With Instagram, you have the option of blocking profiles to protect yourself from interacting with problematic users, and you also have the freedom to cancel this restriction at any time. Zoom in.
Blocking someone on Instagram: what's the point?
Blocking a user on Instagram can be a sensible measure for a variety of reasons. Here are some of the most important reasons for blocking on this social platform:
Preserve your peace of mind
By blocking a user, you can prevent unwanted interactions and problematic behavior. This helps maintain a positive and pleasant environment on your Instagram account, protecting you from harassment, swearing comments or offensive content.
Control your privacy
Blocking prevents the user from seeing your posts, profile, as well as your Stories. This allows you to keep control over who can access your content and who can't. If you have reasons to keep certain aspects of your life private, this action can be useful.
Putting an end to inappropriate behavior
If you're faced with a user who's breaking Instagram community rules or engaging in inappropriate behavior, blocking is an effective way to put a stop to it. It sends a clear signal that you no longer wish to interact with that person.
Avoid spam and fraudulent accounts
Blocking can protect you from spam, fake accounts and malicious activity. If you identify a suspicious account or a troublesome bot, blocking the user can be a preventive measure to avoid unwanted involvement.
Dealing with complicated relationships
Sometimes it may be necessary to block a user with whom you've had disagreements or conflicts. This action allows you to step back, maintain a healthy distance and preserve your emotional well-being on the platform.
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What happens when you block an Insta user?
In all, after blocking a user, here's what happens:
- First, all your posts are stripped of all the "likes" and comments from the person you've just blocked;
- The blocked user is no longer allowed to mention or identify you;
- You can no longer exchange private messages (but you retain access to your past conversations);
- If you have a newsgroup in common with the person in question, a dialog box will suggest that you either stay in the group or leave it (in any case, even if you stay, you won't see any of their messages);
- The blocked user will no longer have access to your profile if they followed you before (and vice versa).
- When it searches for your profile, it will see "User not found".
What are the steps involved in blocking someone on Insta?
Regardless of whether you have a smartphone or a computer, the procedure for blocking an Instagram user doesn't change, of which here are 3 convenient ways:
In settings
- In your profile, start by clicking on the menu (the three bars at top right) to open Settings ;
- Select "Privacy", then select "Blocked accounts";
- Click on the small "+" icon (also in the upper right-hand corner), then enter the name of the person you wish to block in the search bar;
- Finish the action by clicking on "Block".
To block only this particular account (and not any others this person may create in the future), leave the corresponding box empty (uncheck it if it's already ticked), and then click on the "Block" option again.
From the profile of the person to be blocked
- Go to the profile of the Insta user you wish to block;
- To access the menu of proposed actions, click on the three small dots (the ones at the top right);
- Confirm your choice by selecting the "block" option.
In conversation with the person
- Go to the conversation with the user you wish to block;
- Press the user name at the top of the conversation;
- Click on "Block" to confirm your choice.
The block will be applied instantly, and the user will be added to your list of blocked accounts, which you can find in the "Privacy" tab of Settings. You will be able to manually unblock each account on this list.
And unlocking: how does it work?
If you want to unblock a user who is on your list of blocked accounts on Instagram, follow these steps depending on your device:
On smartphone
- Go to your profile and then click on the menu (the three bars at top right) to open Settings ;
- Select "Privacy", then select "Blocked accounts";
- Find the profile in question in your list of blocked users, then click on "Unblock" (an option to the right of the account concerned), and press "Unblock" a second time to confirm the action.
You'll be able to communicate again with the user you're blocking as soon as you cancel the block, and the associated box will be unchecked.
On computer (Mac or PC)
Unblocking someone on Instagram from a computer using the web browser is done differently than on a mobile. It's quite simple: all you have to do is :
- Type the contact's name (or nickname) in the search bar;
- Go to your profile, then click on the "Unblock" button, and you're done.
The restrictions currently in place will be lifted, allowing your contact to find you again via Instagram search. However, your posts will no longer be visible in his or her News Feed, as you will no longer be subscribed. You will each have to re-subscribe on your own. Please note that if you don't encounter any problems on your side, re-subscribing in the opposite direction will depend entirely on your contact.
Seeing someone's latest subscriptions on Instagram might also interest you, we invite you to read this article:
Instagram has also introduced a restriction function, which allows you to perform what's known as a "soft block". With this function, you can completely hide a user without blocking them or ceasing to follow them. This offers a more discreet alternative for managing interactions with certain users without informing them.
