8 Ways to Know If You’re Blocked on Instagram
Ever felt like someone just disappeared from your Instagram feed without a trace? You’re not alone. One day, you’re exchanging DMs and reacting to Stories, and the next nothing. It’s natural to wonder: “Did they block me?”
Table of Contents
- 1 First, Let’s Clear Up What Happens When You’re Blocked
- 2 1. Search for Their Profile
- 3 2. Use a Web Browser to Search
- 4 3. Check Your Direct Messages (DMs)
- 5 4. Look Through Old Comments and Likes
- 6 5. Use Another Account or Ask a Friend
- 7 6. Check Their Tag and Mention Activity
- 8 7. Look at Group Messages
- 9 8. Try Following Them Again (if You Still See Their Profile)
- 10 Important: Don’t Confuse a Block With These
- 11 Is There a Way to See Who Blocked You?
- 12 Final Thoughts
Instagram doesn’t send you a notification when someone blocks you. But don’t worry there are signs. In this guide, we’ll walk through clear, practical ways to find out if someone has blocked you on Instagram.
First, Let’s Clear Up What Happens When You’re Blocked
When someone blocks you on Instagram:
- You can’t find their profile using the search bar.
- Their posts, Stories, and Highlights disappear.
- Any previous conversations in DMs remain, but you can’t send new messages.
- Comments and likes from their side vanish from your photos.
- They vanish from your followers/following lists (if they were there before).
Now, let’s dig into how you can figure it out step-by-step.
1. Search for Their Profile
The most obvious starting point.
How to check:
- Open the Instagram app.
- Tap the search icon.
- Type in the person’s exact username.
What you might see:
- Can’t find their profile? Could be they changed their username, deleted their account… or blocked you.
- You see their name but no posts, no followers, and “No Posts Yet”? That’s a strong sign they’ve blocked you.
- Can’t see them on your main account but can on another account? You’re likely blocked on your main account.
Pro Tip: Use a browser or another account to cross-check. That’s the quickest way to compare.
2. Use a Web Browser to Search
If you know their username, try this direct URL in a web browser (incognito window works too): https://www.instagram.com/username/
Replace “username” with their actual Instagram handle.
What the result tells you:
- If you’re logged in and get a “Sorry, this page isn’t available” message it could mean:
- You’re blocked.
- They’ve deleted their account.
- Now log out, or open the link in an incognito tab.
- If the profile loads when you’re logged out (or from another account), you’re blocked.
3. Check Your Direct Messages (DMs)
If you had conversations with the person, head over to your Instagram inbox.
Here’s what to look for:
- Still see the chat thread? Good.
- Tap it can you see their profile picture or username? Or has it changed to “Instagrammer”?
- Try sending a message. If it stays undelivered indefinitely, you’re probably blocked.
If the chat disappears entirely from your inbox, it’s another red flag.
How to Repost on Instagram? – Keep your feed fresh with the best repost tips.
4. Look Through Old Comments and Likes
Think back did this person ever like your posts or leave a comment?
Go to:
- Your own posts.
- Scroll through likes or comments.
If all of their interactions are missing, there’s a good chance you’ve been blocked. Instagram wipes them off your content once you’re blocked.
5. Use Another Account or Ask a Friend
This is one of the easiest ways to confirm your suspicions.
Try this:
- Log in from a different account (yours or a friend’s).
- Search for the person’s username.
If the profile appears on another account but not on yours you’re definitely blocked.
Don’t have another account? It’s easy to make one just for checking. Instagram doesn’t limit you to one profile.
6. Check Their Tag and Mention Activity
- Try searching your tagged photos. Were they ever tagged in one of your pictures?
- Or go to any of your posts where you mentioned them (@username).
If the tag or mention is no longer clickable or doesn’t lead to a profile, that’s a likely sign of a block.
7. Look at Group Messages
If you and the person were ever in the same Instagram group chat, scroll through your groups.
- Do they still appear in the list of members?
- Can you click on their profile from within the group?
If their name appears as “Instagrammer” and the profile won’t open they’ve either deleted their account or blocked you.
How to Delete Instagram Account Permanently – Thinking about taking a break?
8. Try Following Them Again (if You Still See Their Profile)
In some edge cases, you might still be able to view their profile (maybe via a comment thread or tagged post). Try following them.
If Instagram throws an error like:
“Action Blocked” or “User not found”
…you’re likely blocked.
Important: Don’t Confuse a Block With These
There are other reasons you might not find someone:
- They deleted their Instagram account.
- They deactivated it temporarily.
- They changed usernames.
- Their account is set to private, and they’ve removed you.
So if you’re unsure, do some of the cross-checks mentioned above especially with another account.
Is There a Way to See Who Blocked You?
Short answer: No, Instagram doesn’t show you a list of who blocked you.
But the methods above work well. Just avoid third-party apps claiming to reveal blockers they can compromise your privacy or account.
Final Thoughts
Getting blocked sucks. It’s confusing, frustrating, and sometimes even hurtful. But it’s also part of the social media world. The good news? You now know the exact steps to figure it out without second-guessing yourself.
Just remember don’t overthink it. Give people space. And if someone isn’t meant to be in your digital life, there’s no need to chase. You’ve got better things to scroll for. 😉
READ NEXT:
