How to see only people you follow on Instagram (Following feed, 2026)
Tap Instagram at the top left of your feed and choose Following. You'll see posts and reels only from accounts you follow, newest first, with no suggested posts, going back 30 days. We could not find a setting in Instagram's help that makes Following the feed Instagram opens with, so you pick it again when you come back. The Reels tab and Explore stay as they are. To open Instagram without suggested posts, Reels and Explore every time, hide them in minulo for free. Your DMs keep working.
Written by Ayumu Kitabayashi, the developer of minulo. Facts about Instagram come from the sources listed below, checked on 2026-10-23. Menu names can change with app updates.
| Method | What it does | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Following (tap Instagram at the top left) | Posts and reels from accounts you follow, newest first, no suggested posts, going back 30 days. | You choose it each time. The Reels tab and Explore stay. |
| Favorites (same menu) | Only accounts on your Favorites list, up to 50. Their posts also rank higher in your main feed. | You choose it each time. Only the people you added. |
| Snooze suggested posts (Options › Not interested) | Pauses suggested posts in your main feed for 30 days. | Comes back after 30 days. Reels and Explore are not covered. |
| minulo (free) | Opens Instagram with suggested posts, Reels and Explore hidden, every time. DMs keep working. | The official Instagram app itself does not change. |
How to switch to the Following feed
- Open Instagram and go to your feed (the home tab).
- Tap Instagram at the top left.
- Tap Following.
Posts and reels from accounts you follow appear with the newest at the top. Meta says there are no suggested posts in this view and that it goes back 30 days, so scrolling to the end catches you up on what you missed.
How to set up Favorites
Favorites is a shorter list for the people you never want to miss.
- Tap Instagram at the top left of your feed, then tap Favorites.
- Tap Favorites list at the top right.
- Tap Search, find the account and tap Add account. To take someone off, tap Remove.
Meta says you can add up to 50 accounts and people are not notified when you add or remove them. Posts from your favorites also show up higher in your main feed.
Can Following be the default?
We could not find a setting for this in Instagram's help as of October 2026. The help page on Feed says that when you exit and reopen Instagram or refresh your feed, the posts predicted to be most relevant to you appear toward the top. So expect to land on the regular feed and choose Following again.
If what you want is fewer suggested posts in the regular feed, you can snooze them for 30 days from Options › Not interested on a suggested post. See how to hide suggested posts on Instagram.
What Following does not change
Following only changes your feed. The Reels tab and Explore keep recommending content from accounts you don't follow. You can change what they show with Not interested or reset your recommendations, but the tabs stay. Instagram has no setting that removes them; see how to hide the Explore page.
Keep it to people you follow with minulo
minulo opens Instagram's official website inside the app. In its Instagram settings, tap the gear next to Instagram and turn on what to hide: suggested posts, Reels and Explore tabs, Stories, or every tab but DMs. It stays that way every time you open Instagram in minulo, so there is nothing to pick again. DMs, posts from people you follow and search keep working.
Hiding is free. Blocking the official Instagram app with Screen Time is free for up to 2 hours per block; while it is blocked, its notifications don't arrive. minulo Pro adds schedules by day and time, longer blocks, Hard Mode and multiple block lists.
How do I see only posts from people I follow on Instagram?
Tap Instagram at the top left of your feed, then tap Following. Instagram's help says this shows posts from people you follow, with newer posts at the top. Meta says there are no suggested posts in this view and you can see the last 30 days.
Can I make Instagram open to the Following feed by default?
We could not find a setting for this in Instagram's help as of October 2026. Instagram's help on Feed says that when you close and reopen Instagram or refresh your feed, the posts it predicts are most relevant to you appear toward the top. Plan on choosing Following again when you come back.
What is the difference between Following and Favorites?
Following shows posts from everyone you follow. Favorites shows only the accounts you add to your Favorites list, up to 50, and their posts also appear higher in your main feed. Both are in time order and open from the Instagram menu at the top of your feed.
Does the Following feed get rid of Reels and Explore?
No. Following changes your feed only. The Reels tab and Explore still show recommendations from accounts you don't follow. To hide them, open Instagram in an app that hides Reels and Explore, such as minulo, where this is free.
How do I use Instagram without the algorithm?
Instagram has no switch that turns recommendations off everywhere. The Following and Favorites feeds are in time order, but Reels and Explore are still ranked for you. In minulo you can hide suggested posts, Reels and Explore for free, so what is left is your DMs, posts from people you follow and search.
Sources
- Instagram Help: Only see posts and reels from people you follow on Instagram
- Instagram Help: Make posts from certain people appear higher in your Instagram feed
- Instagram Help: How Instagram Feed works
- Instagram Help: Hide suggested posts in your Instagram Feed
- Meta (2022-03-23): Two new ways to control your Instagram feed (Favorites and Following)
- Meta (2022-08-30): Following has no suggested posts and shows the last 30 days
- App Store (US): minulo
