How to stop people from mentioning you on Instagram

While we all enjoy getting a notification when someone ‘likes’ our post on Instagram, have you opened the app to find out that a random person has mentioned you in a comment? Sometimes it’s probably just a mistake, and sometimes it could be an annoying friend. So what can you do about it? Is there a way to stop people from mentioning you on Instagram? Read on to find out!

What is a ‘Mention’ on Instagram

Mentioning is a form of tagging; however, it differs in its purpose. When you tag a person, you are indicating that you are present with the person (ideally), however, mention is used to chat directly with (or reply to) a particular person. You can mention people in Stories, comments, and captions. Tapping on a mention takes you to the user’s profile.

When you mention a person on Instagram, they get a notification letting them know (similar to a tag). However, this only applies if the person allows mentions.

Who can mention me on Instagram

Instagram lets you choose the audience that you allow to mention you. By default, Instagram allows everyone to mention you in their stories, comments, and captions, irrespective of whether you follow them or not.

There are three options to choose from: Everyone, People you follow, and No one. If you enable the third option, no user will be able to mention you. When they try to @yourusername they will be notified that you do not allow mentions.

How to stop being mentioned on Instagram

Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent individual people from mentioning you. If you are getting mentioned by random people, you can change your audience for who can mention you. To do so, follow this simple guide below.

Launch the Instagram app, and go to your profile by tapping your profile image in the bottom right corner. Tap the hamburger menu in the top right corner.

In the slide-out menu, select ‘Settings’.

Go to Privacy > Mentions. Now select ‘People You Follow’.

Once enabled, only the accounts that you follow can @yourusername. If you do not want anyone to be able to mention you, select the ‘No One’ option.

How to stop someone from mentioning you on Instagram

You can block anyone who you don’t want to be mentioning you. A blocked account cannot mention you. However, you will no longer be able to see each other’s posts or find each other on Instagram at all. To block an account, go to the account in question, tap the three dots in the top right corner, and select ‘Block’.

Can you remove a mention on Instagram?

Unfortunately, there is no way to remove yourself from a mention. Unlike a tag, which you can remove by simply tapping the post, a mention is part of the caption, and therefore cannot be removed.

If you block an account after the user has mentioned you, your profile will still remain in their mention. However, once you block them, they will not be able to mention you in their story, caption, or comments.

It seems strange that Instagram would not provide an option to remove a mention. For now, other than changing your audience, all you can do is message the user and request them to remove the mention. If you have any queries feel free to reach out to us in the comments below.

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