How to Receive Threads Notifications Only for Followers

Threads sends notifications for likes, replies, reposts, and new posts from all users by default. This can clutter your notification feed with activity from accounts you do not follow. The goal is to limit notifications so you only see activity from people you follow. This article explains how to change the notification filters in Threads to show only follower-based activity.

Threads uses Instagram’s notification engine, which offers granular controls for each notification type. You can set each category to “From People You Follow” instead of “Everyone.” This applies to replies, mentions, reposts, and quote posts. The setting is per notification type, so you must adjust each one separately.

This guide walks through the exact steps in the Threads mobile app. It also covers what happens when you enable these filters and what limitations exist. After following these steps, your notification feed will show only interactions from accounts you follow.

How Threads Notification Filters Work

Threads notification settings are tied to your Instagram account. When you change a filter in Threads, the same setting applies to Instagram notifications for that account. The filters are not global; they apply per notification category. The available categories are:

• Replies and mentions
• Reposts and quote posts
• New posts (from accounts you follow)
• New followers
• Reports and account support

For each category, you can choose “Everyone” or “From people you follow.” The “Everyone” option includes notifications from any Threads user, even if you do not follow them. The “From people you follow” option limits notifications to accounts you follow. This setting does not affect direct messages, which are handled separately in Instagram.

Prerequisites: You need the Threads app installed on iOS or Android with version 1.2 or later. You must be logged in to your Threads account, which is linked to an Instagram account. No web browser version of Threads supports these notification settings; changes must be made in the mobile app.

Steps to Set Threads Notifications to Followers Only

1. Open the Threads app and go to your Profile
   Tap the profile icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen. This opens your profile page with your bio, posts, and follower count.
2. Tap the two-line menu icon at the top-right
   This icon looks like two horizontal lines with a circle around them. It opens a menu with options such as Settings, Activity, and Saved.
3. Select Notifications
   In the menu, tap “Notifications.” This screen lists all notification categories for your Threads account.
4. Tap Replies and mentions
   This is the first category. Tap it to open the filter options.
5. Select “From people you follow”
   Under “Replies and mentions,” you see two radio buttons: “Everyone” and “From people you follow.” Tap “From people you follow.” A checkmark appears next to it. The change saves automatically.
6. Return to the Notifications list and tap Reposts and quote posts
   Tap the back arrow at the top-left to go back to the Notifications list. Then tap “Reposts and quote posts.”
7. Select “From people you follow”
   Repeat the same selection. Tap “From people you follow” to filter reposts and quote posts to followers only.
8. Optional: Adjust New posts and New followers
   “New posts” already shows only posts from accounts you follow by default. “New followers” cannot be filtered; you always see all new followers. No change is needed for these two categories.

After completing these steps, your notification feed will show only replies, mentions, reposts, and quote posts from accounts you follow. Notifications from non-followers will no longer appear. The change takes effect immediately for new notifications. Past notifications remain in your feed until you dismiss them.

Limitations and Things to Avoid

“From people you follow” does not apply to all notification types

The filter is available only for Replies and mentions and Reposts and quote posts. New posts are already limited to followed accounts. New followers cannot be filtered. If you receive unwanted follower notifications, you cannot hide them with this setting. You can mute the account or block it to stop future follower notifications from that user.

Changes affect Instagram notifications too

Since Threads uses Instagram’s notification system, changing a filter in Threads also changes the same filter for Instagram. For example, if you set “Replies and mentions” to “From people you follow” in Threads, Instagram will also show only replies and mentions from people you follow. This is a known limitation. If you want different settings for each app, you must change them back manually after switching apps.

The setting does not apply retroactively

Notifications generated before you changed the filter remain in your feed. You must manually clear them by tapping the notification and then tapping the back arrow. The filter only affects new notifications created after the change.

No web browser access for notification settings

Threads does not have a web version of the notification settings. You must use the mobile app. If you try to change notifications on the desktop, you see only a message to open the app. This is a deliberate design choice by Meta.

Threads Notification Filters: Followers Only vs Everyone

Notification Category	From People You Follow	Everyone
Replies and mentions	Only replies and mentions from accounts you follow	Replies and mentions from any Threads user
Reposts and quote posts	Only reposts and quote posts from accounts you follow	Reposts and quote posts from any user
New posts	Always shows posts from followed accounts	Not applicable — no “Everyone” option exists
New followers	Not available — all new followers shown	Always shows all new followers

You can now control which notifications appear in your Threads feed. The key is to adjust each category individually in the mobile app under Profile > Notifications. For a quieter experience, also consider muting accounts that post frequently. A practical next step is to review your muted accounts list under Profile > Settings > Privacy > Muted accounts and add any accounts whose notifications you want to suppress entirely.