Instagram regularly shows profiles under the label “Suggested for you”. You cannot turn these suggestions off completely with one single button, but you can remove them, limit them and show Instagram that there are certain people you would rather not see. You can do this by removing individual suggestions, turning off contact syncing, deleting shared contacts and checking your Facebook or Messenger connection.<\/p>\n
This feature is meant to help you discover new people. Still, it does not always feel useful. Sometimes you see old acquaintances, colleagues, people you deliberately do not follow or profiles you are simply not interested in. Luckily, you have more control than it may seem at first.<\/p>\n
In this guide, we explain clearly what suggested people are, how to remove them and which settings you can change to get fewer unwanted suggestions.<\/p>\n
Suggested people are profiles that Instagram recommends based on what Instagram knows about your account and how you use the app. So it does not necessarily mean these people have searched for you. Instagram is mainly trying to guess which accounts may be interesting to you.<\/p>\n
You can find these suggestions in several places:<\/p>\n
Instagram may use information such as:<\/p>\n
That is also why suggestions can sometimes feel surprisingly close to home. If Instagram has access to your contacts, or if your Facebook and Instagram accounts are connected, the app can more easily show people you know outside Instagram.<\/p>\n
Yes, you can remove individual suggested people. Instagram usually offers a button next to the suggested profile. You may see an X, a three dots icon or the option “Not interested”. By tapping this, you tell Instagram that you do not want to see that profile as a suggestion anymore.<\/p>\n
Important to know: this removes one suggestion. It does not turn off all suggestions. Instagram can still suggest other profiles later, especially if your contacts, searches or followers give it a reason to do so.<\/p>\n
So it is best to see this as cleaning up and guiding Instagram at the same time. You remove what you do not want to see and give Instagram a small signal for future recommendations.<\/p>\n
Want to remove a profile from “Suggested for you”? Follow these steps:<\/p>\n
Instagram will then be less likely to show that specific profile again. In many cases, the profile disappears from the list right away. Still, similar profiles may keep appearing if Instagram thinks they match your interests.<\/p>\n
Does the same person come back anyway? Check whether that person is in your phone contacts, whether you searched for them before or whether you have many mutual followers. Things like this can make Instagram keep suggesting someone again.<\/p>\n
There is no switch that lets you fully turn off all suggested people on Instagram. You can, however, make sure Instagram uses less information for suggestions. As a result, the recommendations often become less personal and less noticeable.<\/p>\n
The most important things you can do are:<\/p>\n
Instagram can use your phone book to recommend people you may know. If you have ever allowed contact syncing, Instagram may suggest profiles of people whose phone number or email address is saved on your phone.<\/p>\n
Here is how to limit this:<\/p>\n
The exact menu names can change a little because Instagram moves settings from time to time. If you cannot find it, search within the settings for words such as “contacts”, “upload contacts” or “manage contacts”. For official guidance, you can also check the Instagram Help Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n Please note: if you only turn off contact syncing, contacts you shared earlier are not always deleted right away. So also check whether you can remove uploaded contact information separately.<\/p>\n A connected Facebook account can lead to extra suggestions. Instagram and Facebook are both part of Meta, so linked accounts are sometimes used to show people you may know or similar profiles.<\/p>\n Here is how to check this:<\/p>\n After disconnecting, you may still see suggestions, but Instagram will have less information from Facebook to rely on.<\/p>\n Instagram learns from what you do in the app. If you often view profiles of people you actually do not want to see, similar accounts can keep coming back. Likes, comments, follows and searches also play a role.<\/p>\n This can help make your suggestions calmer:<\/p>\n Want to clean up your search suggestions too? You can do this in your Instagram settings by clearing your search history. This can be especially useful if the same names keep coming back as soon as you type something into the search bar.<\/p>\n You cannot turn them off completely, but you can limit the recommendations a lot. It is best to adjust several settings at the same time. Removing one single suggestion helps in that moment, but it does not immediately change what Instagram bases its suggestions on.<\/p>\n Use this short checklist:<\/p>\n Then give it a little time. Instagram does not always update suggestions everywhere at once. Sometimes you may still see older names in your inbox, while in other places you already get fewer suggestions.<\/p>\n Suggestions based on contacts usually appear because you have given Instagram access to your phone book. Because of this, the app can suggest people whose phone number or email address is saved in your contact list, or the other way around.<\/p>\n This is usually how you remove these contacts:<\/p>\n This means people from your phone book will no longer be automatically suggested in the same way. Some people may still appear, for example because you have mutual followers or because you viewed their profile before.<\/p>\n Also check Instagram permissions on your phone. On iPhone and Android, you can often manage whether Instagram has access to your contacts in your device settings. If you remove that access, you reduce the chance of sharing contacts again by mistake.<\/p>\n Even if you remove suggestions or delete contacts, Instagram can still show new profiles. That is because Instagram does not look at just one thing. The app considers several signals at the same time.<\/p>\n You may keep seeing suggested people because of:<\/p>\n New users, changed profiles and popular accounts in your area can also cause other suggestions to appear again. That does not mean your settings are not working. It mainly means Instagram is always trying to fill new recommendation spots.<\/p>\n If you really do not want to come across a specific person anymore, you can block them. That is a stronger step than removing a suggestion. Use blocking mainly if you are sure you no longer want contact or visibility between you and that person.<\/p>\n Sometimes Instagram shows suggestions when you want to send a new private message. You may see names in your DM screen, even if you do not plan to message that person.<\/p>\n These suggestions can be based on:<\/p>\n The same rule applies here: removing everything completely is usually not possible, but you can limit it.<\/p>\n If you keep seeing an old chat or name, deleting the conversation and clearing your search history may help. Keep in mind that Instagram may still show suggestions if you have many mutual connections.<\/p>\n Tap the X, the three dots menu or the option next to the profile, then choose “Not interested” or “Remove”. The profile will then disappear from that list of suggestions.<\/p>\n You cannot turn them off completely. You can limit suggestions by deleting contacts, turning off contact syncing, disconnecting Facebook and interacting less with profiles you no longer want to see.<\/p>\n Instagram keeps suggesting new profiles based on what you like, view, follow and search for. Mutual followers, contacts and connected accounts can also have an influence.<\/p>\n Yes, blocked users usually no longer appear as suggestions. Blocking is especially useful if you are sure you do not want to see that person anymore or let them view your profile.<\/p>\n No. Search results appear when you type something into the search bar. Suggested contacts are recommendations that Instagram shows on its own, for example in your inbox, on profiles or under “Suggested for you”.<\/p>\n No. If you remove a suggested profile or choose “Not interested”, that person does not get a notification.<\/p>\n The “Suggested for you” feature on Instagram is based on information Instagram has about your account, contacts and activity. You can remove individual suggestions, but you cannot fully turn the feature off permanently.<\/p>\n By handling your settings smartly, you can get much more control. Turning off contact syncing, deleting shared contacts and checking your Facebook connection often make a clear difference.<\/p>\n2. Disconnect Facebook and Messenger<\/h3>\n
\n
3. Adjust your behavior<\/h3>\n
\n
How can I turn off suggested people on Instagram?<\/h2>\n
\n
How do you remove suggestions based on contacts?<\/h2>\n
\n
Why do I keep seeing suggested people?<\/h2>\n
\n
Suggestions in Direct Messages, DMs<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
Frequently asked questions, FAQ<\/h2>\n
How do you remove Suggested for you on Instagram?<\/h3>\n
How can I turn off suggested people on Instagram?<\/h3>\n
Why do new suggestions appear after removing old ones?<\/h3>\n
Can I block someone to prevent suggestions?<\/h3>\n
Are suggested contacts the same as search results?<\/h3>\n
Can someone see that I removed them from my suggestions?<\/h3>\n
What you can do to limit Instagram suggestions<\/h2>\n