How to Turn Off Instagram Notifications

Instagram sends several kinds of alerts. A like on your post, a reply to your Story, a new message, and a Story published by an account you follow may each be controlled in a different place. Start by identifying which alert is interrupting you. That lets you turn down one category while keeping the updates you still want.

The controls you see can vary by device, account type, and app version. If a label below differs on your screen, look for Notifications in Instagram settings and for the notification control on the relevant person's profile. You can also use your phone's notification settings to stop Instagram alerts from appearing outside the app.

Pause Instagram push notifications

Open Instagram, go to your profile, open the menu, and choose Notifications. You may see an option to pause push notifications for a period or a sleep mode for scheduled quiet time. Choose the available option that matches how long you want a break.

A temporary pause is useful when you want quiet time without changing every category. Check its duration before relying on it: when the pause ends, the category settings you previously selected can resume. A pause of push alerts also does not mean that messages, likes, or other activity have stopped happening on your account.

If you cannot find the pause control in the app, check whether you are in the correct account and whether your app is current. The settings screen on a desktop browser can look different from the phone app.

Choose which account activity triggers alerts

Within Notifications, Instagram groups settings by activity. Meta's help identifies categories such as Posts, stories and comments, Messages, Following and followers, and Live and reels. Open the category that matches the alert you want to change, review the choices on your screen, and save or select the level you want.

For example, if you want fewer alerts about activity on your own posts or Stories, inspect Posts, stories and comments. If what you call a “Story notification” is actually a direct reply sent to your inbox, inspect Messages as well. Those are different events, and muting one category may leave the other intact. Options can also differ by account type, so avoid assuming that every account has every switch.

Change one category at a time, then observe the result. If you turn off every alert at once, it becomes hard to tell which setting addressed the interruption and whether you also silenced a message you wanted to receive.

Turn off Story alerts from one account

There is another meaning of “Story notifications”: alerts when a particular account you follow publishes a new Story. Instagram provides per-account notification controls for this situation.

Find the account's profile in the app. Open its notification control, commonly shown as a bell, and look for Stories. Turn that alert off if it is enabled. This targets updates from that account instead of turning off all Instagram notifications or all activity related to your own Stories. You can revisit the profile to turn it on again.

If the account's profile has no notification control, check that you are viewing the intended account and that you follow it. Meta describes these per-account content alerts for accounts you follow. The position and appearance of the control may change between app versions.

Stop Instagram alerts on your phone

Your phone's operating system has its own permission for Instagram notifications. Use the phone's Settings, find the installed Instagram app, and open Notifications. From there, you may be able to turn off all device alerts or adjust their presentation, such as banners or sounds. The exact controls depend on iOS or Android and its version.

This is the broadest option. It can quiet several Instagram push categories at once, including categories you might prefer to keep. It also does not delete Instagram activity. When you return to the app, you can still check your inbox and account activity.

If Instagram's in-app switches appear correct but a banner still arrives, inspect both the Instagram category and your phone's permission. If the problem concerns only one creator's Story, use that creator's profile setting first. If it concerns a reply to your own Story, inspect the activity and message categories before disabling everything on the device.

A quick way to choose the right control

Ask what the alert is about: your content, a message, one other account's new Story, or all phone banners. Use the matching setting above. This small distinction is more reliable than searching for a single universal “Story notifications” switch, because Instagram treats those events separately. Settings may change, so use the current labels displayed in your account as the final guide.

Quick answers

Why am I still seeing activity after pausing notifications? A push pause quiets an alert channel; it does not prevent someone from sending a message, replying to a Story, or liking a post. Open the activity or message category in Instagram to see what happened. If you only wanted a quieter phone, that is expected behavior.

Can I stop alerts for one person's Stories without muting everyone? Check the notification control on that person's profile and turn off Stories if the option is available. Do not use the phone-wide Instagram permission for a one-account problem; it affects other useful alerts too. Instagram's notification help explains the available categories.

Why does my phone still show a banner after I changed Instagram settings? Confirm which Instagram account generated it, check that alert category in the app, then inspect your device's notification permission. An email, text message, or alert from another Meta app may have a different setting.