Instagram, like any social network, is nourished by its users. Millions of people upload, share, comment on, and like content every day. But not everyone behaves correctly on Instagram. That is where the privacy and moderation tools of this social network come in.
To avoid problems of coexistence, or to keep your privacy safe, Instagram offers tools to block other contacts. Moreover, you can also mute someone or restrict an account from interacting with you. Each option has its pros and cons, and it will be up to you which one to choose for each contact you meet on Instagram.
As Instagram says on its official page, it is about “fostering a positive and supportive environment” and “managing your interactions carefully” to avoid conflicts and other coexistence problems. Moreover, it is as simple as tapping the appropriate button when faced with such a situation. This means you will not have to put up with hurtful or annoying comments from accounts you may not even know. Let's see how to block an Instagram contact and the differences between blocking, restricting, and muting.
How to block a contact from Instagram
Blocking someone on Instagram is very easy, but it is not something you should do lightly. Only block a contact if you think they deserve it. But don´t worry, you can always unblock that user. Leaving that aside, there are three ways to block an Instagram contact.
Blocking contacts from Instagram's settings
You can block an account from the Instagram settings:
- Go to Instagram.
- Tap on Profile.
- Open the drop-down Menu at the top right.
- Go to Who can see your content.
- Go to Blocked or Blocked accounts.
- Tap the + or Add button and search for the person you want to block.
- Tap the Block button next to each contact to block them.
- When you are finished, tap Block again to confirm your decision.
Blocking a contact from an Instagram chat
It is also possible to block an account from a chat:
- Go to Instagram.
- Go to Messages. It is on the upper right.
- Open your chat with the contact you are going to block.
- Tap the name of that contact.
- Tap the Options drop-down menu at the top right.
- Finally, tap Block.
- Confirm your selection.
Blocking contacts from their Instagram profile
And finally, you can block someone from their profile:
- Go to Instagram.
- Use the search engine to find the contact to block.
- Tap their name to enter their profile.
- Or tap their name in a comment or post.
- Tap the Options drop-down menu at the top right.
- Tap Block.
- You must confirm your decision by tapping Block again.
What happens when you block someone on Instagram
As you saw above, blocking someone on Instagram is a good solution to privacy or coexistence problems. But you must know what happens when you block a contact. For starters, if you block a contact, that contact will not receive a notification. What will happen is that “you will block their account and all other accounts they may have and any new ones they may create”.
When you block a contact, “their Likes and comments are removed from your photos and videos”. This action cannot be undone if you decide to unblock that contact. However. Even if someone is blocked, “they can still see your Likes and comments on posts shared by public accounts or accounts they follow.”
If you are in a group chat where there is a person you will block, "a dialog box will appear asking if you want to stay in the group or leave it. If you decide to stay in the group, you and the person you blocked will be able to see each other's messages inside the group."
If you block someone, you cannot send or receive messages from them, even if you unblock them later. Messages sent do not reach their destination.
In short, when you block someone on Instagram:
- The blocked person does not receive any warning.
- The blocked person cannot mention or tag you.
- The likes and comments of the blocked person disappear from your posts.
- This action cannot be undone.
- You will be able to leave chats where the blocked person is.
- If you stay, both of you will be able to see each other's messages.
- You cannot send or receive messages from a blocked person.
Differences between blocking, restricting, and muting someone on Instagram
In addition to blocking, Instagram offers two other actions: restricting and muting. They offer different solutions to give you more tools depending on the space you want to leave between your Instagram account and certain users or contacts.
Restricting someone on Instagram is a gentler way of blocking. When you restrict a contact, "the person you restricted will not be able to see when you are online, and you will not receive any notification when they comment. The person will also not be able to tag you or mention you in posts." It is basically “limiting interactions” between you and that person.
Muting someone on Instagram “hides a person's posts, stories, or messages without unfollowing their account”. It is another way to limit interactions between the two, without going to the extremes of blocking someone.
Restricting or muting an Instagram contact
To restrict or mute a contact on Instagram:
- Go to Instagram.
- Go to that contact's profile.
- You can use the search engine or find it in posts or comments.
- Tap the Followed or Following drop-down.
- Tap on Mute or Restrict.
- You will have to confirm your decision.
- In the case of Mute, you can choose what you want to mute: posts, stories, among others.
To mute someone's messages on Instagram:
- Go to Instagram.
- Go to Messages.
- Open your chat with that person.
- Tap the top right button.
- Activate the Mute messages and/or Mute call notifications option.
How to unblock someone on Instagram
A block does not have to be forever. Neither is the action of restricting or silencing someone. Everyone makes mistakes. And relationships evolve. So, if you decide to unblock someone, or stop restricting or muting, Instagram allows you to do so. Just follow the same steps we have seen before.
Unblocking Instagram contacts
To unblock someone on Instagram:
- Go to Instagram.
- Tap on Profile.
- Open the drop-down Menu at the top right.
- Go to Who can see your content.
- Go to Blocked or Blocked accounts.
- Find the contact you want to unblock.
- Tap the Unblock button on your right.
- You will see an informative message.
- Confirm your decision by tapping on Unblock.
Unmuting somebody on Instagram
To unrestrict or unmute someone on Instagram:
- Go to Instagram.
- Tap on Profile.
- Open the drop-down Menu at the top right.
- Look for the Restricted Accounts and Silenced Accounts sections.
- Go into each one of them.
- Restricted and muted contacts will be displayed, respectively.
- Tap the button to the right of each contact.
- Cancel the restriction to stop restricting.
- Reactivate to unmute.
- You must uncheck the restriction and mute.
- You may need to confirm your decision.
