Without social media, modern life feels lacking. Whether it’s the impulse to share images from your travels abroad or the ongoing need to update your friends on your everyday activities. This entire exercise not only boosts our dopamine levels but also keeps us linked to others online.
The disadvantage of being a member of the social media community, with a focus on the photo-sharing app Instagram, is that you have to figure out how to deal with some of the bad actors that plague the network. It may be a stalker, someone who is bothering you, or even just someone you don’t want in your online group. Instagram addicts! Continue reading for Top 6 Tips to Stay Safe And Secure on Instagram in 2022.
1. Don’t add your phone number to your profile
There are a couple of fields toward the bottom of your profile form that Instagram labels as “private information.” Less is more when it comes to revealing this kind of information. Even though Instagram has designated your phone number as private, the service still uses it to make it easier for people to “find” you on the network, per the privacy policy. Therefore, if you have this information included, anyone who just so happens to have your phone number could use it to attempt and find your personal Instagram account. It’s better to remove it.
2. Make your account private
One of the greatest ways to ensure that others cannot view your Instagram posts is to make your account private. If you just want to communicate with those in your circle of friends and followers, you can set your account to ‘Private’ by going to the app’s Settings>Privacy>Account Privacy and then toggle the Private Account option.
If your account is private, new followers must first be approved before they may see your pictures and videos. Additionally, only followers who have been approved will be able to DM you. Additionally, if you choose a private account, Google will not add your images and videos to Google Images.
3. Location or not
Sometimes it feels like naming the location is half the joy of uploading a fantastic photo to Instagram, especially if it’s somewhere brag-worthy from a recent visit.
But while you go about your more routine existence, perhaps posting from a handful of your usual hangouts every day, keep in mind that total strangers are learning where and sometimes when you can be located (if your profile is set to Public).
Go easy on location tagging in your Instagram pictures, especially if you prefer to publish your photos spontaneously. It’s not a good idea to announce publicly on Facebook that your home will be unoccupied for weeks while you’re on vacation, just as it’s not a good idea to do the same on Facebook.
4. check those linked accounts
You can choose to broadcast your Instagram images to a range of networks and new audiences if you connect your Instagram account to your Facebook, Twitter, or other social media account.
Do you want all of your Instagram photographs to appear as public on your usually friends-only Facebook account? If so, make sure the privacy settings on your linked account reflect your intentions. Should Grandma have access to your party photos? Verify again the privacy and security settings on each account that is connected to your Instagram page.
5. Monitor comments and stories
You have control over who may and cannot watch your stories on Instagram. By hitting the three dots in the top-right corner of your post and choosing the “Turn Off Commenting” option, you can also disable interactions and comments on your articles.
Additionally, you have the opportunity to hide specific terms, create content filters, and block particular accounts. You can decide who is allowed to comment on your posts if your account is public.To toggle these options, go to Settings > Privacy > Comments. You can choose who can share your stories in the Settings section as well as hide your stories from particular individuals.
6. Mute accounts
Instead of turning on the Restrict option, you can more subtly restrict an account’s content by making it so that you no longer see its updates on your timeline. Additionally, Instagram won’t alert those you’ve muted.
By tapping the three-dot menu on an account, you can mute that account. You can choose to silence the person who is messaging you by tapping the information button (i) in the top right corner of Direct Messages.
General Guidelines to follow before posting on Instagram
- Avoid including private information in your pictures or captions.
- Don’t reveal your location.
- Avoid using hashtags that could reveal personal information whenever you can (or the location).
- Post no provoking or violent images.
- Never publish images of other individuals without their permission.
- Do not engage in online bullying.
- Parents, if possible, avoid from posting images of your children online or only do so occasionally.