Instagram is an app that’s very easy to use. However, due to the huge number of updates the platform is constantly getting, there are some terms we don’t all understand. For example, what does block, mute and hide mean? Aren’t they all the same? Well, despite being Instagram common terms, most people don’t know the difference between them. As a matter of fact, some users get confused quite often.
So, today we are going to explain the difference between all of these terms, as well as taking a look at why so many people get confused when talking about them.
The Reason Behind The Confusion
As mentioned before, many people get confused about these terms. But why? How is it that some users think they are the same? Well, despite having a few differences, these terms do actually have something in common. As a matter of fact, they all are similar in matters of allowing you to restrict content from accounts you are not too interested in.
However, even though these terms share this one similarity, they do also have their differences. And here’s what you need to know about them.
Block
So, the first term on our list is “block”. Blocking someone on Instagram is like keeping this person in the dark. For example, when you block a follower, he or she will no longer be able to see anything you post.
They could visit your profile, yet all they would see is the follower and following count. Of course, the following option is also going to be present. However, even if they were to click on it, it wouldn’t have any effect.
Now, keep in mind that blocking a person on Instagram has effects on both sides. In other words, neither of you will receive messages or notifications from the other.
Finally, you can block a person out of your account, or you can simple block them from commenting on your posts. Either way, the choice is yours.
Mute
The second term on the list is mute. So, what is the difference between blocking and muting someone on Instagram? Well, muting a person on Instagram works just like the block function but with a small difference.
For example, when you decide to mute a follower, what you’re doing is restricting the content this person posts from appearing on your feed. But, unlike the blocking mechanism this only works one way.
Muting someone just restricts their content from appearing on your feed, but doesn’t stop them from still being able to see what you post on their feeds.
Hide
Finally, let’s talk about the hiding feature. Currently, there’s no way to hide your posts from a selected number of people. Nevertheless, you can still hide your stories from certain followers.
Now, hiding a story from a follower is to simply prevent them from seeing what you share but without blocking them. You can easily do this by using the close friends feature or the classic way. The classic way is to basically go to your story settings and individually select the people you want to hide your stories from.
Conclusion
Long story short, all three terms are similar yet different. Blocking refers to the restriction of two people to see the content of the other. Muting is sort of the same, but with the difference that only one person will no longer see the posts of the other.
And last of all, hiding refers to preventing someone from seeing your stories without having to block them. Fortunately, one good side of all these functions is that the person whom you are blocking, muting, or hiding your stories from will not even know you have chosen to restrict the connection between their account and yours.
