What Does Green Ring Around Instagram Story Mean

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✎ Key Takes:

» Close friends’ Instagram stories are distinguished by a green ring surrounding their profile pictures in the story section.
» To remove the green ring from their stories, utilize the “Mute” option by tapping and holding their profile picture in the story section.

» To eliminate the green circle around stories, mute the person’s story using the mentioned method, and the green ring will vanish.

What Does Green Ring Around Instagram Story Mean:


This indicates that the individual who posted the story has opted to share a private story exclusively with a chosen group of individuals. The presence of a green circle around their profile picture signifies that the story is restricted and not visible to all their followers.

Observing a green ring around someone’s Instagram story indicates that you are not part of their Close Friends list. They have deliberately selected to share that story with a limited audience.

Additionally, keep in mind that you can curate your own Close Friends list on Instagram. This feature enables you to share stories solely with a selected set of followers. You have the flexibility to add or remove individuals from this list as desired to manage who views your private stories.

Nevertheless, it’s crucial to respect others’ decisions regarding their Close Friends list. Just because you notice a green ring around someone’s story doesn’t imply you should request inclusion.

What Makes Someone A Close Friend On Instagram:


The person who engages with you regularly, checking your social media updates, tagging you in memes, sharing relatable posts, and more. The list of interactions is endless.

Manually, those you’ve designated as close friends will be identified with a green circle.

Close friends on Instagram resemble best friends on the platform, interacting by liking, sharing, and commenting on each other’s posts.


1. Daily Chat on DM
The individuals you engage with daily in Direct Messages (DMs) on Instagram are considered your close friends. These are the ones you share memes with, tag in related posts, and chat with regularly.

2. Likes Each Other’s Stuff Close friends on Instagram are those who consistently like and comment on each other’s posts. This mutual interaction extends to both liking and commenting on each other’s uploads, indicating a close friendship.

3. Reactions to Every Post or Story Some individuals, both in real life and on social media, consistently comment on every post and react to every story. These individuals are typically your close friends, showing consistent engagement and interest in your content.

According to Instagram’s algorithm, users who engage in daily chat, share memes, like each other’s posts, and react to every post and story are categorized as close friends.

How To Get Rid Of The Green Circle On Instagram:

Following are the simple methods to get rid of the green circle around stories on Instagram.

1. Mute the Person’s Stories


You can mute someone without removing them from your list.

By muting someone’s story, their posts will no longer appear in your story tab. The remarkable part is that the person won’t be notified that you’ve muted their story.


Now, let’s walk through the steps to mute someone’s story:

🔴 Follow These Steps:

Step 1: First, open the Instagram app and navigate to the ‘home’ page, where stories are displayed at the top.

Step 2: Next, locate the stories section and find the person’s story you wish to mute.

Step 3: Then, tap and hold their profile picture, causing options to appear at the bottom of the screen.

Step 4: Now, tap on “Mute” and select “Mute Story”.

That’s it.

Please note that for this method to work, the person must have uploaded a story. This approach is effective for removing someone’s stories and the associated green circle.

2. Block them from your Instagram

When you block someone on your Instagram account, you won’t be able to see their new or old posts, stories, highlights, or any content related to their profile. Essentially, that person becomes completely invisible to you on Instagram.

Here are the steps to block someone from your account:

🔴 Follow These Steps:

Step 1: Open your Instagram app and navigate to the profile of the person you want to block.

Step 2: On their profile page, in the top right-most corner, you will see “Three Dots”. Click on it.

Step 3: From the options that appear, tap on “Block” and select ‘Block [username]’ (second option), then hit the ‘Block’ button at the bottom.

Now, that person will only be visible in your block list and nowhere else.

3. Unfollow them on Instagram

The second most effective method to remove someone’s story and the green circle is to ‘Unfollow’ them from your account. It doesn’t matter if they follow you back.

Stories and posts only show up on your feed if you follow the person; otherwise, their content won’t appear in your feed.

Now, let’s walk through the steps to unfollow someone on Instagram from your account:


🔴 Follow These Steps:

Step 1: Open the Instagram app and navigate to that person’s Instagram profile.

Step 2: Open their profile and click on the drop-down arrow next to ‘Following’.

Step 3: When you click on ‘Following’ or its drop-down arrow, several options will appear on the screen.

Step 4: Click on “Unfollow”, then click on “Unfollow” again, and you’re done.

From now on, that person’s story and pictures will not appear in your feeds.

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