Amidst all the updates Instagram has made, expanding its Close Friends feature to Posts and Reels is an absolute godsend. This new IG update essentially makes Finstas (or Fake Instagram for those unfamiliar) obsolete, making users more authentic with their posts.
Finstas rose to prominence in 2021 and refers to Instagram accounts where users dump their non-curated, non-aesthetic posts. Think of it as an “unfiltered” version of Instagram that’s meant for your real-life friends.
Close Friends has been on Instagram since 2018, but the feature was initially limited to stories. To recall, Close Friends is a user’s curated list of followers that they are comfortable with letting them view their stories (in this case, posts and reels as well).
To enable the feature, you click on the Audience Tab before sharing your post and tick the Close Friends icon. Once published, your post will have a green box with a white star, which indicates that said post is only viewable to your followers under your Close Friends List. Those in your Close Friends list will see that green star icon to remind that you are special to them.
In order to use the updated Close Friends feature, make sure to update your Instagram to the latest version.
Here’s how to create your Close Friends list on Instagram:
- Tap your Profile Picture at the bottom and go to your profile
- Tap the three bars icon on the top right and go to Close Friends
- Choose which of your followers will be part of your Close Friends list
- Tap Done to apply the changes
