Instagram has risen to become one of the most important social platforms on the internet today. It's a place to connect with friends, expand your sphere of influence, and advertise your business at a global level. And you can do all of this with a few taps on your smartphone.

This popularity has brought with it rumors and urban legends. Unfortunately, believing these myths can prevent you from taking full advantage of Instagram. Here are some Instagram myths that simply aren't true. So, stop believing them, and stop spreading them as if they were factual.

1. Instagram Is Shadowbanning People

The Myth: Shadowbanning is Instagram's practice of banning an account that it deems unsuitable. This can be implemented against any account without prior warning, in such a manner that the user does not even realize that the ban is in effect. You could lose your account privileges temporarily or permanently thanks to shadowbanning.

People who believe they have been shadowbanned complain that they are seeing a significant decrease in engagement with other Instagram users. They also believe their content does not show up on hashtag search results, leading to fewer people seeing their content.

The Reality: There certainly are things that can get you shadowbanned on Instagram, but these are formal account restrictions you would be made aware of. Instagram has come out and clarified that shadowbanning is not an actual practice. You will not be banned for using too many hashtags or any other minor infraction.

While some accounts may find less exposure for their content, Instagram has stated that this is usually a result of poor marketing and the use of the wrong hashtags by the account owner, rather than the result of a shadowban.

There are ways to avoid getting shadowbanned on Instagram, so you should make sure that what you are posting and how you are engaging adheres to their community rules.

2. Instagram Owns Your Content

Someone taking a photo of food for a social media post

The Myth: When you post content on Instagram, you relinquish ownership of the content.

The Reality: Whoever made the post or captured the content is the owner of the content. So if you post a photo of yourself on Instagram or on any other social media platform, you automatically own the copyright to it. If you post someone else's video or photo, you don't own it. You only own the things you create.

3. Instagram Is Hiding Your Posts

Neon lights with a heart indicating zero followers

The Myth: Instagram is hiding your posts on purpose. You post a picture or a video on your account, and then later when you scroll through your timeline, the post has disappeared. This is a deliberate move by Instagram to prevent more people from seeing your posts.

The Reality: Instagram no longer shows posts in chronological order in the default feed. This means your posts will no longer show up on timelines in the order that you published them. Instagram uses its own algorithm and your previous history of user engagement to determine which of your posts will be of most importance to your audience, and orders your content accordingly.

4. Don't Put Hashtags in the Comments

A hand showing someone selecting a photo for social media

The Myth: If you are putting your hashtags in your comments and not in your captions, Instagram will shadowban you.

The Reality: It doesn't matter if you put your hashtags in your comments or in your captions, they are both effective. It is up to you how you use your hashtags and where you put them. If you want to post hashtags in the comments, you should do it as soon as the post is published so that your post is timed effectively.

5. When Your Stories Get Views, So Do Your Posts

Woman using instagram home screen on smartphone

The Myth: If you are posting a lot of stories, Instagram's algorithm automatically favors your posts and makes them visible to more people.

The Reality: There is no correlation between your stories and your posts. It doesn't mean that if people are watching your stories, they will necessarily see more of your posts.

Note: If managing multiple accounts seems like hard work, Instagram now tracks how much time you spend using the app.

6. Using Too Many Hashtags Is a Bad Thing

The Myth: Instagram punishes users for using too many hashtags. The sight of too many hashtags turns potential audiences off a post, and also makes the Instagram content filing algorithm mark your content as spam.

The Reality: In the sea of content on Instagram, hashtags are the markers that are used to search out relevant posts. So the more hashtags you use, the better (within limit). However, those hashtags must be relevant, or they will dilute your content's value with respect to Instagram's search engine algorithm. When it comes to hashtags, quality must be the chief concern rather than quantity.

7. All Your Friends See Your Posts

Person holding smartphone with Instagram on it

The Myth: Every single one of your friends will see what you post.

The Reality: No one is certain of how exactly Instagram's algorithm works. What is certain though is that only your followers can see your posts. If your account is public, people can see all the posts you have posted on your profile. But if your account is private, only your followers can see your posts.

8. You Are Not Allowed to Use a Scheduling Tool

The Myth: Instagram penalizes people who use scheduling tools to post their content.

The Reality: Instagram does not have a problem with users or content creators who are using scheduling tools to post their content. There is nothing in their guidelines that says that users who are utilizing the help of schedulers will be shadowbanned, blocked, or deleted. If you have several social media accounts, there are content calendar tools for scheduling posts to make your life easier.

Discovering Instagram's Full Potential

As you can see, there are plenty of myths about Instagram that too many people still believe. But hopefully this article has debunked some of them for you. Still no one is exactly sure how Instagram rates and curates its content.

The only principle guaranteed to help you succeed is to post attractive and useful content. You can also add greater credibility to your account by getting verified on Instagram.