On Instagram, a green indicator appearing next to a user’s name in the “Following” tab signifies that they are part of a “Close Friends” list. This feature allows users to share Stories with a smaller, selected group of individuals, fostering a more intimate sharing environment. For example, if a user adds someone to their “Close Friends” list, that person will see a green ring around the user’s profile picture in their Stories feed when a Story is shared only with that list.
The “Close Friends” feature offers a way to limit the audience for content. This functionality is beneficial for individuals seeking to share personal moments, works-in-progress, or announcements with a trusted circle rather than their entire follower base. Historically, users would sometimes create secondary, private accounts for this purpose. This built-in feature provides a more streamlined method to achieve a similar level of privacy without requiring the management of multiple profiles.