- To learn if you are blocked by someone on Instagram, try searching their name/username on the app.
- In case you can't see someone's older posts on their profile, it indicates that this person may have blocked you.
- You can also try checking their profile from another account, tagging them in a post, or by sending them a DM.
As a social media platform, Instagram lets you connect with people you know or have met on the app. However, when things turn sour, one issue users face (or are concerned about) is getting the axe and being blocked. There are a few ways to deduce if you’ve been blocked on Instagram. So, if you have stopped seeing someone’s posts and receiving their messages lately, then this guide will teach you how to know if someone blocked you on Instagram.
Method 1: Check For Your Friend’s Username
Let’s get the basics out of the way. The easiest way to know if someone has blocked you is to search their profile using Instagram’s search function.
For this, tap the search icon at the bottom, then tap on the search bar at the top, and type in their name or username. If it shows up, then they have certainly not blocked you. But if it doesn’t, there is a possibility that they have blocked you.
Method 2: Search Instagram Profile on Web
Searching username isn’t conclusive evidence. The person may have deactivated or deleted their Instagram account. Hence, you need to put on your detective glasses and dig deeper by searching their profile using a web browser. Make sure you’re not logged in to your account or use Incognito mode.
Now enter the following URL in the address bar of your browser. Here is the URL that you need to enter – https://www.instagram.com/insert_username_here/. Replace insert_username_here with the actual username of the user you want to search for.
If their profile shows up but doesn’t appear when you are logged in, you can be sure they have blocked you. This is a sure-shot way to know if the person has an active Instagram account. If the account is deleted or deactivated, the page will read, “Sorry, this page isn’t available.”
Method 3: Check Direct Messages
Unlike the “Failed to send” error that shows when someone has blocked you on Snapchat, there’s no such indication on Instagram. It continues to let you send Instagram messages, even if the recipient has blocked you. However, they won’t receive or get alerted for your DMs.
Their username will also display as “Instagram User“, though it’s not necessary. So you can try sending them a message and if it does not appear as “Seen” after a week, then it’s time to move on.
Method 4: Tag Them in Comments
If someone blocks you, you won’t be able to tag them in comments, posts, or stories. This is another trick to help you find out about your blocked status.
So, go to the comments section on any post, type “@Instagram username” and see if you can tag the blocked person. If the app doesn’t let you tag the user, or their profile doesn’t show up then it’s another indication that this person has blocked you.
Method 5: Visit Someone’s Instagram Profile
If you can manage to find the user’s profile from old comments or DMs, then this can help you determine whether they’ve blocked you. Here’s how you can do this.
- Open their chat from the direct messages page.
- Now, tap on the username or profile picture.
- Then, tap on the Profile option. This will take you to their profile page.
Here, check if you can see their older posts on Instagram. If none of their posts are visible anymore, and their “Followers” and “Following” appear, then they have certainly blocked you.
Method 6: See If You Can View Their Profile Picture
Now, Instagram won’t just show a blank profile icon when someone blocks you. It keeps showing their last profile picture to you, so you don’t suspect anything out of the ordinary. But while you are on their profile page, you can tap on their profile picture to enlarge it.
This won’t work if they have blocked you. So if you cannot enlarge their profile picture even after tapping multiple times, you should know that they’ve blocked you.
Method 7: Ask a Mutual Friend to Search for Their Profile
If you think your friend has blocked you on Instagram and want to confirm your suspicions, you can ask a mutual friend to search for their profile. This is the best way to ensure that they haven’t just deactivated or deleted their account. If your friend can see their profile page, photos, and videos, it means they’ve blocked you.
Method 8: Try Following Them Again
Now that you are on their profile, and still not convinced, then you can try another thing. Tap on the Follow button from your account. Instagram won’t let you follow or send a follow request to someone who has blocked you. So your request will go from “Requested” to “Follow” within a second. If this happens to you, then it’s another confirmation that they’ve blocked you.
Well, those are the methods you can use to find out if someone has blocked you on Instagram. It can be quite disheartening to know that someone blocked you, but it is best to respect the other person’s privacy and move on. So, were you able to figure out if someone blocked you? Let us know in the comments.
You can search the person’s name you suspect has blocked you on the app. If their user ID does not show up, or all their posts aren’t visible to you, then it means they blocked you.
When someone blocks you, you will stop seeing their posts. Your messages to them won’t show as “Seen”, and you will not be able to view their older posts, highlights, and other details. But their profile picture will still be visible.
Instagram does not show you who blocked you or alert you when someone does it. But you can look up their name or visit their profile to learn whether they blocked you or not.
You can’t view their story and posts when they block you. Your messages will go undelivered to the recipient, and you won’t be able to make video calls to the person.
No, Instagram does not allow you to follow the person who has blocked you on the app.
You can’t see it from search, but you can access it from old comments or DM. Even then, you won’t see their posts and stories.
Ajaay Srinivasan
