Updated: Jan. 23, 2024
Think you've been blocked on Instagram? These key tips will help you figure it out once and for all.
With so many social media platforms, it’s easy to stay connected, but it’s also easy to quickly shut someone out. It can be hard to tell for sure if the person you are trying to connect with has done that to you, or if they have simply deactivated or deleted their account. We have the tech tips for how to see who unfollowed you on Instagram, as well as how to tell if someone blocked you on Facebook. But how to know if someone blocked you on Instagram?
Maybe it’s an ex-partner, an intrusive distant relative or someone with questionable political views. Regardless of why a person gets blocked, it can be difficult to tell if you’re the one who has fallen victim to the block button. Instagram doesn’t share with you when someone won’t allow you to see their content anymore, so how can you find out? And for more privacy control over your social media, don’t forget to learn about vanish mode on Instagram and how to block someone on Messenger as well.
Method 1: Search on Instagram
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The first step in how to know if someone blocked you on Instagram is to do a quick search for their profile. If the profile is public and you can see their posts, then you have not been blocked. For private accounts, if you see the profile with the message “This Account is Private,” then you also have not been blocked. Send the person a follow request for the ability to see what they’re sharing.
If you see the profile and the number of posts this person has shared, but the posts don’t show up in the display area, that means they have manually prevented you from seeing their photos.
If the profile doesn’t appear at all after a search, this means that the account has either been deactivated or deleted. Maybe shoot them a quick text to see how they are doing if you are trying to get in contact. If that text doesn’t go through, you may want to check if they have blocked your phone number.
Method 2: Check your own profile
Even if someone blocks you, Instagram doesn’t delete old comments or tags from your own profile. If you can’t find them after searching, but still see their comment on your post, click their profile. Like the first method of how to know if someone blocked you on Instagram, if the link takes you to their page where you can see their post count without any photos in the display, this means that you have been blocked. Speaking of blocking, here’s how to block annoying emails for good.
Method 3: Search in a browser
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The link to everyone’s Instagram profile is Instagram.com/username on any internet browser. If you know the username of the person you are searching for, replace “username” with their actual handle. If you are logged in, you will see an error message that says “Sorry, this page isn’t available,” meaning that you have likely been blocked.
It’s possible that the account has been deleted or deactivated, so to confirm that this is not the case, log out of your account and perform the search again in an incognito browser. If you are able to see the profile, then you can be sure you have been blocked. If not, then the account is probably gone.
Method 4: Check your messages
If you have been blocked, Instagram will hide any message thread that you have previously had with this person for both of you, so if you have suspicions, check your direct messages. If you can still see your chat, then you’re in the clear. If not, there’s a possibility you have been blocked.
To see if the person has deactivated or deleted their account, check group messages that you both have in common to see if their name appears. If you can still see them as a participant in the group, but not anywhere else, then they have blocked you.
Method 5: Follow them again
If you are able to view this person’s profile, see if you can give them a follow. If you are blocked, then you won’t be able to follow them at all. A quick tap of the “Follow” button won’t go through, and you will continue to see that button without being able to press it. They will not get any notifications that you have tried, similar to how you don’t get notified if someone has taken screenshots of your Instagram story.
Method 6: Use another Instagram account or device
The most straightforward path to how to know if someone blocked you on Instagram is to check from another account. If you have a second account, try looking them up or have a close friend do a quick search. If everything looks kosher from the other account, then, unfortunately, you have been blocked.
If you have discovered that you have indeed been blocked, it’s important to reflect on why. Typically, people don’t block other users without a reason, so while it may be tough to swallow, think back to what may have caused this. Did you say something inappropriate or offensive? Maybe something hurtful to them or a group of people they identify with? The internet is forever, and a screen doesn’t serve as a shield to the real world. Let’s all be mindful going forward of what we put out there and how we present ourselves. Following these social media etiquette rules may help you not get blocked in the future.
And if you are thinking of blocking somebody else, remember that there are other options as well. If you are getting annoying notifications, like somebody spam commenting on your Instagram Stories, you can research “What is Instagram quiet mode?” and “How to restrict on Instagram” for non-blocking solutions. And if you are blocking people because you don’t like the amount of personal information they have access to, you can also learn how to hide likes on Instagram to preserve your privacy without using the block button. Because even though Instagram won’t notify somebody that you have blocked them, they can still learn how to know if someone blocked you on Instagram and find out.
Next, learn how to make your Facebook private to protect your information.
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