How to change your Close Friends list on Instagram
Your Close Friends list on Instagram is a separate audience you create to share Stories and Reels with a smaller group. You can add people to it, remove them, and change who is on it at any time — Instagram does not notify the people you remove. The list lives in your Story settings, and you reach it by opening your profile, tapping the menu icon, and selecting "Close Friends."
Once you are in Close Friends, you can search for specific accounts, add multiple people at once, or clear the entire list and start over. The process takes less than a minute, and you can make changes as often as you want.
Key Takeaways
- Open your Instagram profile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), and select "Close Friends" to see and edit your current list.
- Search for a person's username in the search box, then tap the plus icon next to their name to add them to your Close Friends list.
- Remove someone by tapping the checkmark next to their name — the checkmark disappears and they are no longer on the list.
- You can add or remove people one at a time, or tap "Select Multiple" to add or remove several people in a single session.
- Instagram does not tell people when you add them to or remove them from your Close Friends list.
Step-by-step: adding someone to Close Friends
Start by opening Instagram and going to your profile. Tap the menu icon — three horizontal lines stacked on top of each other — in the top right corner. Scroll down and tap "Close Friends." You will see a list of people already on your Close Friends list, if you have one.
At the top of the screen is a search box. Tap it and type the username of the person you want to add. As you type, Instagram shows matching accounts below the search box. Find the person you want and tap the plus icon next to their name. The plus icon turns into a checkmark, which means they are now on your Close Friends list.
You can add as many people as you want. There is no limit to the size of your Close Friends list, though most people keep it between 5 and 50 people. Once you are done adding people, you can close the screen — changes save automatically.
Step-by-step: removing someone from Close Friends
Go to your profile, tap the menu icon, and select "Close Friends." Find the person you want to remove by scrolling through the list or using the search box at the top. Tap their name or their profile picture to highlight them.
A checkmark appears next to their name when they are selected. Tap the checkmark to remove them. The checkmark disappears, and they are no longer on your Close Friends list. You can remove multiple people by tapping "Select Multiple" at the top of the list, then tapping the checkmark next to each person you want to remove, and then tapping "Remove" at the bottom.
Adding multiple people at once
If you want to add several people to your Close Friends list in one go, tap "Select Multiple" at the top of the Close Friends screen. The interface changes to show checkboxes next to each person's name. Tap the checkbox next to each person you want to add — you can scroll through your followers or search for specific names.
Once you have selected everyone you want to add, tap "Add" at the bottom of the screen. All of them are added to your Close Friends list at the same time. This method is faster than adding people one by one, especially if you are rebuilding your list from scratch.
Clearing your entire Close Friends list
If you want to start over with a completely new Close Friends list, you can remove everyone at once. Go to your profile, tap the menu icon, and select "Close Friends." Tap "Select Multiple" at the top. Then tap "Select All" if that option appears, or manually tap the checkbox next to each person on the list.
Once everyone is selected, tap "Remove" at the bottom. Your Close Friends list is now empty. You can then add new people using the search box and the plus icon, or by using the "Select Multiple" method to add a group of people at once.
What happens when you share to Close Friends
When you post a Story or Reel and choose to share it only with Close Friends, only the people on your Close Friends list can see it. Everyone else on Instagram — including your other followers — cannot see that post. The post does not appear on your main profile or in the feeds of people not on the list.
Your Close Friends can still screenshot or screen-record your Stories and Reels, just as they can with any other content. Instagram does not notify you if someone takes a screenshot of your Close Friends content. The Close Friends feature is a way to control who sees something, not to prevent copying or sharing.
Why you might want to change your Close Friends list
People change their Close Friends list for different reasons. You might add someone new you have become closer to, remove someone you no longer talk to, or adjust the list based on what you are sharing that day. Some people keep a permanent Close Friends list and never change it. Others create a new list for specific events — a trip, a project, a life change — and clear it afterward.
You might also remove someone temporarily if you are going through something private and do not want them to see your Stories for a while, then add them back later. There is no rule about how often you should change your list or how many people should be on it. It is entirely up to you and what feels right for your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Instagram tell someone when I add them to Close Friends?
No. Instagram does not send a notification when you add someone to your Close Friends list. They will not know unless they ask you directly or notice that they can now see Stories you marked as Close Friends only.
Does Instagram tell someone when I remove them from Close Friends?
No. Instagram does not notify people when you remove them from your Close Friends list. They will only notice if they try to view a Close Friends Story and cannot see it anymore, or if they realize they are no longer seeing your Close Friends posts.
Can I have different Close Friends lists for different types of content?
No. Instagram gives you one Close Friends list. When you post a Story or Reel, you choose to share it with everyone, Close Friends only, or specific people. You cannot create multiple Close Friends lists or give different lists different names.
What if I want to share something with just one or two people?
Instead of using Close Friends, you can send a direct message to that person, or you can use the "Share to Specific People" option when posting a Story. This lets you select individual accounts to see that post without adding them to a permanent list.
Can I see who is on someone else's Close Friends list?
No. Your Close Friends list is private. Other people cannot see who is on it. You can only see your own list by going to your profile settings.