How to turn off or pause Instagram notifications

Instagram may notify you when someone follows you or asks to, likes or comments on your post, mentions or tags you, sends you a message or goes live. It says an AI system decides which posts and activity you're notified about.

1. Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right.
2. Tap Menu in the top right.
3. Below How you use Instagram, tap Notifications.

Sources: Instagram Help Centre: Manage push notifications you receive, checked 15 October 2026; Instagram Help Centre: How notifications work on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026; Instagram Help Centre: When Instagram sends push notifications to your device, checked 15 October 2026

1. Go to your profile and tap Menu.
2. Below How you use Instagram, tap Notifications.
3. Tap the toggle next to Pause push notifications and choose a time.
4. To turn off one type, tap that setting below Pause push notifications and switch it off.

Source: Instagram Help Centre: Mute push notifications on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026

People aren't told when you change this. You have to do it one profile at a time. Instagram may still notify you when someone shares for the first time in a while, whatever your setting.

1. Go to their profile.
2. Tap Notifications in the top right.
3. Tap next to Posts, Stories, Reels or Live videos.
4. Choose the option you prefer.

Source: Instagram Help Centre: Turn notifications on or off for someone that you follow on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026

You stay in the conversation but stop getting its notifications.

1. Tap Messages at the bottom.
2. Open the group chat.
3. Tap the group name at the top, then Mute.
4. Turn on Mute messages, Mute @mentions or Mute calls.

Source: Instagram Help Centre: Mute group chat notifications on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026

Sleep mode pauses notifications, auto-replies to people who message you and shows In sleep mode, with a moon icon, as your activity status. It can run for up to 24 hours each day, and you get a summary when it ends. Teen accounts are put in sleep mode from 22:00 to 07:00 by default.

1. Go to your profile and tap Menu.
2. In Settings and activity, tap Time management.
3. Tap Sleep mode and turn it on.
4. Choose the days and times, then tap the back arrow. Changes save automatically.

Source: Instagram Help Centre: Turn sleep mode on or off on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026

Our advice for a business: keep message and comment notifications on during opening hours, and use sleep mode for evenings rather than switching everything off.

• Someone posted for the first time in a while. Instagram may notify you even with notifications off for them
• You're seeing someone else's account. If they logged in on your phone, ask them to use another phone, or turn off push notifications for that account
• It's a group chat. Mute the chat itself
• The pause ran out. Pause push notifications only lasts for the time you choose

Sources: Instagram Help Centre: Turn notifications on or off for someone that you follow on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026; Instagram Help Centre: If you're getting someone else's push notifications from Instagram, checked 15 October 2026; Instagram Help Centre: Mute group chat notifications on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026; Instagram Help Centre: Mute push notifications on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026

Disclosure: this is our product. Zolyp plans, writes and designs your Instagram posts and publishes them once you approve, so you can pause notifications without falling behind on posting. There's a 3-day free trial, no card required.