How to Know if Someone Restricted You on Instagram

Co-authored by Jenna Jean Davis and Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: October 25, 2024 Fact Checked

Are you worried that somebody restricted you on Instagram? Because Instagram restriction exists so users can quietly silence cyberbullies or minimize embarrassing over-commenters without unfollowing or blocking them, it's not obvious when someone restricts your account. But don't worry—you can still figure out if you're restricted once you know where to look! This wikiHow guide will cover three telltale signs that an Instagram user has restricted your account, and also teach you how to restrict an account yourself.

Things You Should Know

If you comment on someone's post and nobody can see that comment except you, you're likely restricted.
If both you and the person in question have Activity Status enabled, you won't see when they're active if you're restricted.
If you never see the "Seen" status on messages you send to that user, they may have restricted you.

Section 1 of 4:

Check Their Activity Status

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If you've exchanged direct messages with the person in the past, look for their Activity Status in your inbox. As long as you haven't disabled your own Activity Status, you'll see a green dot or a timestamp next to the profile photo of each person who also has Activity Status enabled.^{[2]
X
Research source} If you know the person you're worried about is active online right now and you both for sure have Activity Status enabled, they may have restricted your account.
- This isn't the most reliable way to find out if you're restricted as many people disable Activity Status for privacy reasons. But if you've always been able to see statuses like "Active yesterday" "Active 30m ago" but don't now, it's possible they've restricted you.

Section 3 of 4:

Send a Direct Message

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Usually when someone reads your DMs on Instagram, you'll see the "Seen" status in your inbox. However, if a person has you restricted, you'll never see if or when they've opened your message. If you send a DM and it remains unseen indefinitely, you might be restricted.
- This can be a tricky way to determine whether you're restricted, as some people don't read their Instagram messages right away. However, if the person has been quick to respond in the past but no longer opens your messages, they've likely restricted you.

Section 4 of 4:

How to Restrict Someone on Instagram

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1
Go to the profile of the person you want to restrict. Whether you're just curious what restriction looks like from the other side or there's someone you'd rather not allow to comment on your posts, you can easily restrict any of your friends (temporarily or permanently) from their profile.^{[3]
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- If someone is harassing you on Instagram, don't hesitate to block and report them.
If you're using an Android, you'll see three vertical dots at the top-right corner. On an iPhone or iPad, it'll be three horizontal dots, also at the top-right.^{[4]
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A brief menu will expand.^{[5]
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4
Tap Restrict Account. Once the account is restricted, you'll no longer be notified when they comment on your content.^{[6]
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- If you had a direct message conversation with this person, the chat will move to the Requests folder rather than your inbox. To get there, open your messages and tap the Requests tab at the top.
- To unrestrict an account, return to the person's profile, tap the three dots, then tap Unrestrict.
5
Allow a restricted comment to appear on a post (optional). When someone you've restricted leaves a comment on your post, you'll see a See comment link instead of their actual comment. If you'd like to allow that comment to appear normally, tap that link, and then select Approve.
- You can also tap Delete to delete the comment completely.

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Tips

While Instagram restriction has similar symptoms to shadowbanning, it's actually a bit different. Shadowbans are issued by Instagram, while restrictions are issued by individual users.

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