- Best Friends lets you share Stories and Reels with only the people you select.
- Complete privacy: only you can view and edit the list, with no notifications.
- You can modify the list at any time, adding or removing contacts as you wish.
- Best Friends now also works with Instagram Reels.
Instagram continues to solidify its position as one of the most popular social media platforms worldwide, especially among young people. Thanks to its numerous features for interacting, sharing visual content, and building lasting connections, the platform continues to introduce tools that enhance privacy and personalize the user experience. Among its most popular options is the Close Friends feature , which allows users to create a select circle of people to share stories and, more recently, reels with exclusively. If you're wondering what Close Friends are and how to use them on Instagram , this article provides a complete, detailed, and up-to-date guide to help you get the most out of this feature, increase your privacy, and customize who sees your most personal content.
What is the Best Friends feature on Instagram?
Instagram's Close Friends feature allows users to create a custom, private list within the platform, to which they can manually add selected contacts. This list offers the ability to share exclusive content, such as Stories or Reels, only with the people included in this group. In other words, you can choose who sees your most personal posts without restricting general access to your profile or followers.
This feature stems from the need to maintain a certain level of privacy on an increasingly social and massive network, where we don't always want to share everything with all our followers. This way, you can reserve your most intimate, fun, or exclusive moments only for those people you truly trust. Only you can see, edit, or delete your Close Friends list, and no one receives notifications when they are added or removed, guaranteeing complete and discreet control.
Originally, this list was only available for sharing Stories , but now you can also use it to share Reels , thus adapting to new forms of expression and content consumption within the social network.
In addition to the privacy benefits, the Close Friends list helps intelligently manage the reach of your posts , allowing you to precisely decide who can see certain stories or reels, while the rest of your followers will have no indication of this private content.
Advantages of creating a Best Friends list on Instagram
Using the Close Friends feature brings multiple benefits, both on a personal level and in terms of social interaction on the platform:
- advanced privacy: Control who sees your most personal content without having to make your account private or restrict followers. This way, you can share intimate or exclusive moments with a small group.
- Audience Personalization: Segment your posts and show Stories or Reels only to those you choose. This feature is ideal for separating your public and private lives or for sharing specific content with friends or family.
- full flexibility: You can modify your list at any time, adding or removing people easily and discreetly, without anyone receiving notifications or messages about the changes you make.
- Creative freedom: It allows you to experiment with more fun, informal, or spontaneous content, without worrying about the opinion of the general public or your professional or work followers.
- Share stories, reels, and exclusive content: With the integration of Reels, you can now leverage the feature for more dynamic, viral, or personal multimedia content.
How does privacy work in Best Friends?
One of the key aspects of the feature is how it protects the privacy of the user and their close circle. When you add or remove someone from your Close Friends list:
- Nobody receives any notifications about the changes.
- Only you can see the full list of Best Friends; not even the members themselves can see who else is in that group.
- When you post an exclusive story or reel, those chosen will see a green ring around your profile picture in the stories tray, identifying content reserved for this group, and sometimes a “Best Friends” tag on the content itself.
- The list can be edited at any time, easily and without leaving any trace that notifies the user of the addition or deletion.
This makes the Close Friends feature a confidential , secure, and efficient method for managing the visibility of your most personal posts.
Step by Step: How to Create and Set Up Your Best Friends List on Instagram
Setting up and maintaining your Best Friends list is a very intuitive and quick process. We'll explain in detail how to do it from the Instagram mobile app:
- Open the Instagram app from your mobile device and access your profile by tapping your photo at the bottom of the screen.
- Press the menu icon (the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner of your profile).
- Select option "Best friends" in the drop-down menu.
- A screen will open with two tabs: Suggestions y Your list:
- Under “Suggestions,” you’ll see users Instagram considers relevant to add.
- In “Your List” you can view and manage the people who are already your Best Friends.
- Add or remove users whichever you prefer. Just tap the “Add” button next to the desired contact, or “Remove” to remove them from the list.
- When you're done customizing your list, tap "Done" To save the changes.
You can update your list as many times as you like, at any time. New contacts will be able to see your Stories and Reels posted in the last 24 hours, even if they weren't part of the list from the start.
How to add people to your Best Friends list?
To get started with the feature and customize your exclusive circle, follow this process:
- Open Instagram and access your profile.
- From the menu (three lines), select “Best Friends.”
- Under “Suggestions,” tap “Add” next to the people you want to include.
- At any time, you can check the “Your List” tab to see who is already part of your special circle and remove anyone you want.
You can add any contact who follows your account , although it's not recommended to add users who aren't followers, as they probably won't see your posts.
How to remove people from the Best Friends list?
Removing someone from your list is just as easy and discreet as adding them:
- Open the “Best Friends” section in your profile menu.
- In the “Your List” tab, locate the user you want to delete.
- Tap the “Delete” button next to their name.
- Repeat the process with as many people as you want to remove.
Remember that Instagram never sends notifications when you remove or add someone to your list, so your contacts won't know if they've been removed or added unless they deduce it through other means.
How to post exclusive stories and reels for Best Friends?
Once you've created your custom list, posting exclusive content is easy:
- Create a new story or reel as you normally would on Instagram.
- Edit, add effects, music, or stickers to your content.
- On the pre-share screen, you will see the option "Best friends" next to the “Your Story” option.
- Select “Best Friends” and post the content.
Only users on your list will be able to view this content. Your other followers won't have access to it or even know it's been posted.
When you post to Close Friends, your profile will be highlighted with a green circle for those selected. Additionally, a small "Close Friends" label will usually appear in the story or reel to identify the content as exclusive.
How do you know if you're on someone's Best Friends list?
For privacy reasons and to prevent potential conflicts or misunderstandings, Instagram doesn't directly show whether you're on another user's Close Friends list . However, there are visual details that can give you a clue:
- When a story is exclusive to Best Friends, you'll see a green circle around the profile picture of the user who publishes it in the stories tray.
- When you open the story, it usually appears a green “Best Friends” tag in the top corner.
If you see these indicators, it's because that user has added you to their Close Friends circle. Keep in mind that Close Friends stories can alternate with regular stories , so you might only see the green circle occasionally.
There's no other way, app, or method to find out if you've been added or removed from someone's Best Friends list, and Instagram takes special care to ensure the privacy of all users.
Tips for making the most of Instagram's Best Friends feature
- Update your list regularly to keep it relevant and aligned with your current interests or changes in your relationships.
- Take advantage of privacy to share unique moments, inside jokes, important announcements, or more personal content without worrying about public exposure.
- Segment your audience If you have friends, family, and coworkers as followers: avoid mixing professional and personal content.
- Remember the new members of the list You'll be able to see Stories and Reels posted for Best Friends in the last 24 hours, even if they were added after they were posted.
- Use the feature in Reels to share more creative videos, memes, or viral trends with just your trusted circle.
What's New: Best Friends and Instagram Reels
Instagram has expanded the Close Friends feature to Reels . Now, in addition to Stories, you can share Reels exclusively with this group . The process is identical to Stories: simply select "Close Friends" when posting.
This integration with Reels allows you to enjoy:
- Viral content only for a select group, such as memes, short videos, behind-the-scenes moments, or personal vlogs.
- Tests and experiments with new video styles or trends before publishing them to your entire audience.
- Greater control over your public image If you are a content creator, influencer, or simply prefer to separate your audience.
In addition, you can update your Close Friends list at any time without limits or notifications, allowing you to always have control over who you share your private reels with.
Errors, frequently asked questions and good practices
- Can best friends see if they're on the list? Aside from visual indicators on received Stories and Reels, users have no way to view the list and will not receive any notifications.
- Is there a limit to the number of people on the list? Instagram doesn't have a strict limit; you can add as many users as you want.
- Can regular posts only be shared with Best Friends? Currently, the option is only enabled for Stories and Reels.
- How do I know if I was deleted? There's no way to know unless you stop seeing stories with the green circle or the "Best Friends" label.
- Can I add someone who doesn't follow me? Yes, but it's not recommended, as they probably won't see your stories unless they choose to follow you.
The Close Friends feature on Instagram is presented as an essential tool for managing the privacy and personalization of your posts on the social network. It allows you to create a select and dynamic circle where you can share exclusive content with complete control and confidence. Thanks to its integration with Stories and Reels, you can adapt your digital presence to your needs and those of your circle, combining fun, intimacy, and protection of your privacy.
