rather you decided when to look at Instagram than let Instagram decide for you. Pausing for a set time, switching off the noisy types and keeping only messages on is a good routine for anyone who runs a business account.

A short checklist for turning off Instagram notifications

• Pause: Profile, Menu, Notifications, then Pause push notifications.
• Types: tap the notification type you want to turn off.
• One account: open their profile and use Notifications.
• Everything: switch off Instagram in your phone's notification settings.

For the rest of the series, see the Instagram Help: 81 Guides to Followers, Hashtags, Money, Accounts and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I turn off Instagram notifications?

Tap your profile picture, then Menu, then Notifications, and use Pause push notifications or turn off the types you don't want. For a full stop, turn off notifications for Instagram in your phone's settings.

How do I pause Instagram notifications for a while?

In the Notifications screen, tap Toggle next to Pause push notifications and select a time.

How do I stop notifications from one person on Instagram?

Go to their profile, tap Notifications, and choose Posts, Reels or Live videos to turn that kind of notification off.

Will people know I turned their notifications off?

No. Instagram's help page says people aren't notified when you turn notifications on or off for them.

How do I completely turn off Instagram notifications?

Instagram's help points to your phone's own settings for this. Find Instagram in your phone's notification settings and switch off allowing notifications.

Why do I still get Instagram notifications?

A pause may have ended, you may have turned off a different type, or the alerts may come from an account you follow. You may also still get a push notification when someone you follow shares something for the first time in a while.