What Does "Who You Might Know Is on Instagram" Mean?

This is Instagram's friend suggestion feature. It uses data signals to recommend accounts you may have a real-world connection with.

How Instagram Knows

Phone contacts — Synced contacts matched to Instagram accounts
Facebook connections — Cross-referenced via Meta
Mutual followers — Many shared connections
Email contacts — Linked email addresses
Location data — Frequent same-location signals

How to Stop It

Remove synced contacts (Settings → Account → Contacts Syncing → Off)
Disconnect Facebook
Dismiss individual suggestions

Instagram does NOT notify users when they appear in someone else's suggestions.

Editorial transparency: This article was drafted with AI assistance using IQ Hashtags' internal platform data and research, then reviewed and edited for accuracy by Ewa Suwińska, Editorial Lead at IQ Hashtags. Last reviewed: 2026-09-22. Learn about our editorial process →

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