How To Hide My Following List On Instagram From Followers

Sometimes, you just don't want everyone knowing exactly who you follow. Maybe it's personal friends, accounts you follow for inspiration that don't quite fit your public brand, or even potential collaborators you're not ready to reveal yet. While Instagram doesn't have a magic "hide my following list" button for public accounts (wouldn't that be handy sometimes? 🤔), don't worry! There are definitely smart ways to manage who sees what and increase your sense of privacy.

This guide is your friendly roadmap. We'll walk through why you might want this privacy, understand Instagram's current setup, and most importantly, look at practical steps and strategies you can use right now to feel more in control of your account and your connections. Think of me as your helpful guide, sharing tips to keep your influencer journey feeling safe and authentic to you.

Why Hide Your Instagram Following List?

Let's get real for a moment. Being an influencer means putting yourself out there, sharing your passions, and connecting with an audience. It's rewarding, but it also opens you up to a certain level of visibility. Sometimes, that visibility extends to parts of your online life you'd rather keep low-key, like exactly who you're following. Why might you want to add a layer of privacy here? There are actually some really valid reasons.

Personal Privacy Concerns

This is a big one. As your account grows, the line between your public persona and your private life can get blurry. You might follow close friends, family members, accounts related to personal hobbies, or maybe even your secret crush 👀. These connections feel personal, and you might not want them exposed to your entire audience.

Think about it:

• Unwanted Attention on Loved Ones: You might want to shield your friends and family from receiving unwanted DMs or follows just because they're connected to you. They didn't sign up for the influencer life, right?
• Keeping Personal Interests Private: Maybe you're exploring a new hobby, a different spiritual path, or political views that don't align with your main content niche. Following accounts related to these topics could lead to questions or judgments you're not ready to handle publicly.
• Safety and Security: In rare but serious cases, revealing personal connections could potentially be exploited by those with bad intentions. Protecting your close circle is a valid safety measure. A 2023 survey by the Pew Research Center highlighted that a significant portion of internet users worry about the amount of personal information available about them online. 

While not specific to following lists, it reflects a broader societal concern about digital privacy that resonates here. Influencers, being public figures, often feel this pressure more acutely.

Having your following list public can sometimes feel like leaving a door unlocked. You're not necessarily expecting trouble, but locking it gives you peace of mind. Keeping your personal network separate allows you to maintain a sanctuary away from the public eye, a space where you can interact more freely without considering your brand image with every click.

Professional Boundaries

Your Instagram account is often a core part of your business. Like any professional, you need to manage your public image and strategic relationships carefully. Your following list can sometimes reveal more than you intend.

Consider these professional scenarios:

1) Confidential Collaborations: You might be in talks with a brand or another creator for a future project. Following their account (or their team members) prematurely could tip off competitors or create buzz before you're ready to announce anything. Keeping this under wraps maintains strategic advantage.

2) Competitor Research: Yes, you probably keep an eye on others in your niche! 😉 But you might not want everyone knowing exactly who you're watching or drawing inspiration from. It can feel a bit like showing your homework.

3) Maintaining Your Niche Focus: If you're known for sustainable fashion, suddenly following a bunch of fast-food review accounts (even just for fun!) might confuse your audience or dilute your brand message if taken out of context. While authenticity is great, sometimes seemingly random follows can raise eyebrows.

4) Avoiding Unsolicited Pitches: Following industry leaders or brands might lead to them (or others who see the follow) pitching you collaborations or services you're not interested in. Limiting this visibility can save you time filtering through irrelevant DMs.

Think of your following list as part of your professional network. In the physical world, you wouldn't necessarily hand out your entire contact list to everyone you meet. Similarly, curating who sees your digital network on Instagram helps maintain a level of professional discretion. It ensures your public profile accurately reflects the image and strategic direction you want to project.

Preventing Unwanted Interactions

Let's be honest, sometimes the internet can be... a lot. Managing interactions is a huge part of being an influencer. Hiding your following list can be a subtle way to reduce noise and potential negativity.

Here’s how:

• Reducing Spam and Solicitation: When users see you follow a particular account, they might assume you endorse it or share similar interests, leading them to DM you about related products, services, or even just to comment on your choice. This can add clutter to your inbox.
• Discouraging Copycats: While imitation can be flattery, sometimes followers might meticulously go through your following list to copy your style, content sources, or network. Limiting access can encourage more originality.
• Minimizing Judgment or Scrutiny: People online can sometimes form strong opinions based on who you associate with, even through a simple follow. Following a controversial figure or brand (even out of curiosity) could lead to backlash or demands for explanation. Privacy here avoids unnecessary drama.
• Preventing Targeted Harassment: In some cases, individuals might go through your following list to find and harass people you know, or use the list to gather information about your interests to use against you. This is an extreme, but privacy adds a layer of protection.

Think of it as controlling the flow of conversation. By limiting who sees your connections, you can subtly guide interactions towards your content rather than your associations. It helps keep the focus where you want it – on the value you provide and the community you're building around your work. Research continues to show the impact of online interactions on mental well-being. 

A 2022 study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research linked higher social media use to increased exposure to negative comments, reinforcing the need for creators to manage their online environment proactively. Reducing avenues for unwanted contact, like scrutinizing a following list, is a small but potentially significant step.

Current Limitations on Instagram

So, we've talked about why you might want more privacy around your following list. Now, let's look at the reality of the Instagram platform itself. It's important to understand what you can and can't do directly within the app's settings.

No Native Feature to Hide Following List

This is the most crucial point to understand: Instagram does not offer a specific setting to make your following list invisible if your account is public.

If your profile is set to 'Public' (which is common and often necessary for influencers aiming for broad reach), anyone who visits your profile can tap on your 'Following' count and see the list of accounts you follow. There's no toggle switch, no checkbox, no secret menu option to simply hide this list while keeping everything else public.

Why is this the case? Instagram's platform is largely built on discoverability and connection. Seeing who others follow is one way users find new accounts and understand people's interests. From Instagram's perspective, this transparency fosters community and network growth. While they have introduced more privacy controls over time (like 'Close Friends' or 'Restrict'), hiding the following list for public accounts hasn't been one of them, likely because it runs counter to this core philosophy of open discovery.

So, if you're looking for a single button to click and solve this, unfortunately, it doesn't exist for public profiles. This means we need to look at workarounds and alternative strategies to achieve a similar effect of increased privacy, even if it's not through a direct 'hide' function.

Visibility of Following List

Let's be crystal clear about who can see what based on your account type:

Public Account: Anyone, whether they follow you or not, can visit your profile and view both your 'Followers' list and your 'Following' list. There's no distinction. A random visitor has the same access to these lists as your most loyal follower.

Private Account: Only followers you have approved can see your 'Following' list (and your posts/stories, etc.). People who don't follow you can see your profile picture, bio, and follower/following counts, but they cannot click into the lists or view your content.

This distinction is key. The only native Instagram method to completely restrict access to your following list for the general public and non-approved users is by setting your account to Private. We'll explore this method in detail shortly, but it comes with significant trade-offs for influencers focused on growth and visibility.

Understanding these built-in limitations is the first step. It sets realistic expectations and helps you choose the best strategy from the available options, rather than searching for a feature that isn't there. Now, let's move on to the practical methods you can use!

How To Hide Your Following List On Instagram From Followers?

Okay, so Instagram doesn't give us that one-click 'hide following' button for public accounts. But don't lose hope! There are several effective strategies you can use to control who sees your list and generally enhance your privacy. Let's break them down, method by method.

Method #1: Set Your Account to Private

This is the most direct and comprehensive way to hide your following list from anyone you haven't personally approved. It essentially puts a gate around your entire profile.

Steps to Enable a Private Account:

It's super simple to switch:

• Go to Your Profile: Tap your profile picture in the bottom right corner of the app.
• Open the Menu: Tap the three horizontal lines (often called the "hamburger menu") in the top right corner.
• Select 'Settings and privacy': This might just say 'Settings' on older versions, but it's usually the first or second option.
• Tap 'Account privacy': You'll likely find this under the 'Who can see your content' section.
• Toggle on 'Private Account': Slide the switch to the right. It will likely turn blue. Instagram might ask you to confirm.

Implications:

Switching to private has some major effects you need to consider carefully, especially as an influencer:

• Visibility Control (Pro): Success! Only people you approve can see who you follow, your posts, your stories, Reels, etc. This achieves the core goal of hiding your following list from the general public and unapproved followers. ✅
• Follower Requests (Pro & Con): New people wanting to follow you must send a request. You get to vet who joins your community (Pro 👍). However, managing these requests takes time and effort, especially if you get many (Con 👎). You might miss out on genuine followers if you don't check requests often.
• Existing Followers (Neutral/Con): Anyone who already follows you will still be able to see your following list and content. Switching to private doesn't automatically remove current followers. You'd need to manually remove anyone you no longer want having access (see Method #2).
• Discoverability & Reach (Major Con): This is the biggest drawback for most influencers. Private accounts don't appear in Explore feeds or hashtag searches for non-followers. Your content's reach is significantly limited to your existing approved audience. Gaining new followers becomes much harder as people can't stumble upon your content organically. Brands might also prefer public accounts for wider campaign reach. 📉
• Engagement (Potential Pro/Con): Some argue that private accounts foster a tighter-knit community with potentially higher engagement rates from dedicated followers. Others find growth stalls, leading to lower overall interaction numbers.

Who is this best for?

• Influencers prioritizing privacy and community over rapid growth.
• Micro-influencers with a very engaged, specific niche audience.
• Creators taking a temporary break or wanting more control during a sensitive period.
• Those using Instagram more personally than professionally.

The Bottom Line: Going private is the most effective way to hide your following list, but it comes at the cost of public visibility and organic growth. Weigh these trade-offs carefully against your current goals.

Method #2: Remove Unwanted Followers

Maybe going fully private feels too drastic. If your main concern is specific individuals seeing your following list (or your content), you can remove them from your followers list directly.

How to Remove Followers:

It's like tidying up your digital house:

• Go to Your Profile: Tap your profile picture.
• Tap 'Followers': This will show you the list of accounts following you.
• Find the Follower: Scroll through the list or use the search bar at the top to find the specific user you want to remove.
• Tap 'Remove': Next to their name, you'll see a 'Remove' button. Tap it.
• Confirm: Instagram will ask if you're sure. Tap 'Remove' again.

Considerations:

• No Notification (Pro): The best part? The removed follower is not notified that you've removed them. ✨ They won't get an alert. They might eventually notice they aren't seeing your posts anymore, but it's a discrete process.
• Loss of Access (Pro): Once removed, they can no longer see your posts or stories (unless your account is public, in which case they can still visit your profile but won't see your content in their feed). Crucially, if your account is private, a removed follower also loses access to your following list. If your account is public, they can still see your following list by visiting your profile, so this method alone doesn't hide the list from determined non-followers.
• Manual Process (Con): This is done on a case-by-case basis. If you want to prevent many people from seeing your list, this becomes incredibly time-consuming and impractical. 😩
• They Can Follow Again (Con): If your account is public, a removed follower can simply choose to follow you again. If your account is private, they can send another follow request (which you can then ignore or deny).

Who is this best for?

• Influencers with public accounts who want to stop specific individuals (e.g., annoying accounts, known trolls, perhaps an ex 👀) from easily seeing their content in their feed, without making their whole profile private.
• Influencers with private accounts who want to revoke access for certain existing followers.
• Regular clean-up of bot or inactive accounts.

The Bottom Line: Removing followers is a targeted approach. It's great for dealing with specific individuals but isn't a scalable solution for hiding your following list from your entire follower base or the public if your account remains public. It's more about curation than broad privacy.

Method #3: Block Specific Users

Blocking is a step stronger than removing. It creates a more complete barrier between you and another user.

Blocking Users:

Here's how to put up the digital wall:

• Go to the User's Profile: You need to navigate to the profile page of the person you want to block. You can search for their username.
• Tap the Three Dots: Look for the three dots (...) menu icon in the top right corner of their profile page.
• Select 'Block': Choose the 'Block' option from the menu.
• Confirm: Instagram will explain what blocking means and ask you to confirm. You might also see an option to block just this account or any future accounts they might create. Choose the appropriate option and confirm. 🚫

Effects:

Blocking has significant consequences:

• Mutual Invisibility (Pro): Once blocked, that user cannot find your profile, posts, or stories. They also cannot see your followers or following list. Importantly, you also won't be able to see their profile or content unless you unblock them. It's a two-way street.
• No Interaction (Pro): Blocked users cannot message you, tag you, mention you, or comment on your content (past comments might also disappear or become hidden).
• No Notification (Pro): Similar to removing, the blocked user is not notified directly. They might figure it out if they try to search for you or interact with you and find they can't.
• Group Chats (Nuance): You can remain in group chats with someone you've blocked, but Instagram will ask if you want to stay in the group. You won't see their messages in the chat if you stay.
• Doesn't Affect Others' View (Neutral): Blocking someone doesn't hide your following list from other people. It only prevents the blocked person from seeing it (and anything else about you).

Who is this best for?

• Dealing with harassment, persistent trolls, stalkers, or any user you absolutely do not want interacting with you or seeing your profile at all.
• Situations where removing isn't enough because the user keeps re-following (if public) or sending requests (if private).
• Creating a firm boundary with specific individuals.

The Bottom Line: Blocking is your strongest tool for cutting off access for specific users. It completely hides your profile, including your following list, from them. However, like removing, it's a targeted solution and doesn't hide your list from anyone else. Use it when necessary for safety and peace of mind.

Method #4: Use a Secondary Account (Finstagram)

Ah, the "Finsta" (Fake Instagram) or private secondary account! This strategy is popular for a reason. It's not about hiding the following list on your main influencer account, but about creating a separate, private space where you can follow accounts freely without impacting your public brand.

Creating a Secondary Account:

It’s like having a separate digital identity:

• Add Account: Go to your profile, tap your username at the top, and select 'Add Account'. Choose 'Create New Account'.
• Choose a Username: Pick something unrelated to your main account and not easily guessable.
• Set Up Profile: Add a profile picture and bio if you like, but keep it minimal and non-identifiable if maximum privacy is the goal.

!! IMPORTANT !! Set to Private IMMEDIATELY: Before you do anything else, go into Settings > Account privacy and toggle on 'Private Account' for this new profile. This is crucial.

• Use This Account for Personal Following: Now, use this private account to follow your close friends, family, guilty pleasure accounts, personal interests, etc.

Benefits:

• Main Account Stays Clean (Pro): Your primary influencer account's following list remains curated and professional, reflecting your brand. You don't have to worry about random follows confusing your audience. ✨
• True Privacy for Personal Connections (Pro): Your secondary account, being private, allows you to follow and interact more freely without public scrutiny. Only people you approve of can see who you follow there.
• Reduced Pressure (Pro): It separates your personal Browse and connection from your professional influencer work, which can be mentally refreshing.
• No Impact on Main Account Reach (Pro): Your main public account's visibility and growth potential remain unaffected.

Considerations:

• Managing Two Accounts (Con): It takes extra effort to switch between accounts and manage notifications for both.
• Potential for Discovery (Con): If you're not careful (e.g., linking accounts, phone contacts syncing, friends tagging the wrong account), people might still discover your Finsta.
• Authenticity Balance (Nuance): Some argue that keeping too much separate can feel less authentic. It's about finding a balance that feels right for you and your audience.

Who is this best for?

• Influencers who want to keep their personal online life strictly separate from their public brand.
• Creators who need to follow many accounts for personal reasons that don't align with their niche.
• Anyone feeling stressed about every follower on their main account being scrutinized.

The Bottom Line: A Finsta doesn't technically hide your main account's following list, but it offers a practical and popular workaround. It allows you to maintain a polished professional presence while satisfying your need for private connection and Browse elsewhere. This is often a great compromise for active influencers.

These four methods offer different levels of control and come with different trade-offs. Think about why you want more privacy and who you want it from. This will help you choose the method (or combination of methods) that best suits your specific needs as an influencer.

Alternative Strategies for Enhanced Privacy

Beyond the main methods of going private, removing/blocking users, or using a Finsta, Instagram offers a couple of other features that, while not hiding your following list directly, can significantly improve your privacy and control over interactions. Think of these as complementary tools in your privacy toolkit. 🛠️

1) Utilize Instagram's 'Close Friends' Feature

This feature is all about sharing your Stories more selectively. It doesn't touch your following list visibility, but it creates an inner circle for more personal or behind-the-scenes content.

Managing Story Visibility with Close Friends:

Create Your List:

• Go to your profile menu (three lines).
• Select 'Close Friends'.
• Tap 'Get Started' (if you haven't used it before).
• Search for and select the followers you want to add to this private list. They won't be notified when you add or remove them.
• Tap 'Done'.

Share a Story:

• Create a Story as usual (photo, video, text).
• Before posting, instead of tapping 'Your Story', tap the 'Close Friends' button (often a green circle with a white star).

How it Enhances Privacy/Control:

• Selective Sharing: You can share content that feels too personal or raw for your entire audience, knowing only your chosen group will see it. This could be personal life updates, unfiltered thoughts, sneak peeks, or testing content ideas.
• Builds Intimacy: Sharing exclusively with Close Friends can make those followers feel special and strengthen your connection with a core part of your community. 끈끈한 유대감! (Strong bond!)
• Reduces Pressure: You don't have to worry about every story being perfectly polished or brand-aligned when sharing just with this group.
• Indirect Privacy: While everyone can still see who you follow, you control who sees certain aspects of your life shared via Stories. This adds a significant layer of content privacy.

Who is this best for?

• Influencers who want to share more personal moments without broadcasting them to everyone.
• Creators looking to build a deeper relationship with their most engaged followers.
• Anyone wanting to test content ideas with a smaller, trusted group.

The Bottom Line: 'Close Friends' doesn't hide your following list, but it's a fantastic tool for managing content privacy within your existing follower base. Use it to carve out a more intimate space within your public profile.

2) Restrict Specific Accounts

'Restrict' is a softer alternative to blocking. It limits unwanted interactions from specific users without completely cutting them off or letting them know they've been restricted.

Restricting Users:

There are a few ways to restrict someone:

• From their Profile: Go to the user's profile > Tap the three dots (...) > Select 'Restrict'.
• From Comments: Swipe left on a comment they left on your post > Tap the exclamation mark (!) icon > Select 'Restrict [username]'.
• From DMs: Go to your DM inbox > Tap and hold the chat with the user > Select 'Restrict'.
• From Settings: Go to Settings > Privacy > Restricted Accounts > Search and add the user.

Implications of Restricting:

• Comment Moderation: Comments from restricted users on your posts will only be visible to them. You'll see a notification saying "Restricted comment" and can choose to 'See Comment', 'Approve' it (making it visible to everyone), 'Delete' it, or ignore it. This prevents potentially negative or unwanted comments from derailing your post's discussion without the user knowing others can't see it. Sneaky, but effective! 😉
• DM Filtering: Their direct messages will move to your 'Message Requests' folder. You won't receive notifications for their messages. You can read the messages without them seeing the 'Seen' status.
• Activity Status Hidden: They won't be able to see when you're online or if you've read their messages.
• No Notification: The restricted user is not notified that you've restricted them. Interactions just subtly change from their perspective.
• Following List Still Visible: Restricting someone does not hide your following list from them (if your account is public). They can still visit your profile and see it.

Who is this best for?

• Dealing with users who leave annoying, mildly inappropriate, or off-topic comments, but aren't necessarily harassing you to the point of blocking.
• Managing interactions with people you know in real life but find overwhelming online.
• Reducing unwanted DMs without completely blocking communication.
• Situations where blocking feels too harsh or might cause real-world awkwardness.

The Bottom Line: 'Restrict' is a nuanced tool for managing interactions, particularly comments and DMs, from specific users without them realizing they've been limited. It offers a layer of control and peace without the finality of blocking. Remember, it doesn't hide your following list, but it helps manage the consequences of unwanted attention that might stem from visibility.

By combining these alternative strategies with the primary methods (like using a Finsta or occasionally removing followers), you can create a much more controlled and comfortable environment on Instagram, balancing your public persona with your personal boundaries.

Conclusion (h2)

Navigating the balance between public engagement and personal privacy is a constant journey for influencers like you. That following list, seemingly small, can sometimes feel like a window into your world that you wish you had more control over. While Instagram doesn't currently offer that dream "hide following list" button for public accounts, you're definitely not powerless! 💪

We've walked through the main reasons why you might want this privacy – from protecting personal connections and maintaining professional boundaries to simply reducing unwanted interactions. We've also faced the reality of Instagram's limitations head-on.

The key takeaway is that you do have options. You can choose the most drastic, yet effective, route of setting your account to Private (Method #1), understanding the significant trade-off in reach and discoverability. For more targeted control, you can remove specific followers (Method #2) or block problematic users (Method #3), which are great for dealing with individuals but don't offer broad privacy for the list itself.

A hugely popular and practical strategy for many creators is using a secondary private account or "Finsta" (Method #4). This allows you to keep your main influencer account's following list clean and professional while giving you a truly private space to follow friends, family, and personal interests freely.

Don't forget the complementary tools! Leveraging Instagram's 'Close Friends' feature lets you share more personal Stories with a select group, adding a layer of content privacy. And the 'Restrict' function provides a subtle way to manage comments and DMs from specific users without the finality of blocking.

Ultimately, the "best" approach depends entirely on your specific needs, goals, and comfort level.

• Are you prioritizing maximum growth? A Finsta (Method 4) combined with occasional removing/blocking (Methods 2 & 3) and using 'Restrict'/'Close Friends' might be your best bet.
• Is your mental peace and privacy paramount right now? Going fully Private (Method 1) might be the right call, at least temporarily.
• Are you just dealing with a few specific annoyances? Removing (Method 2) or Restricting might be enough.
• Facing harassment? Blocking (Method 3) is essential.

Think about what feels most aligned with your brand and your personal well-being. There's no single right answer, only the right answer for you. Keep experimenting, stay informed about platform updates, and don't be afraid to adjust your strategy as your needs evolve. You've got this! Keep creating amazing content and building your community, but always remember to protect your space too. ✨

FAQs Related to Hiding Instagram Following List from Followers (h2)

Let's tackle some common questions people have about managing their following list privacy on Instagram:

1) How can I hide who I'm following on Instagram from my followers?

If you have a public Instagram account, there is no direct way to hide your entire 'Following' list from your current followers or the general public. Anyone visiting your profile can see it.

However, you have indirect options:

Switch to a Private Account (Method #1): This is the only way to completely hide your following list from anyone you haven't approved. Existing followers will still see it unless you remove them. New followers won't see it until you approve their request. This significantly impacts discoverability.

Use a Secondary Private Account / "Finsta" (Method #4): Keep your main account following a professional list and use a separate, private account to follow personal contacts or interests. Your main account's list remains visible, but your personal following activity is hidden on Finsta.

Block Specific Users (Method #3): You can block individual followers you don't want seeing your list (or anything else on your profile). This doesn't hide the list from other followers.

2) How do I hide my friends list from followers on Instagram?

Instagram doesn't really have a "friends list" in the way Facebook does. It has 'Followers' (people following you) and 'Following' (people you follow).

To hide who you are following (your 'Following' list) from specific followers: Your options are the same as in Q1: Go private, use a Finsta, or block specific individuals.

To hide who is following you (your 'Followers' list): Similar limitations apply. On a public account, anyone can see your Followers list. Switching to a Private Account (Method #1) is the only way to restrict viewing of your Followers list to only approved followers. Blocking specific users (Method #3) will also prevent them from seeing your Followers list.

3) How can I remove my following list on Instagram?

You cannot remove the 'Following' list feature itself from your Instagram profile. It's a standard part of every profile. You also cannot simply "clear" the list while remaining on the platform (unless you manually unfollow every single person, which isn't really removing the list feature).

The goal is usually not to remove the list entirely, but to control who sees it. Again, your main options for controlling visibility are:

Make the list viewable only by approved followers: Switch to a Private Account (Method #1).

Prevent specific individuals from seeing it: Block them (Method #3).

Keep your personal follows separate: Use a Finsta (Method #4).

4) How do I hide my following activity on Instagram?

This question can mean a couple of things:

Hiding who you follow (your Following list): Refer to the answers in Q1 and Q2 (Go Private, Finsta, Block).

Hiding your activity status (showing when you're online): This is a separate privacy setting! You can turn off your activity status so followers (and people you DM) can't see when you were last active or if you're currently online.

• Go to Settings > Messages and story replies > Show activity status.
• Toggle 'Show activity status' OFF.

Note: If you turn this off, you also won't be able to see the activity status of other accounts.

Hiding your likes or comments: You generally cannot hide your likes on others' posts (though Instagram has experimented with hiding like counts). Your comments are visible on public posts. On private accounts you follow, your interactions are visible to other approved followers of that account. Restricting someone (Alternative Strategy #2) hides their comments on your posts from others, but doesn't hide your activity elsewhere.

Essentially, for hiding the list of people you follow, your main tools are account privacy settings (Private vs. Public), blocking, or using a secondary account. For hiding general online activity, check your 'Activity Status' settings.