“Who You Might Know is on Instagram” (Feature Explained)

“Who You Might Know is on Instagram” is a feature designed to expand your social network on the platform. This feature suggests profiles to follow based on data like your contacts, friends on Facebook, and previous interactions within the app.  

This feature can help users find people they might know in real life but haven’t connected with on Instagram yet.  

How Does “Who You Might Know is on Instagram” Work? 

More than just a friend-finding algorithm, this feature is a sophisticated system that intertwines various data points to present potential new connections. These elements work in harmony to curate a list of individuals you may know.

  1. Phone Contacts: Instagram accesses your phone’s contact list to suggest connections.
  2. Facebook Integration: If your Instagram is linked to Facebook, friends there might appear as suggestions on Instagram.
  3. App Activity: Your search history, likes, comments, and follows within Instagram influence the suggestions.
  4. Second Accounts: If someone you already follow creates a new account, it may appear as a suggestion.

Concerns and Implications on Your Privacy  

This feature, while useful for networking, raises privacy concerns. Users may not always want their social media connections interlinked, especially across different platforms.  

The use of personal data, such as phone contacts and Facebook friends, for these suggestions, can also be a point of contention for those concerned about data privacy. 

Managing the “Who You Might Know is on Instagram” Feature 

Users can manage or limit this feature by adjusting their privacy settings. Here are some adjustments you can make: 

  • Unlinking Facebook accounts  
    1. Tap your profile picture.  
    2. Tap the hamburger button (three horizontal lines) on the upper right.  
    3. Go to Settings and Privacy.  
    4. Go to Account.  
    5. Go to Sharing to Other Apps, then tap Facebook. 
    6. Tap Unlink (Android) or Unlink Account (iOS). 
    7. Tap Yes, I’m sure.
  • Limit access to phone contacts
    1. Tap your profile picture.  
    1. Tap the hamburger button (three horizontal lines) on the upper right.  
    1. Go to Settings and Privacy.  
    1. Go to Accounts Center. 
    1. Go to Your information and permissions.  
    1. Go to Upload contacts.  
    1. Choose the Instagram account you want to control contacts for.  
    1. Switch off Connect contacts.
  • Turn off account suggestions 
    1. Open your Instagram account on your browser. 
    1. Tap the hamburger button (three horizontal lines) on the lower left. 
    1. Go to Settings. 
    1. Scroll down the Edit profile interface until you see Show account suggestions on profiles.  
    1. Turn off the Show account suggestions on profiles. This will stop your account from suggesting other profiles and being suggested on other profiles.

Dave's goal is to help people better understand the hardware, software, and devices they use every day. On Cyber Risk he shares his knowledge on network security and computer hardware.