Here’s How to Unmute Someone on Instagram

Profile photo of Karen Lin, author

Karen Lin

Instagram 101 | Nov 27, 2024

Want More Real Instagram Followers?

Many users have reported issues with the sound not working on Instagram. They’re not sure how to to unmute someone on Instagram and engage fully with their audience. There are several ways to enhance your user experience on Instagram. Customizing your story feed is one such option. You can choose whose stories you want to see more of. You can also decide which stories are irrelevant and you can do without. 

You don’t have to unfollow or block someone to avoid seeing their stories on Instagram. Fortunately, there’s the mute option. If Instagram sound isn’t working, check if you’ve accidentally muted someone. Then, how do you go about the process of unmuting posts? Let’s dive into how to unmute people on Instagram.

Sound mixing board with knobs and sliders, showing “Mute” audio controls.

How to Unmute Someone’s Story on Instagram

It is important to understand Instagram impressions. This measures how many times a post has been viewed on the platform. Muting someone’s stories naturally decreases your level of engagement with them. Unmuting stories on Instagram will increase your engagement as it can earn you a reciprocal view of your stories. 

There are many reasons to learn how to unmute someone’s story on IG. Perhaps you simply want to keep your story feed limited to a select few. For instance, your family and closest friends. Maybe you don’t think a person’s stories are adding any value to your experience on the platform. Or, perhaps, there are certain things you want to avoid. 

Whatever your reason, when you’re ready to broaden your Instagram horizons once again. Learning how to unmute stories on Instagram is fairly easy! There are several ways to go about it. Keep reading to find out how to unmute Instagram stories.

How to Unmute on IG via a Muted Story on the Homepage

  1. At the top of your feed, swipe left and scroll toward the end of Instagram’s stories feed.
  2. When you reach the end, you’ll see all the muted stories in gray.
  3. Search for the account you want to unmute. 
  4. Hold your finger on the account you want to unmute. A pop-up menu will appear at the bottom of the page.
  5. Select ‘Unmute story’ from the two options. You will start seeing the account’s stories again every time they’re updated. 

Unmute Instagram Story via the Person’s Profile

  1. Go to the profile of the account in question. 
  2. Tap on the “Following” button; a pop-up menu will appear. 
  3. Tap on the ‘Mute’ option; another menu will appear. 
  4. Tap on the toggle button next to the stories to disable “Mute.” The button should turn blue to indicate that their stories are “on” again

Alternatively, here is another way how to unmute on Instagram. You can locate the story icon on the top left corner of their profile and hold your finger to it. Then tap the three dots on the top right, and select “Unmute story”. 

How to Unmute Notes on Instagram

Before we get into how to unmute someone’s Instagram Notes, we first have to explain what it is. In mid-December 2022, the Instagram app rolled out the Instagram notes feature. It’s a space for your friends to share their thoughts in 60 characters or less. 

Instagram Notes is a call-back to the original days of X (formerly Twitter), Facebook status updates, and AIM statuses. You can share Notes with any Instagram account that follows you and whom you follow back. If you were getting too many Instagram notes, you may have muted the feature. To get it back, here’s how to unmute notes on Instagram:

  1. To unmute notes on IG, first log in to your account or tap to open the app.
  2. Navigate to your feed and press the magnifying glass icon located near the bottom.
  3. In the search bar at the top, type in the username of the person you want to unmute. Select their name.
  4. Hit the “Following” button under their bio and then tap mute.
  5. Click or tap “Mute Notes” and exit their profile.

A stack of colored post-it notes on a table with a pen resting on top.

How to Unmute on IG Through Your Account Settings 

  1. Go to your profile. Click on the three horizontal lines in the top right corner to go to “Settings”.
  2. Scroll down and select “Muted accounts.” 
  3. The account/s you have muted will appear. 
  4. Tap on the account you want to unmute to visit their profile. 
  5. Tap on the “Following” button. 
  6. Select “Mute” from the menu. 
  7. Tap on the toggle button to turn their stories back on. 

How Do You Unmute Someone on Instagram Older Version

If you’re still using an older version of Instagram, the unmute options above will not work. Here’s how to unhide someone’s story on Instagram or unmute their posts:

  1. Visit the Instagram profile you want to unmute. 
  2. You’ll find a note below the person’s bio and above their highlights, which says, “You have muted [username]’s story.” Tap on “Unmute,”

Now you know the answer to “How do you unmute someone on Instagram?” From now on, you’ll be able to see all their posts or stories with no problems.

Silver Samsung laptop with the Instagram login page on the screen.

How to Unmute Someone on Instagram: Final Thoughts

Unfollowing or blocking someone on Instagram are not the only options to avoid seeing their stories or posts. You can simply tap mute on their stories, and they won’t even know about it. If you wish to get updates from them again, unmuting their posts or stories is quick and easy! 

Now you know how to unmute someone on Instagram, why not start growing your social media following? If you need help building your following, try Path Social. Our in-house platform of Instagram influencers and proprietary AI targeting algorithm has the power to fire up your follower count. Sign up today!

FAQs

What happens when you mute someone on Instagram?

When you mute someone on Instagram, their posts or stories won’t show on your feed anymore. They will still be able to see your posts and you can still visit each other’s profiles. Instagram will not notify someone if you mute them.

How do I unmute someone on Instagram?

Visit their profile and tap on the “Following” button. A pop-up menu will appear. Tap on “Mute”, then toggle off the switches for posts or stories. You can also unmute someone through your account settings. Go to your profile, then tap the three horizontal lines in the top right to access “Settings”. Go to “Muted Accounts”. Find the account you want to unmute then tap to unmute their posts

How to unhide story on Instagram?

To unhide a story, go to the user’s profile. Tap on the “Following” button and a pop-up menu will appear.  Tap on the ‘Mute’ option.Tap on the toggle button next to the stories to disable “Mute.” The button should turn blue – this shows that their stories will now be visible to you.