How to Turn On Post Notifications on Instagram
Quick answer
Turn on post notifications by visiting the account's profile and tapping the bell icon near the top, then choosing which formats to be alerted about. On some app versions the path is the Following button > Notifications. You must follow the account first, and Instagram push notifications must be allowed on your phone.
Step by step
- 1
Open the account's profile
Search for the account or tap through from a post. Follow them if you don't already.
- 2
Tap the bell icon
It sits near the top of the profile next to the buttons. On older versions, tap Following and choose Notifications instead.
- 3
Pick what to be notified about
Toggle Posts, Stories, Reels, and Live individually. Turn on only what you actually want pinged for.
- 4
Check your phone's notification settings
If alerts never arrive, make sure Instagram is allowed to send push notifications in your device settings and in Instagram's Settings > Notifications.
Doing this for a brand, not just an account?
Asking your audience to turn on post notifications is a standard reach hedge against feed ranking, worth a periodic reminder in Stories.
Common questions
Does the person know I turned on notifications for them?
No. Notification choices are private. The account gets no alert and no way to see who enabled them.
Why am I not getting notifications even after turning them on?
Usually push notifications are off at the device level or muted inside Instagram's notification settings. Do Not Disturb modes and battery savers also swallow alerts.
Can I get notified for Stories and Lives too?
Yes. The bell menu has separate toggles for Posts, Stories, Reels, Videos, and Live, so you can pick any combination.