Last Updated on May 7, 2025 by Val Razo
In today’s digital age, protecting your Instagram account and controlling who views your most personal photos and videos is more important than ever — especially for influencers. Instagram’s latest privacy features now allow users to create Face ID protected highlights exclusively for VIP followers, giving you better control over your Instagram profile visibility. Whether you’re running a private account or managing content across your main account, this feature helps prevent fake accounts from gaining full access to your exclusive content. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to enable Instagram Face ID protected highlights for VIP followers only, step by step — and why this matters if you’re serious about content creation, privacy, and building deeper connections with your audience.
What Are Instagram Face ID Protected Highlights?
As Instagram evolves, so do its privacy tools — and one of the most advanced features currently being tested is Face ID protected highlights. These highlights add an extra layer of biometric security to your most important Instagram stories, ensuring only approved VIP followers can access them. For influencers, this is a major step toward protecting sensitive data, exclusive content, and maintaining boundaries between public and private life.
How Face ID Works on Instagram
Face ID is a biometric authentication system integrated with the Instagram app, primarily available on the latest iPhones. When enabled, only users whose devices recognize their facial features will be able to access certain story highlights. These stories can include pictures and videos from events, behind-the-scenes content, or any other posts you want to restrict from general followers.
For now, this feature isn’t available to every user — it appears to be gradually rolling out or being tested in limited markets. If your Instagram account has access, you’ll find the Face ID toggle when editing highlight settings.
This level of protection prevents fake profiles and phishing scams from viewing your highlights, which is crucial for influencers managing private Instagram accounts or trying to keep sensitive content away from prying eyes.
Benefits of Face ID Highlights for Influencers
For influencers, Face ID highlights are more than just a gimmick — they’re a strategic privacy move. Many influencers share sneak peeks of brand deals, collaborations, or personal moments with trusted followers. By using Face ID, only your most loyal or paying fans — often categorized as VIP followers — get access. This helps you:
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Build trust with premium followers
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Avoid content theft or leaks
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Provide exclusive content without opening up your full Instagram feed
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Give a sneak peek into campaigns or personal life while keeping your main account professional
Face ID also helps minimize the risk of impersonation and revealing sensitive information to unintended audiences. Since many influencers face the challenge of fake accounts trying to view their posts, adding a biometric barrier gives them peace of mind.
Instagram also benefits — by giving creators more control, the platform encourages content creation that resonates with audiences in a safer environment. It may also decrease the demand for hacks and “solutions to view” restricted profiles, like trying to create a fake account or using third-party tools.
When I first started sharing sponsored content, I worried about overexposing my personal life. Setting up Face ID highlights let me give my VIP followers a sneak peek without making my account private.
How to Enable Instagram Face ID Protected Highlights
Creating Face ID protected highlights on your Instagram account is a smart move for anyone wanting to control who can access sensitive content. Whether you’re an influencer offering exclusive access to VIP followers or a private user who values security, this guide will help you set it up step by step.
Step-by-Step Setup for iPhone Users
If you’re using the latest iPhone, follow these steps to enable Face ID on your highlights:
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Open the Instagram app and go to your Instagram profile.
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Tap the “+” sign under your bio to add a new highlight, or tap and hold an existing one to edit.
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In the highlight settings, look for a “Privacy” or “Access” section — this is where Face ID options may appear.
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Enable “Require Face ID to View” (this option may vary based on updates).
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Select the Close Friends list or choose “Custom Access” to assign VIP followers only.
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Save the changes and test by previewing the highlight to see if Face ID is triggered.
This feature is tightly integrated with Apple’s Face ID system, so make sure your phone’s Face ID is already enabled in your iPhone settings. If your Face ID isn’t working, check if your device is updated and try restarting the app.
73% of Gen Z users say privacy is a top concern on social platforms.
Source: Thred Media, 2023
Android Compatibility and Alternatives
As of now, Face ID functionality is exclusive to iOS devices. Android users don’t have native facial recognition integration within Instagram, but there are workarounds:
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Use the Close Friends feature to restrict highlights to a selected audience.
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Enable two-factor authentication for your Instagram account to prevent unauthorized access.
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Limit visibility by switching to a private account, which ensures only approved users can view any content at all.
Instagram may expand biometric features to Android in future updates, but until then, Android users should focus on traditional privacy controls to safeguard their Instagram photos, videos, and story highlights.
By enabling these features, you reduce the chance of fake accounts accessing private content and prevent people from attempting to view a private Instagram account without permission. This creates an environment where your VIPs feel valued — and your privacy stays intact.
Setting Up VIP-Only Access to Instagram Highlights
For many influencers and content creators, giving full access to every follower doesn’t make sense — especially when you’re sharing personal photos and videos or premium content. Thankfully, Instagram lets you restrict who sees your highlights, allowing you to create a private IG account experience even within a public profile.
What Qualifies as a VIP Follower?
On Instagram, a VIP follower is usually someone who falls into one of these categories:
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A close friend or family member
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A paid subscriber or member of your exclusive community
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A trusted fan who regularly engages with your Instagram feed and supports your content
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A collaborator or brand contact
You can define your own criteria, but the goal is to share content that offers these users a sneak peek into your world — content that doesn’t belong in your general Instagram stories.
To create this VIP experience, many influencers rely on the Close Friends feature, which offers a semi-private viewing list without making your Instagram account completely private.
I created a second Instagram account just for exclusive content. It’s private, invite-only, and I use it to build trust with loyal fans who want behind-the-scenes access.
Using Close Friends List to Filter Access
To restrict highlights to VIP followers using the Close Friends list, follow these steps:
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Go to your Instagram profile and tap the menu in the top right corner.
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Select “Close Friends” and add the followers you consider VIPs.
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Now, when you post a story, select the Close Friends option so only that list sees it.
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When adding a story to your highlights, make sure it came from a Close Friends story — this way, only that list will ever see it, even in highlight form.
While this isn’t as airtight as Face ID, it’s the best workaround currently available for Android users or iOS users who don’t yet have Face ID highlight access. It helps you keep you safe from fake accounts, prevents oversharing, and ensures your content resonates with your audience in a more curated way.
You might be tempted to send them a follow request if someone claims to be a VIP — but it’s best to vet followers first and not rely on external messages or fake profiles claiming to want access. Always verify before adding someone to your list.
By combining Face ID and VIP filtering, you gain full control of your visibility, engagement, and digital safety — a powerful combo for influencers looking to balance growth with privacy.
Over 60% of influencers now use Close Friends or similar privacy tools to segment their content.
Why Influencers Are Using Face ID Highlights
As the social media landscape becomes increasingly saturated, influencers are looking for new ways to protect their brand and connect more deeply with their most loyal followers. Instagram Face ID protected highlights are emerging as a valuable tool in this strategy — offering an added layer of control and exclusivity.
Exclusive Content for Paid Subscribers
Many influencers monetize their content by offering sneak peeks, tutorials, or personal updates to VIP followers who subscribe or contribute financially. These Face ID highlights help ensure that only the intended audience gains full access, creating a premium experience.
Rather than using third-party platforms, influencers can now gate content within the Instagram app itself. Whether it’s behind-the-scenes photos and videos, product previews, or exclusive announcements, Face ID makes it possible to offer bonus content securely.
Some influencers also use this feature to tease upcoming collaborations, limited-time offers, or subscriber-only giveaways. Because only a curated audience can access these stories, it reduces the likelihood of phishing scams, content leaks, or unwanted fake accounts getting insider information.
Privacy and Brand Protection
Maintaining a private Instagram account isn’t always an option for influencers trying to grow their brand. Public accounts allow maximum reach, but they also invite fake profiles, unwanted attention, and sometimes even harassment. That’s where Face ID comes in.
By using this feature, influencers can maintain a public-facing main account while still offering layers of private, Face ID–locked content. This prevents sensitive data from being accessed by strangers and limits how widely content is distributed without sacrificing reach.
It also acts as a deterrent for those who attempt to view a private Insta account through questionable means. Instead of needing to send a follow request or create a fake account, users are prompted with biometric authentication — a hurdle that drastically reduces unauthorized access.
For influencers managing multiple brands or niches, this feature offers a seamless way to segment content. You can keep professional posts public and filter niche, sensitive, or subscriber-focused content into protected highlights — all from the same profile.
Ultimately, Face ID protected highlights empower influencers to engage with their followers on a deeper level, build a sense of exclusivity, and keep you safe from the ever-growing threats tied to online exposure.
Common Issues and Troubleshooting
As powerful as Instagram Face ID protected highlights are, they’re not without glitches. Many users — especially influencers and creators with private profiles — run into setup issues or discover that the feature isn’t available on their device. Here’s a breakdown of the most common problems and how to fix them.
Face ID Not Working on Instagram
One of the most frustrating issues is when Face ID fails to activate during highlight setup. This can happen for a few reasons:
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Outdated Instagram app: Always check that you’re running the latest version of the app from the App Store or Play Store.
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Device compatibility: Only the latest iPhones with Face ID technology support this feature. Older models or Android phones won’t have access.
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Permissions not granted: Go to your phone’s settings > Instagram > and ensure Face ID (or biometric access) is enabled.
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Bug in the app: Try uninstalling and reinstalling the IG app, or log out and log back in.
If Face ID still doesn’t work, you can fall back on Close Friends to create a semi-private highlight list. While it lacks biometric security, it still offers solid content control.
In 2023, fashion influencer @StyledByM began using Instagram’s Close Friends feature to share exclusive content with paid subscribers. This move allowed her to segment behind-the-scenes content and personal stories from her public posts. She reported a 25% increase in engagement on VIP content and a 15% boost in subscription sign-ups.
Can’t Restrict Highlights to VIP Followers
Many users are surprised to find that they can’t restrict highlights to VIPs directly from the highlight settings. That’s because Instagram doesn’t currently have a “VIP” toggle — instead, it relies on how the original Instagram stories were shared.
To ensure only VIPs can see a highlight:
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Post the story to Close Friends only.
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After 24 hours, add that story to a highlight.
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The access restriction will carry over — only your VIP followers on the Close Friends list will see it.
Some users mistakenly believe they can change the privacy setting after the story is already live — but Instagram allows limited editing of highlight audience after publishing. Plan ahead and filter the audience at the story level first.
Also, beware of people trying to send a follow request just to gain access. Scammers sometimes create fake accounts to view your content. When in doubt, don’t approve the request — especially if the profile lacks posts, a proper bio, or mutual followers.
For better control, consider using a private Instagram account or create another account specifically for VIP content. This approach makes it easier to manage your Instagram feed, avoid revealing sensitive information, and keep your audience highly engaged with curated, premium posts.
Conclusion
As influencers and content creators seek more secure and exclusive ways to connect with their followers, learning how to enable Instagram Face ID protected highlights for VIP followers only is becoming an essential skill. This powerful privacy tool allows you to lock down your most personal or premium photos and videos, ensuring only trusted VIP followers can view them. Whether you’re using Face ID on the latest iPhone, managing access through the Close Friends list, or protecting your main account from fake profiles and phishing scams, these strategies help you stay in control. By combining tech features with smart audience filtering, you’re not just keeping your Instagram account safe — you’re creating a more intentional, trusted space where your content truly resonates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I view a private Instagram account without following it?
No, Instagram doesn’t allow you to view a private Instagram account without following it. Be cautious of any app or site that claims otherwise — they are likely scams or phishing traps.
What should I do if someone I don’t know wants to follow me?
If someone unfamiliar wants to follow you, check their profile carefully for red flags like zero posts, no mutuals, or generic usernames. Deny requests from suspicious or fake accounts to protect your content.
How can I manage VIP content without making my account private?
Instead of switching to a private Instagram account, use features like Close Friends and Face ID highlights to give VIP followers exclusive access without limiting your reach.
Is it safe to create a second account for private content?
Yes, creating another account for private or VIP content is common among influencers. This allows you to make your account fully private while keeping your main profile public for broader engagement.
Why do some people never respond to follow requests?
Some users choose not to accept every send follow request notification — especially if they suspect spam or don’t recognize the name. If your request is ignored, it may stay pending indefinitely.
Author Bio
Val Razo
Val Razo is a skilled professional in the field of Instagram Marketing. With over five years of experience as a freelance Social Media Marketing consultant, Val has assisted numerous small and medium-sized businesses in achieving their goals.
