Hey there! Have you ever wondered if someone secretly blocked you on Instagram? I‘ve totally been in your shoes before. As an avid Instagrammer myself, I know how confusing and lonely it feels when you realize your comments and likes are getting ignored on someone‘s profile. But don‘t worry – I‘ve got your back!
In this post, we‘ll walk through all the sneaky ways to detect if someone has blocked you on Instagram in 2023. Armed with the knowledge in this guide, you‘ll be able to crack the case and get to the bottom of any suspected Instagram blocks that come your way.
What Happens When You Get Blocked on Instagram?
First, let‘s quickly cover what happens behind the scenes when someone decides to block you on Instagram:
You won‘t be able to see any of their posts or Stories
Any comments you‘ve left on their photos in the past will be deleted
You‘ll be automatically unfollowed from their account if you were following them
Any messages between you and the user will vanish from your Instagram Direct inbox
You won‘t get any notifications when they post, comment, or like anything
You won‘t be suggested as an account to follow if they try to find new people
Essentially, a block cuts off all forms of communication between you and the blocking user. According to Instagram, over 500 million accounts actively use the block feature every single month. So blocks are definitely common!
Now let‘s get into the detection techniques so you can confirm if someone has pulled the plug on your friendship.
How to Know If You‘re Blocked on Instagram
When another user decides to block you on Instagram, the platform won‘t send you any type of alert or notification. So tracking down blocks requires some social media sleuthing skills.
Here are 12 sneaky ways to find out if you‘ve been blocked by an Instagram account:
1. Search for Their Profile
This is the most straightforward way to check for a block. Just search for the username of the account in question using Instagram‘s search bar.
If you see a message saying "No users found", there‘s a good chance that account blocked you. Your searches won‘t reveal a blocked profile.
However, this error can also mean the account was deleted or deactivated. So a missing profile alone isn‘t 100% proof of a block.
2. Scan Your Followers List
Pull up the "Following" list on your own Instagram profile. See if the account you suspect blocked you is still following you or not.
According to Instagram, blocked accounts will be automatically removed from your followers. So if they disappeared from your list, it‘s likely a block.
3. Check Old Comments You‘ve Made
Take a look back at any comments you‘ve made on photos, videos, or Stories posted by the account in the past.
If the comments are gone, that‘s a sign you may have been blocked, since your comments get erased automatically when blocked.
4. Try Commenting Again
Attempt to leave a new comment on a post from the profile in question. If your comment doesn‘t go through, it‘s probably because you‘ve been blocked.
5. Look for Notification Changes
Keep an eye on your notifications after interacting with an account. If you notice you stop getting likes, replies, or video views after commenting or messaging someone, you may be blocked.
6. Analyze Your Instagram Feed
Watch for sudden changes to your Instagram feed. If you notice a particular account‘s posts have mysteriously disappeared from your regular feed, a block could be the reason.
7. Check Messages Between You
Take a look at your Instagram Direct message inbox. If any conversations you‘ve had with this account have disappeared, that‘s evidence of a possible block.
8. Try Following Them
If you already don‘t follow the account, go ahead and try following them. If Instagram gives you an error saying "unable to follow" or you can‘t click the Follow button, then you‘re likely blocked.
9. Look for Them in Groups
If you and the user you suspect blocked you are both in the same Instagram group or Group Direct Message thread together, you can check there too.
Go to the group and look under the members list. If you can still see their username, they haven‘t blocked you. But if they disappear from the group, it likely means they did block you.
10. Check From a Different Account
Log into a secondary Instagram account that the suspected blocker doesn‘t know about. Search for their username and see if their profile appears.
If you can view it normally through the secondary account, it proves your main account was the one that got blocked.
11. Analyze Tagged Photos
Check if you‘re still tagged in any previous photos that the account posted and tagged you in. Since tags from blocked accounts are removed, disappearing tags can indicate a block.
12. Use a Blocked Account Checker
Third-party apps like Blocked (formerly Who Blocked Me) can instantly detect if you‘re blocked by any other accounts. These tools use algorithms to check for many of the signals mentioned above.
Why Do People Block Others on Instagram?
Wondering why someone may have felt the need to block you? Here are some of the most common reasons for blocking among Instagram users according to social media analysts:
Arguments or fights. Heated disputes and inability to resolve conflicts is one of the top triggers for blocking.
Inappropriate or abusive comments. Insulting, offensive, harassing comments often lead to blocks.
Unwanted advances. Sexual or romantic advances through DMs quickly cause blocks.
Violating privacy. Sharing unauthorized photos/videos of others usually results in blocks.
Relationship issues. Blocking frequently happens between former friends, lovers, exes, etc.
Annoying tagging. Constantly tagging someone to get attention when they don‘t want it understandably annoys people.
Deceptive unfollowing. People who follow/unfollow just to get more followers often get blocked.
Differences in beliefs. Conflicting ideologies and worldviews can cause divides.
Posting others‘ content without credit. Sharing others‘ work without permission or tagging will lead to blocks.
No meaningful connection. Sparse prior interactions may make someone quick to block.
Toxic behavior. Offensive, dangerous, or negative presence on Instagram can justify blocks.
Accidents. The Instagram app makes it easy to accidentally block by mistake.
As you can see, there are lots of reasons blocking happens on Instagram, some fully justifiable and others simply misunderstandings. Try not to take it too personally if it happens to you.
What Should I Do If Someone Blocked Me on Instagram?
Finding out you‘ve been blocked can feel disheartening. Here are some tips on how to handle it gracefully:
Take a few deep breaths and remind yourself social media isn‘t everything. Don‘t let it ruin your whole day!
Reflect on your past interactions with the user and see if you can pinpoint what may have triggered the block. But don‘t blame yourself either.
Avoid contacting the person elsewhere online or in real life. That could come across as cyberstalking.
Give it a few weeks or months for any hard feelings to dissolve before attempting to reconcile.
Try politely apologizing from a different account if you feel you did something wrong. But be prepared to not get a response.
Limit your time on Instagram if you find blocking affects your self-esteem. Surround yourself with positive influences.
Use Instagram‘s "Hide Posts" option if you need to avoid seeing their content on your feed during the healing process.
Remember – blocks only affect your digital relationship with someone. Focus on the people who want to interact with the real you, not just your social media presence!
Can Someone Unblock Me on Instagram?
Yes, the user who blocked you can revoke the block at any time. If they choose to unblock you, your ability to interact will be restored.
Some common reasons for unblocking include:
They blocked you on accident and realized their mistake.
Enough time passed for any hurt feelings to fade.
You sincerely apologized through another channel.
A mutual friend persuaded them to reconsider.
They miss your friendship or funny memes.
An argument was resolved or misunderstanding cleared up.
Toxic behaviors that led to the block changed.
Unfortunately, Instagram doesn‘t notify you if you‘ve been unblocked. You‘ll simply have to check periodically to see if your searching, commenting, messaging, and tagging abilities have been restored.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, it takes some detective work to conclusively determine if someone has pulled the plug on your Instagram privileges. But the techniques we covered today will equip you to stealthily uncover any blocks that come your way.
Remember – just because someone felt the need to block you on one social media app doesn‘t mean your real-world relationship can‘t be repaired. Use the knowledge in this guide to tactfully address the digital barrier between you, while focusing your time on the people who bring value to your life both online and off.
Let me know in the comments below if you have any other questions about detecting blocks on Instagram. I‘m always happy to help someone recover from an unfair block!
