Explaining CFS on Instagram and How to Use It

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Decode this Instagram slang with this handy guide

Co-authored by Travis Boylls Reviewed by Candace Gasper

Last Updated: May 15, 2025 Fact Checked

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The Meaning of CFS on Instagram

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Making a Close Friends List

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Posting a Close Friends Story

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Going Live for Close Friends

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Other Meanings for CFS

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Other Common Social Media Terms

You’re texting a friend to ask about their day when they slyly tell you to check out their CFS on Instagram to get the scoop. Their response has definitely got you intrigued…but what exactly does CFS mean on Instagram again? Slang is always changing online, so it’s totally okay if you’re not super familiar with this term. This wikiHow article teaches you exactly what CFS means on Instagram. Then, we’ll give you instructions on how to use the CFS feature so you can stay up to date with all your friends.

Quick Answer: What does CFS mean?

CFS means Close Friends Story on Instagram. This is a private story that only friends you select can see. To post a CFS, click the “+” button at the bottom of the screen and create a story. Tap Close Friends at the bottom of the screen when you’re ready to post.

Section 1 of 6:

The Meaning of CFS on Instagram

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On Instagram, CFS stands for Close Friends Story. The Close Friends Story was introduced in 2018 and allows you to create a private story that is entirely separate from your general Instagram stories. With this feature, you select a specific list of friends who are allowed to see and comment on your private stories. This is a great way to increase your privacy on Instagram and get personal without your entire follower list seeing!^{[1]
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- On your Instagram homepage, a Close Friends Story has a green circle around the story. This is unlike the purple and yellow ring around regular stories.
- When you view someone’s Close Friends Story, you’ll see a green rectangle in the top right-hand corner that says “CLOSE FRIENDS.”
- At this time, you can’t remove yourself from someone’s Close Friends. However, you can mute the user, which prevents all of their stories from showing up. Otherwise, blocking or unfollowing the user will do the trick.

Section 2 of 6:

Making a Close Friends List

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Open the Close Friends option in the Settings menu. Use the following steps to do so:.^{[2]
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- Open the Instagram app on your smartphone
- Tap your profile icon in the lower-right corner.
- Tap the icon with three lines (☰) in the upper-right corner.
- Tap Close Friends below “Who can see your content.”
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Select people to include in your Close Friends list. Tap the checkbox next to people you follow you want to include in your Close Friends list. This will place a checkmark next to them. ^{[3]
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- When you click “Close Friends,” Instagram provides you with a list of suggested friends to add to your Close Friends Story. If there are people that you want to add that aren’t on the suggested list, just use the search bar to find and select their profile.
- If you haven’t made a Close Friends list before, you might see a “Get Started” button before your list of suggested friends pops up.
- Instagram suggests friends based on how often you like, comment, and DM with them.
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Tap Done. This saves your Close Friends list. You now have the list of people who can see your Close Friends Stories. This list is editable at any time, so you can go back into your settings to add new friends whenever you want. You can also remove existing ones by tapping the circle next to their name to deselect them.^{[4]
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- Instagram doesn’t notify your friends that they’ve been added to your Close Friends list. Your friends will only find out when you post a Close Friends Story (or, if you decide to tell them!).
- Instagram won’t tell your friends if you remove them from your list, either.
- Your Close Friends Story only goes to the friends you selected, so your followers who aren’t in your Close Friends can’t request to be a part of it. In fact, they won’t know that you have a Close Friends Story at all.

Section 3 of 6:

Posting a Close Friends Story

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It’s at the bottom of the screen. Posting on your Close Friends Story is a similar process to posting to your general stories. Just navigate to your sharing options by pressing the “+” button in the top right corner of your homepage.^{[5]
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If you want to show your Close Friends what you’re currently doing, press the white button at the bottom of your screen to take a picture. Or, hold down the button to take a video. If you’ve already taken a picture or video of what you want to share, swipe up on your screen to choose the content from your phone’s photo library.^{[6]
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Tap Close Friends to share your Close Friends Story. At the bottom of your screen, you’ll see options to share your content to your story as a Close Friends Story. The Close Friends option should have a green star above or next to the text. ^{[7]
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- Your friends won’t get a notification that you’ve posted to your Close Friends Story. However, Close Friends Stories are pushed to the front of the stories bar on the homepage. So, it’s likely the first thing they’ll see when they open Instagram.
- Like regular stories, your Close Friends Stories will disappear after 24 hours. To save your Close Friends Story for longer, save it as a highlight. The story will be preserved on your profile, but only your Close Friends will be able to see it.

Section 4 of 6:

Can you go live on Close Friends Story?

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Yes, you can go live on Instagram with close friends. Instagram has officially rolled out live streams for close friends. Up to three other profiles can join the live.^{[8]
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Research source} Use the following steps to go live with close friends:
- Open Instagram.
- Tap the plus button (+) at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap Live.
- Tap the drop-down menu labeled “Everyone” and select “Close Friends.”
- Tap the white button to go live.

Section 5 of 6:

Other Meanings for CFS

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CFS has other meanings outside of Instagram. CFS can mean a variety of things if you encounter this acronym in a text message, on Snapchat, TikTok, or elsewhere. The following are some other meanings for CFS:
- Cute, funny, and sweet: This is often used in response to a cute or adorable meme or text message. It’s most commonly used in text messages, Snapchat, or TikTok. For example, “That’s CFS!”.
- Could fall for something: This is often used in a text or Snapchat conversation to indicate an attraction or romantic interest in someone. It can be used in a flirty or fun way. For example, someone may reply to a thirst trap (sexy picture), “Totally CFS right now!” ^{[9]
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- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Someone may use “CFS” to refer to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which is a legitimate medical condition. For example, “I don’t want to go out tonight. I have CFS.”
- Care for a Secret?: If you see “CFS?” with a question mark at the end, they could be asking if you want to hear a secret. For example, “CFS about Nick?”^{[10]
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Section 6 of 6:

Other Common Social Media Terms

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"CFS" isn't the only internet slang—there are plenty others! Are the following terms in your virtual lexicon?
- FFF: "follow for follow"
- Idle: a Discord status, symbolized by a yellow half-moon, indicating the user hasn't been active for at least 5 minutes
- IDM: "I don't mind"
- ISK: "I should know" or a typo for "IDK" ("I don't know")
- LF: gaming shorthand for “looking for”
- MCM: "man crush Monday"
- Mmk: a combination of "mmhmm" and "OK," used to express disinterest or irritation, or just as a softer, more casual version of "OK"
- MBN: "must be nice"
- OOMF: "one of my followers" or "one of my friends"
- OMW: "on my way"
- PMO: "put me on," as in, "introduce to someone/something"
- WSP: "What's up?"
- WCW: "woman crush Wednesday"
- YW: "You're welcome"