Who You Might Know on Instagram in 2024 Meaning : What & How? (Steps to Turn It Off NOW)
What is 'Who You Might Know is On Instagram'?
Are you curious to discover who you might know on Instagram? If you are an avid user of this social media platform, you must be aware of the feature "who you might know is on Instagram." It notifies you about the suggested accounts that you might be interested in following. But do you know how it works? In this blog, we will share with you all the details about this feature.
The suggested accounts could be anyone, even from another part of the world. Instagram has an algorithm that finds and recommends accounts to you, which sometimes involve unique, and at times questionable, methods that infringe on your privacy.
Instagram uses various criteria to determine the suggested accounts, including the accounts you already follow, people who follow you, and people who graduated from the same high school as you. All these accounts are included in the "Who You Might Know is On Instagram" feature.
Tip: If you are worried that people will be notified when you join Instagram with a new account that you don't want people to know about, we have got you covered. Check out our article to learn everything about it.
| Criteria | Examples |
|---|---|
| Accounts you already follow | Friends, family, celebrities, influencers |
| People who follow you | Friends of friends, acquaintances, colleagues |
| People who graduated from the same high school as you | Former classmates, alumni, teachers |
Read below now to know how the "Who You Might Know is On Instagram" works Happy Instagramming!
Suspenseful Secrets Revealed: How Instagram's "Who You May Know" Algorithm Works
Instagram has a unique algorithm that helps you to find new friends to follow. The app’s “Who You Might Know is On Instagram” feature is known to provide you with an endless supply of potential new friends. But have you ever wondered how it works?
Here are some secrets that you might not have known about Instagram’s algorithm:
1. You Have Mutual Followers
If you and your friends follow some of the same accounts, then Instagram might suggest people you should follow based on your mutual friends. This feature works by suggesting people who have three or more mutual followers with you. This way, you can connect with more people on the app.
2. Someone You are Close With Follows Them
If you are very close with someone on Instagram, then the app might suggest people they follow or who follow them. Instagram notes who you tag the most in your posts, stories, or who you direct message the most. Based on this, it can suggest people who are closer to you than others.
3. They are In Your Contacts
Instagram also suggests people you should follow based on your phone contacts. If someone is in your contact list and they are on Instagram, the app will suggest you follow them.
4. You are In Their Contacts
Similarly, if someone has your number and you both have your contacts synced with Instagram, the app may suggest that you follow each other.
5. You are Friends on Facebook
Instagram syncs with other social media platforms, such as Facebook, to suggest people you should follow. If you have connected your account to Facebook and your Facebook friends have connected their accounts as well, Instagram will suggest you follow each other.
6. You have Followed Them Before
If you have followed someone in the past, but have since unfollowed them, Instagram might still suggest them to you. The app remembers that you did follow them previously and will recommend that you follow them again.
7. Your Close Instagram Friends Interact With Their Post
If your close friends interact with another user’s post, Instagram might suggest that you follow that user. This is because the app assumes that you know virtually anyone your close friends follow.
8. Instagram Knows You Live Close Together
Instagram uses location services to suggest people you should follow. If you and other users are consistently posting from the same location, Instagram will suggest that you follow each other.
9. They Have Similar Interests
Instagram also analyzes the content you engage with and the hashtags you use to determine what your interests are.
If someone consistently posts content related to the same topics you engage with, Instagram may suggest them to you as a potential account to follow.
This is because the algorithm assumes that you share similar interests with this user and may want to see more of their content.
10. They Are Popular Accounts
Finally, Instagram may suggest popular accounts to follow based on their overall popularity and engagement.
These accounts may be well-known influencers or celebrities, but they also may be accounts that are popular within your specific social circle or niche community.
Instagram wants to provide you with content that you are likely to enjoy, so they may suggest popular accounts that are relevant to your interests or social connections.
| Reason for Suggestion | Description |
|---|---|
| You Have Mutual Followers | If you and another user have multiple mutual followers, Instagram may suggest that you follow each other. |
| Someone You are Close With Follows Them | If you frequently interact with an account that follows or is followed by another user, Instagram may suggest that you follow them as well. |
| They are In Your Contacts | If someone in your phone contacts is also on Instagram, the platform may suggest that you follow them. |
| You are In Their Contacts | If someone has your phone number saved in their contacts and is also on Instagram, the platform may suggest that you follow them. |
| You are Friends on Facebook | If you have connected your Facebook account to Instagram and have Facebook friends who are also on Instagram, the platform may suggest that you follow each other. |
| You Followed Them Before | If you previously followed an account but unfollowed them, Instagram may suggest that you follow them again. |
| Your Close Instagram Friends Interact With Their Post | If someone you have designated as a "close friend" interacts with an account's post, Instagram may suggest that you follow them as well. |
| Instagram Knows You Live Close Together | If you and another user consistently post content with location tags in the same area, Instagram may suggest that you follow each other. |
| They Have Similar Interests | If someone frequently posts content related to topics you engage with, Instagram may suggest that you follow them. |
| They Are Popular Accounts | If an account is popular within your social circle or niche community, Instagram may suggest that you follow them based on their overall popularity and engagement. |
How to Turn Off “Who You Might Know on Instagram”
Are you tired of seeing annoying accounts on Instagram under “Who You Might Know is On Instagram”? Well, there is only one, but incredibly simple way, to truly make sure you never have to see it again. But, there are also other ways in which you can limit the amount of profiles Instagram wants you to follow.
1. It Can Only Be Turned Off On Browser
To turn off the feature, you need to access a computer, laptop, or desktop and head on over to Instagram.com. Log in to your profile and select "Settings". Scroll down to the bottom of the page and uncheck "Include your account when recommending similar accounts people might want to follow".
2. Unfriend Everyone on Facebook
Since Facebook helps recommend people to be added to your “Who You Might Know is On Instagram” list on Instagram, one way to make these people stop appearing is unadding all of your friends on Facebook. Open Facebook and go to "Friends". Tap on each person's three dots and choose "Unfriend".
3. Remove People From Your Contacts
Delete any contacts you wouldn't want to follow on Instagram or numbers you no longer need. The less information you give up to Instagram, the less they will know about your life outside of the app. This will also help clear up your life in general as contacts tend to build up over time.
4. Unfollow People on Instagram So They Don’t Come Up As Mutual Friends
If you see people you don't know on your “Who You Might Know is On Instagram” page, unfollow those accounts. Open the Instagram app, go to "Following", search for the accounts, and click "Unfollow". You can also select "Followers", find the same accounts, and select "Remove" next to their usernames.
5. Remove Your Education On Facebook
Your education being included on Facebook leads to even more people being added into your “Who You Might Know is On Instagram” section. Removing your education from the app will help limit the amount of recommended accounts you see. Go to your profile and select "Edit Profile". Right below your name, click on "Education and Work" and delete your education history.
| Method | Benefits |
| Turn off "Who You Might Know" feature on browser | Stop seeing recommended profiles on Instagram |
| Unfriend everyone on Facebook | Stop Facebook from recommending people on Instagram |
| Remove people from your contacts | Less information given to Instagram and declutter contacts |
| Unfollow people on Instagram | Remove unwanted followers and limit recommended profiles on Instagram |
| Remove your education on Facebook | Limit recommended accounts on Instagram by deleting education history on Facebook |
FAQ on Who you might know is on Instagram
FAQ on Who you might know is on Instagram
Have you ever wondered who searches for you on Instagram? Or, how to turn off similar account suggestions on Instagram? Let’s explore some frequently asked questions about the Instagram app.
If you search someone on Instagram, will they know in 2024?
Instagram knows very well if somebody searches us on Instagram and views our profile without sending us a request but never shares this data with Instagram users. Hence, we can never come to know who searches on Instagram.
How do you know if someone is stalking you on Instagram?
We can never come to know if someone is stalking us on Instagram as the data privacy of the Instagram app never permits Instagram to share this information with its users.
Why does Instagram show who you might know?
Instagram has this feature called ‘who you might know on Instagram’ to help users find their friends, colleagues, relatives, and acquaintances on Instagram. Due to this feature, we can easily send a request to follow other known accounts.
How to turn off similar account suggestions on Instagram?
If you don't want to receive similar account suggestions, then you should unfollow those Instagram users whose similar account suggestions are being notified by Instagram to you.
How do come in someone’s suggestions on Instagram?
You can come in someone’s suggestions on Instagram if he/she has saved your phone number on his/her Android phone. If you are added to their Facebook friend list, then Instagram will also suggest your name to them.
How do you delete an Instagram account without logging in?
You will never be able to know who visited your profile until that user sends you a request to follow you on Instagram. There is no feature of knowing this detail till now because Instagram ensures the safety of the Instagram user’s accounts first.
Does Instagram suggest users who search for you?
No, the Instagram app never suggests users who search for you. Their search history will not be used by the app for suggesting the names of friends for you. Instagram keeps this information secret.
Who you might know is on Instagram meaning?
It means that Instagram will suggest ‘People who you might know is on Instagram’ to notify you of your closed contacts’ accounts that can be followed by you on Instagram. This feature makes your search for your friends easy.
How to stop Instagram from suggesting my account to my contacts?
You should delete the contacts of those phone numbers on your Android phone whom you don’t want to see in your suggesting friends’ list. Besides this, you can also delete some friends from your Facebook friend list to stop using this feature.
