Instagram is experimenting with a feature that would allow users to remove themselves from another person’s Close Friends list. The change would give users more control over private social sharing without notifying the list owner
Instagram is testing a small but potentially meaningful change to how private sharing works on its platform: the ability for users to quietly remove themselves from someone else’s Close Friends list.
If rolled out broadly, the feature would address a long-standing asymmetry in Instagram’s design. Currently, users can curate their own Close Friends lists but have no direct way to opt out of appearing on someone else’s — even if the content makes them uncomfortable.
Why this change matters
Close Friends was introduced to make sharing more intimate, but in practice it has created social pressure. Being added to someone’s private list can feel flattering — or intrusive — depending on context.
By allowing users to exit silently, Instagram would be acknowledging that consent in social media is not static, and that privacy tools should account for shifting relationships.
The feature also reflects a broader trend toward giving users more granular control without triggering social conflict.
How it fits Meta’s broader strategy
Meta has increasingly emphasized private sharing, messaging, and smaller audience interactions as public feeds become more crowded and performative.
At the same time, regulators and researchers have criticized social platforms for design choices that prioritize engagement over user comfort.
A quiet opt-out mechanism allows Instagram to improve user well-being without fundamentally changing its engagement model — a balance Meta has been trying to strike across its products.
What’s still unclear
Instagram has not said when or if the feature will launch globally. As with many tested features, it could remain limited or be shelved based on user feedback.
Still, the test itself signals growing sensitivity to how social pressure operates inside “private” digital spaces.
