How to block someone on instagram permanently

Take a break from an annoying friend or account

Updated on August 16, 2022

What to Know

  • Block in Instagram app: Go to account page > tap three dots > Block > Block > Dismiss.
  • Block in browser: Go to account page > tap three dots > Block this user > Block.
  • Unblock: Go to blocked account page > tap three dots > Unblock.

This article explains how to block users on Instagram to prevent them from seeing or interacting with your posts. Instructions apply to the Instagram app on both Apple and Android devices, as well as Instagram on a web browser.

How to Block Someone Using the Instagram App

Blocking an Instagram user means they won't be able to locate your profile, posts, or Instagram story. They won't be notified that you blocked them, but they can find out with a little detective work. While they can mention your username in their posts, these mentions aren't displayed in your Activity stream. Here's how to block another user:

  1. Download and open the Instagram app on your iOS or Android device.

  2. Find and load the profile of the user account you want to block.

    To find the account, use the search function or tap the account's username from anywhere in the Instagram app, including your list of followers.

  3. Tap Menu (three dots), located in the upper-right corner of the screen.

  4. Tap Block.

  5. A confirmation box explains what happens when you block the account. Tap Block to proceed.

  6. You'll see a message that the account is blocked. Tap Dismiss to finish the process.

  7. To unblock the account, return to its page, tap menu, and then select Unblock.

    If the person has a private account, you'll have to request to follow them again.

How to Block Someone Using a Web Browser

If you don't have the app available or use a platform that doesn't support it, you can block someone from the Instagram website.

  1. Open a browser, navigate to the Instagram website, and find and load the profile of the user or account you want to block.

  2. In the upper-right corner of the screen, tap Menu (three dots).

  3. Select Block this user from the pop-up menu.

  4. Select Block to confirm.

  5. Select Dismiss to complete the process.

  6. To unblock the account, return to its page and select Unblock.

FAQ

  • How do you deactivate your Instagram account?

    To deactivate your Instagram account, log in to Instagram on a web browser. Select your profile picture > Edit Profile > tap Temporarily disable my account and follow the prompts.

  • How do you change your password on Instagram?

    To change your password, go to the log-in screen and tap Forgot Password. Enter your email address, phone number, or username and select Reset Password. Check the email or phone number associated with your account for a link to reset your password and follow the steps.

  • How do you mute someone on Instagram?

    To mute an Instagram account, go to their page and select Following > Mute. You can choose to silence posts or stories.

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  • Steps to block someone on Instagram 
    • Why would we block someone on Instagram?
    • What happens if you block a profile on Instagram?
  • Is there any alternative to block a profile? 
  • How do you unblock on Instagram? 

We are witnessing the golden years of Instagram. More and more people open a new personal account every day, so companies bet on this platform to advertise through influencers or their own Instagram business accounts. Consequently, ads hog up our stories.

The growth and relevance of Instagram has brought a lot of information to the world. The amount of information available may be excessive, forcing us to decide to block certain Instagram users.

We’ll explain to you in this post how to block someone on Instagram. Would you like to learn how?

Keep reading!

Steps to block someone on Instagram 

You got tired of receiving all kinds of notifications, content or messages from certain users, you want to block them, but you don’t know how…

Sometimes you might not take any action to solve this problem, only if you want to avoid reading never-ending articles.

To help you with the process, we have put together these easy steps to block an account on Instagram:

→ Search the user that you want to block

You can do it from the usual search tool, from your list of followers if he/she follows you or from your private messages if that person has previously contacted you using this method.

→ Access and tap the menu

When you enter their profile, you can access the menu represented by three consecutive dots that you find on the top-right side.

→ Tap block

If you tap menu, you will see the option block amongst other actions that you could take.

Easy, right? Once you finalize the process, we ask you… which reasons made you decide to block a profile on Instagram?

Why would we block someone on Instagram?

Sometimes we feel overwhelmed with our accounts on this social platform because we’re so exposed and available. Perhaps, another user is stalking you and you don’t want to know anything about him/her again.

Below, you can find three common scenarios that might make you consider blocking a profile:

🔒 SPAM. There are some profiles where the only objective is to sell and advertise through private messages and comments without your approval.

🔒 Meddling. An Instagram user that you don’t know usually comments on your photos or replies to your stories.

🔒 Harassment. If you feel hounded by someone, a good option will be to block that person. If it persists, you could opt to report it on this same platform.

What happens if you block a profile on Instagram?

Before blocking that profile from your Instagram account, we will tell you what happens if you do it so you can decide whether it is convenient for you to block someone or not.The profile you block …

  • Won’t be able to find your account in the Instagram search engine. When they write your name, no search results will appear.
  • Can’t see the content you publish on Instagram: Feed posts, Reels, IGTV, stories, nothing. By blocking, you won’t see their content either.
  • Cannot contact you through direct messages. Any communication channel between you is eliminated.
  • Will keep the exchanged messages and comments before the blocking took place. That is, nothing is deleted before the account was blocked.

Is there any alternative to block a profile? 

Fortunately, Instagram offers you ways to privatize your profile without having to resort to blocking someone.

So, what are those alternatives?

✅ Private account. Only users that you previously accept as followers will be able to see your profile.  

✅ Share stories. Instagram stories can be sent through private messages, if you don’t allow it, nobody will be able to share your stories.

✅ Comments. You can filter comments through settings. Choose which words can or cannot appear on your wall.

✅ Replies to stories. Select who can reply to your stories: Everyone, people you follow or deactivate this option all together.

This is a great alternative to keep your privacy if you don’t feel comfortable blocking someone.

How do you unblock on Instagram? 

You have two options available in case you want to unblock a user and interact with them again:

➡️ Search their profile. Instead of the option “follow”, you will see “unblock”. Simply tap it and it’s done.

➡️ Access your profile settings that you can find by clicking the three horizontal lines on the top-right side of your wall. In ‘Privacy’, go to ‘Blocked Users”.  In this section you will find the profile you want to unblock.

Do you have any other questions? If someone is a nuisance, don’t think twice about blocking them.

We will read your comments if you leave us one.

How do I block someone permanently?

Navigate to and open Contacts, and then tap the contact you wish to block. Tap More, and then tap Block contact. Tap Block to confirm.

Can the person who blocked me on Instagram still see my profile?

People that you block can still see your likes and comments on posts that were shared by public accounts or accounts they follow. After you block someone, they won't be able to mention your username or tag you.

Can I block someone on Instagram without them knowing?

1) People don't get a notification when you block them If you've blocked someone on Instagram, they won't receive a notification regarding the same unlike when it comes to receiving followers, likes, comments or personal messages. So, if you want them to know that they are blocked, it isn't possible.

How can I hide my Instagram from someone without blocking them?

Tap or your profile picture in the bottom right to go to your profile. Tap in the top right, then tap Settings. Tap Privacy. Tap next to Private Account to make your account private.