Since Instagram wants you to stay connected with all of your contacts, you will receive suggestions for other Instagram accounts in almost every part of the app. While Instagram suggestions can be handy, they also tend to include users you don’t plan on engaging with. Whether you want to protect your privacy or simply clear your list of suggestions, you should know how to delete suggested accounts on your Instagram.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to delete suggestions on Instagram on iPhone and Android devices. This includes suggested followers, suggested chats in direct messages, and search suggestions.
How to Delete Suggestions in Instagram Messages
Almost every time you scroll through your Instagram feed, the Suggestions for You banner will show up between two posts. It’s a horizontal list of accounts Instagram suggests you follow. While there is no way to remove the banner, you can remove each suggestion manually by tapping on the X in the upper-right corner of each profile box. But, as you remove three recommendations from the banner, three more will pop up.
You have the option to tap on the See All tab in the upper-right corner of the banner. This will direct you to a list of all the Instagram accounts recommended for you. While you can view your suggestions here, you won’t be able to remove them.
Suggestions can also appear in your direct messages. Although, this usually only happens to Instagram users who don’t have a lot of chats in the direct messages tab. Therefore, one of the easiest ways to remove suggestions from your direct messages is simply chatting with more Instagram users. However, this may not be an option for everyone, especially private accounts that don’t have a lot of followers.
There is a workaround to delete the suggestions. It involves clearing the Instagram cache from your mobile device.
iPhone
To clear the cache on Instagram, all you need to do is delete the search history on the app. However, this may not remove suggestions from your messages. If you want to clear the Instagram cache from your iPhone, the only way to do it is by deleting and reinstalling the app. Here’s how it’s done:
- Press and hold the Instagram icon on your home screen.
- Select Remove App from the pop-up menu.
- Confirm that you want to delete Instagram.
- Go to the App Store.
- Search for Instagram.
- Reinstall the app.
- Sign in to your account once again.
There shouldn’t be any more suggestions in your direct messages on Instagram.
Android
Unlike iPhones, Androids do allow you to clear your Instagram cache without having to delete the app. Follow the steps below to find out how it’s done:
- Open Settings on your Android device.
- Navigate to the Storage tab on the menu.
- Proceed to Other Apps.
- Locate Instagram on the list of apps and tap on it.
- Select Clear Cache on the app details page.
- Confirm that you want to clear the cache.
That’s about it. When you return to the app, you will notice that there are no more suggestions in your direct messages.
How to Delete Search Suggestions on Instagram
When you search for a particular account on Instagram, it won’t be added to the Recent list unless you go to their profile. If you want to remove your search suggestions, there are two ways to do it. One method requires you to go to your Search tab and remove suggestions manually. The second method includes clearing your entire search history from your Settings.
iPhone
To remove your search suggestions in Instagram on your iPhone, this is what you need to do:
- Open Instagram on your iPhone.
- Tap on the magnifying glass icon on the bottom menu.
- Go to the Search tab at the top of the screen.
- Tap on the X next to each search suggestion.
- Select the See All option in the upper-right corner if you want to remove all your search suggestions at once.
- Continue to Clear All in the top-right corner of your screen.
- Select the Clear All button on the pop-up window.
The next time you go to the Search bar, you won’t have any search suggestions. There is another way to clear your search history on Instagram. Follow the steps below to find out how to do it on an iPhone:
- Launch Instagram.
- Tap on your profile picture in the bottom-right corner of the menu.
- Select the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
- Choose Settings from the list of options.
- Proceed to the Security tab.
- Go to Clear Search History at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap on the Clear All option in the upper-right corner.
- Tap Clear All on the pop-up window to confirm that you want to clear your search history.
Once you clear your entire search history on Instagram, you won’t be able to undo this. When you start searching for different Instagram accounts and going to their profiles, they’ll be added to the Recent list all over again.
Android
If you want to delete search suggestions in Instagram on your Android, here’s what you need to do:
- Open the Instagram app on your Android.
- Tap on the magnifying glass icon on the bottom menu.
- Tap on the Search tab at the top of the screen.
- Manually remove each search suggestion by tapping on the X next to their usernames.
- Go to the See All option if you want to remove all of your suggestions at once.
- Proceed to the Clear All button in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Confirm that you want to clear all of your suggestions.
That’s all there is to it. If you want to go a step further, you can clear your entire search history on Instagram. Here’s how it’s done on an Android:
- Open the app.
- Tap on the person icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
- Continue to the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner of your profile.
- Select the Settings tab on the menu.
- Choose the Security option.
- Proceed to Search history at the bottom of the list of options.
- Go to Clear All in the upper-right corner of the screen.
- Confirm that you want to clear your search history.
It will take Instagram no time to clear your search history, no matter how many profiles you have searched for up till now.
Remove Unnecessary Suggestions on Instagram
There are many reasons why you might want to delete suggestions from your direct messages or search history. Whether it’s for privacy purposes, to remove users you won’t likely follow, or if you want to make your feed more organized, deleting suggestions isn’t difficult. But no matter how many times you delete recommendations, Instagram will keep suggesting new ones.
Have you ever deleted suggestions on your Instagram account before? What method did you choose to remove them? Let us know in the comments section below.
