Mastodon displays a Network tab on your profile page that shows your followers, following, and posts in a single feed. Some users find this tab useful for monitoring engagement, while others prefer a cleaner profile without it. The visibility of the Network tab depends on your account settings and the instance you use. This article explains how to show or hide the Network tab on your Mastodon profile.
Key Takeaways: Controlling the Network Tab on Mastodon
- Preferences > Profile > Display network tab: Toggle this setting to show or hide the Network tab on your public profile.
- Profile visibility settings: The Network tab only appears when your profile is set to public or unlisted; locked and private profiles hide it automatically.
- Instance-level restrictions: Some Mastodon instances disable the Network tab entirely regardless of your personal settings.
What the Mastodon Network Tab Shows and Why You Might Hide It
The Network tab appears on your Mastodon profile page as a separate section alongside Posts, Followers, and Following. It aggregates all activity from people you follow into a single reverse-chronological feed. This includes boosts, replies, and new posts from accounts you follow. The tab is visible to anyone visiting your profile unless you restrict it.
Some users hide the Network tab to reduce clutter on their profile or to prevent visitors from seeing a feed that might contain sensitive or off-topic content from people they follow. Others keep it visible to showcase the diversity of content their network produces. The setting is controlled by a single toggle in your account preferences.
Before changing this setting, note that the Network tab is only available on Mastodon instances that run version 4.0 or later. Older instances or forks like Pleroma may not support this feature at all. If you do not see the toggle in your preferences, your instance administrator may have disabled it.
Steps to Show or Hide the Network Tab on Mastodon
- Log in to your Mastodon account
Open your Mastodon instance in a web browser and sign in with your credentials. The process is identical on desktop and mobile browsers. - Open Preferences
Click the gear icon in the right column of the web interface, then select Preferences from the dropdown menu. On the mobile web version, tap your avatar and choose Preferences. - Navigate to Profile settings
In the left sidebar of the Preferences page, click Profile. This section contains all settings related to your public profile appearance. - Locate the Display network tab option
Scroll down to the Profile appearance subsection. You will see a checkbox labeled Display network tab. When checked, the tab is visible on your profile. When unchecked, it is hidden. - Toggle the checkbox
Check the box to show the Network tab, or uncheck it to hide the tab. The change takes effect immediately after you save. - Save your changes
Click the Save changes button at the bottom of the page. Refresh your profile page to confirm the Network tab appears or disappears as desired.
What to Do If the Network Tab Setting Doesn’t Appear
If you cannot find the Display network tab checkbox in your preferences, the feature may be restricted by your instance. Some Mastodon administrators disable the Network tab for all users to reduce server load. In that case, no user on that instance can show or hide the tab.
Another reason the setting may be missing is that your profile is set to private or locked. Mastodon hides the Network tab automatically for profiles that require follow requests or are set to private. To check your profile visibility, go to Preferences > Profile and look for the Lock account option. If it is enabled, your profile is locked and the Network tab will never appear regardless of the Display network tab setting.
If you are on a Mastodon instance that supports the feature and your profile is public, but the checkbox is still missing, try clearing your browser cache or using a different browser. Persistent issues should be reported to your instance administrator for server-side investigation.
Mastodon Profile Tabs: Network Tab vs Other Profile Sections
| Item | Network Tab | Posts Tab |
|---|---|---|
| Content displayed | Aggregated feed of posts from people you follow | Only your own posts in chronological order |
| Visibility control | Toggle in Preferences > Profile | Always visible for public profiles; hidden for locked accounts |
| Server version requirement | Mastodon 4.0 or later | All Mastodon versions |
| Use case | Showcasing your network’s activity | Displaying your own content |
Conclusion
You can now show or hide the Mastodon Network tab by toggling the Display network tab checkbox in Preferences > Profile. Remember that locked or private profiles automatically hide the tab, and some instances may disable the feature entirely. If you want a cleaner profile, keep the tab hidden. If you want visitors to see the breadth of content from accounts you follow, enable it. For advanced control, consider using a custom CSS browser extension to override the tab visibility on instances that lack the setting.