Instagram is a minefield of acronyms – you only have to browse the plethora of other acronym-based blogs and articles to see that!
But while some are seemingly pointless and do little for your overall user experience, others are genuinely useful and can transform the way you use the app.
CF is one of them.
CF stands for Close Friends and has become a leading feature on Instagram stories in particular that allows users to create and share content with a select group of friends rather than their entire community.
What Does Close Friends Mean on Instagram?
Close Friends isn’t just a nice way to let your nearest and dearest know how much you mean to them. On Instagram, it refers to a specific list of users, to whom you can spend content via exclusive Instagram stories that only they can access.
The benefit of this is that you can share specific updates with users – for example, family members or your closest group of friends – all from inside the Instagram app. This could be content that you’ve captured yourself, a reel that you think they’d like, or even a meme that you know they will enjoy.
How To Create a Close Friends List
- Head to your Instagram profile
- Select the top right hand corner menu button, and navigate to ‘Close Friends’ towards the bottom of the list
- This will open up a screen that lists all of the accounts that you follow. Generally, these will be listed in order of how often you interact with them, putting your most frequently contacted friends at the top – but this doesn’t really mean anything.
- Compile a list by selecting users from this list or searching for them directly in the search bar.
- Once you’re happy with the list, click ‘Done’.
And voila! You now have a Close Friends list – essentially a shortcut setting that allows you to send Instagram updates specifically to this group of people and no one else.
It is worth noting that beyond the exclusive nature of a Close Friends list, the content itself works in much the same way. Bordered by a label that lets them know that the content has been shared solely with a Close Friends list, you will find that stories still disappear after 24 hours.
How To Send an Update to Your Close Friends List
Once you’re happy with your Close Friends list, you might be wondering how to connect with them.
Again, it couldn’t be easier.
First, create an Instagram post or story as you would normally.
FOR STORIES… Instead of selecting the large arrow to instantly share your story with your followers, select the button ‘Close Friends’ with a green star at the bottom of the screen. This will share the story with your CF list exclusively.
FOR POSTS… Once your post is ready to go with a caption and all the tags and edits that you want to add, select ‘Audience’. This will be defaulted to the ‘Everyone’ setting – you want to switch this to ‘Close Friends’. This will share the post with only your select CF list.
We hope this helps you to keep your friends close, and your Close Friends even closer!
Elevate your Instagram game with Twicsy’s assistance. Opt for our comments, likes, followers, and video views.