We live in a world where almost all information is available on the internet, including social media. Perhaps this may be threatening to some, or they want to protect their privacy and not be seen by certain people on Instagram.
There are a variety of reasons why an Instagram user may have blocked you. Sometimes, users block someone to protect themselves, to hide their content, to break contact, and any other reason they see fit.
It can be a bit tough to know for sure if someone has blocked you on Instagram, but there are a few tell-tale signs that can help you to recognize it.
Regardless of the situation, you may be unsure if a person has shut down their account or blocked you. There are a variety of different things you can do to find out if a user has blocked you on Instagram, some easier than others.
There are also probably tools out there for that, claiming to tell you about unfollowing or blocked status, but you may not even need one to figure it out.
In this guide, we’re going to give you the simplest and easiest ways to figure out if someone blocked you on Instagram. Let’s get started!
Did Someone Block Me on Instagram?
Generally speaking, if a person blocks you, you won’t be able to see the account at all. If you search it, the user doesn’t come up; if you have any old messages in your inbox from this user, it will simply say “Instagram user” with no profile picture.
If you click on the person’s profile from the message, it will come up blank and say “page not found.”
Any comments that the user previously left on your account will be gone, and you won’t see any remnants of them in your likes, either.
Instagram basically makes it so that the account has disappeared from the Instagram universe, from what you can tell. You can’t find them on your following/followers list, and you just can’t find them anywhere at all.
You may think they simply got removed from Instagram or they deleted their account, but is that it? Or did they block you?
Here are some signs that you are blocked on Instagram:
- You can’t find the user using search bar
- You can’t see their following
- You can’t see their followers
- You can’t see their posts
- You can’t see their Instagram stories
- You can’t send them messages
- Their likes and comments disappear from your profile
- Their profile photo and profile access disappear from your messages
These are very common signs of a user removing their account, however, so it can be difficult. You should consider the person, your relationship, and any potential motives they may have had for blocking you.
If you can’t think of any, you’re probably in the clear, but if you knew things were a bit rough then they may have blocked you altogether.
The only way to find out if someone blocked you is to search for their profile using another account, or asking someone to do it for you. Here is what you need to do.
How to Find out if You’re Blocked on Instagram
- Open the app and log in to a different account, or have a friend log into their account.
- Type in the username of the person you want to check.
- If the person appears in the search results and you click on their profile and see at least their profile page with their photo, that means their account is still active. Depending on their privacy settings, you may be able to see their content as well. This means they effectively blocked your account.
- If you search for the person and their profile doesn’t come up, it’s likely that they deactivated or deleted their Instagram account and that’s why you couldn’t find them on your profile.
As you can see, it’s almost exactly the same when a person blocks a user and when they deactivate their account; that’s why it’s so tough to figure out if you’re blocked or not. The only way is to log in and check through another account.
Instagram doesn’t allow you to view their content without logging in if you visit the app or visit their website, Instagram.com. That said, there is a way around that if you really have to scope out this profile and don’t have another account or a friend to do it for you.
Here’s what to do:
- Open your web browser
- Type in Instagram.com/targetusername
- Hit enter
All Instagram usernames can be found on a web browser by putting Instagram.com/targetusername. Simply put the username of the account you want to check where you see targetusername in our sample link.
If the profile comes up and still has content or a note that says “this account is private,” you’ve been blocked. If it doesn’t come up or says “page not found,” the user deactivated or deleted.
It’s best to do this on an incognito tab so that you’re not accidentally signed into Instagram on your browser when you do this. If you’re logged in and you’re blocked, the user won’t appear and you’ll think it’s just because they disabled their account.
How to Know if Someone Deleted or Deactivated Their Instagram Account
So, unfortunately there’s no easy way to determine this other than the one that we just mentioned above. That can be a great way to figure out whether or not someone’s Instagram is still around or it’s gone because the user deleted it or disabled it.
Either way, it helps immensely. The only other option besides from the ones we presented above would be to directly ask the user if they disabled their account or if they blocked you. They may or may not tell you the truth, but at least you asked.
Final Thoughts: Why Would Someone Block You on Instagram?
If you’ve recently discovered that an account blocked you and you’re not sure why, there may be some reasons back there that you have neglected to consider. While it doesn’t feel good to be blocked, it happens all the time on Instagram, and these are some of the reasons:
- The user is an ex partner or friend
- You don’t want certain competitors checking out your account
- You want to hide your content from parents or family members
- A user constantly harrasses you or leaves spammy/inappropriate comments on your posts
- Threats or violence
- The user posts too much and you’re sick of them
- And more
There are tons of reasons why a user may block you on Instagram, so if you’re really that curious, it may be a good idea to simply ask them out. After all, everything is resolved through communication.
And hey, if you find that you need to get someone off of your Instagram profile for good, you also have the power to block users! Keep your account experience safe and enjoyable for everyone.
