Reasons Why Your Instagram Account Is Blocked

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Instagram account blocked
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Sam Hackett

Last Updated: Mar 28, 2024

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If you’re reading this article, it’s likely you have found yourself in a situation too common for many Instagram users; your Instagram account is blocked. In an effort to keep the community safe, Instagram is very strict about the content it allows its community to share. Having an Instagram action blocked is incredibly frustrating and confusing, so we put together this guide to explain why Instagram is sending you these alerts. If your Instagram action is blocked, here’s why and what to do about it. 

Types of Instagram Action Blocks

Temporary block

A temporary block on Instagram refers to a restriction placed on an account’s functionality for a specific period as a result of violating Instagram’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. Temporary blocks are intended to discourage users from engaging in behaviour that goes against Instagram’s rules and to give them an opportunity to correct their actions.

Users may be prevented from performing certain actions on the platform, such as liking, commenting, following, or posting content. Content posted by the account may be deprioritized in the platform’s algorithms, reducing its visibility to other users.

Instagram action block with an expiration date

An Instagram action block with an expiration date is a temporary restriction placed on an account’s functionality, such as liking, commenting, following, or posting content. Unlike permanent blocks, which may result from severe or repeated violations of Instagram’s policies, an action block with an expiration date has a specific timeframe after which the restrictions are lifted automatically.

When Instagram imposes an action block with an expiration date on an account, the user will typically receive a notification informing them of the block and its duration. The duration of the block can vary, ranging from a few hours to several days, depending on the severity of the violation and the account’s history of infractions.

Instagram action block without an expiration date

An Instagram action block without an expiration date is a more severe form of restriction placed on an account’s functionality, typically for violating Instagram’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. 

Unlike temporary action blocks, which have a specific duration after which the restrictions are automatically lifted, an action block without an expiration date does not have a set timeframe for resolution. When an account is subject to an action block without an expiration date, the restrictions on its functionality, such as liking, commenting, following, or posting content, remain in place indefinitely until Instagram takes further action.

Permanent Instagram action block

A Permanent Instagram action block is a severe and permanent restriction placed on an account’s functionality, usually as a result of repeated or egregious violations of Instagram’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. 

When an account is subject to a Permanent Instagram action block, the restrictions on its functionality, such as liking, commenting, following, or posting content, remain in place permanently. This type of action block is typically reserved for the most severe violations of Instagram’s policies and guidelines.

What rules should you obey if you don’t want to get blocked on Instagram?

To avoid being blocked on Instagram, users should adhere to the platform’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service. Avoid posting content that violates Instagram’s Community Guidelines, including nudity, hate speech, violence, or harassment. Interact with other users genuinely and avoid spammy behavior such as excessive liking, commenting, or following/unfollowing.

Refrain from using automation tools or bots to artificially inflate engagement or follower counts, as this violates Instagram’s policies. Only share content that you have the right to use, and give proper credit to creators when necessary. Do not plagiarize or infringe on others’ intellectual property rights.

What is the reason for being blocked on Instagram?

There could be a lot of different reasons why your account is being blocked on Instagram. We are ready to help you solve this problem. Here are some reasons:

1. Violating the Rules of Social Media

While social media is meant to be a place where you can express yourself however you want, there are still some guidelines that you need to follow. If you break these rules, you may get your Instagram account blocked or even banned

The platform has set in place community guidelines and rules to keep users safe and happy. 

Sometimes you may not even realize you’re breaking the rules, and on many occasions it’s not completely clear why Instagram blocks an account. To avoid being banned on Instagram, below are the most common rules to keep in mind when posting and engaging with content. 

Instagram account blocked

Instagram’s Rules and Guidelines

Sexual Content 

One of the reasons why you may have your Instagram account blocked is for posting inappropriate sexual content. In short, although Instagram is for those over 13 years of age, their main intent is to keep content appropriate for a diverse audience. You can read their community guidelines in depth here

Some common reasons why Instagram blocks posts for sexual content are partially nude photos of children (for safety reasons) and nudity in general, no matter the intent. Though it may be done for artistic or creative purposes, nudity is never allowed and results in Instagram blocking content.

Violent Content

Next, you can have an Instagram action blocked or even be banned on Instagram for posting violent content. It’s never okay to encourage violence on this platform. The only exception Instagram allows when discussing violence is when it’s being shared to challenge it or raise awareness. 

Instagram strives to foster a positive, diverse community. Because of this, you can be banned on Instagram for making serious threats of harm to public safety. 

Instagram asks users to be thoughtful when posting newsworthy events. To avoid being banned on Instagram, avoid posting videos of intense or graphic violence. 

Posting content to condemn, raise awareness or educate may not be one of the reasons why Instagram blocks your content, but it’s important to use your best judgement and caption your photo with a warning. 

 Instagram account blocked

Copyrighted Content

An Instagram account blocked could also be due to issues with copyrighted content. Reposting is an effective and popular strategy to create user generated content and switch up your feed. 

In order to avoid your Instagram action blocked, give credit where credit is due. Instagram strives to keep their community strong and to avoid conflict, so they suggest working out copyright issues directly with the members involved.  

If you do arrive in a situation where your content has been copied or reposted without proper tagging or permission, avoid having your own Instagram account blocked by filing a copyright report rather than harassing the user.

2. Using Bots to Boost Engagement  

Using automated bots to boost engagement or increase likes, comments and followers is a sure fire way to get your Instagram account blocked. All users on Instagram, whether you’re a business account or not, are hungry for engagement. However, to avoid being banned on Instagram, you’ll have to organically increase your engagement. A smaller more engaged audience has a higher likelihood of making a sale than a large audience full of fake followers. 

Instagram tracks your account and if it sees you liking, following, or commenting an abnormal amount, it will alert Instagram of your potential use of a bot and lead your Instagram action being blocked. 

Beware of Follower Promises 

Here at Kicksta, our primary focus is real engagement and followers. We strive to expand your audience, build your social influence, and promote your brand. Our growth tool will get you more Instagram followers guaranteed and no Instagram actions blocked. 

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There are tons of services that offer instant gratification in the amount of followers you will get for a certain price. However, your Instagram account will be blocked for authorizing these actions on your account. If you haven’t realized yet, buying followers is a bad idea. 

Services that promise a specific amount of followers fast are a guaranteed way to alert Instagram of foul play. If you’re buying followers in bulk, Instagram will notice a spike in followers, likely will flag your account and if repeated enough times, you may be banned on Instagram. 

If your goal is to avoid getting your Instagram account blocked and gain genuine followers, we have a solution. To avoid this problem, only use services that focus on organic growth and pursue real followers. This will allow for a slow increase in followers while not alerting Instagram. 

Why Fake Followers Do More Damage than Good

Having your Instagram account blocked isn’t the only reason you should stray from buying followers. Fake followers do more damage than good to your brand, account and business.

There are many reasons why it isn’t a good idea to purchase “organic” followers. Aside from the risk of being banned on Instagram, purchased followers correlate to low engagement, lack of credibility and a follower drop off. Too many fake followers also lead to compromised analytics and less website traffic. 

Compromised analytics will hurt you when negotiating with brands for sponsored posts and will make it difficult for you to compare how well a post performs. 

Fake followers will not bring in sales or website traffic. If Instagram is one of your main marketing tools, you don’t want followers who won’t make a purchase or could lead your Instagram account to be blocked. 

3. User Complaints

User complaints can play a large role in getting your Instagram account blocked or flagged by the platform.

If enough users report your profile or photos, this can alert Instagram and result in getting an Instagram action blocked or even your account disabled. Here are some of the common reasons a user complaint could get your account blocked. 

When you go to report an account, the app offers two options: “It’s Spam” or “It’s Inappropriate”. 

Reporting a post

If you choose “It’s Spam”, this will automatically block the reported account, so you mutually will not be able to see one another’s content. An account considered spam either posts excessively or other similar behavior that is not deemed authentic. 

If you click “It’s Inappropriate”, you’re redirected to another page to fill out additional details about why you’re reporting the account. As you may guess, Instagram receives a lot of these notifications, so your answers will determine how much action is taken.

Flagging someone for posting annoying content or spam will likely not immediately get your Instagram account blocked. On the other hand, posting inappropriate content will be taken more seriously by Instagram. 

Finally, one of the most popular user complaints is one you may not realize. The option: “This profile is pretending to be someone else”. 

While it’s not shocking that people may want to take over celebrity or influencer accounts, this frequently happens to normal people’s accounts. Instagram offers the option to choose if you, someone you know, or a celebrity are the ones being hacked. 

4. Logging in From Multiple IP Addresses

When discussing the topic of an Instagram account being blocked this is one that is not as commonly discussed.  While Instagram has not made any official statements about whether they ban based on IP addresses or devices, it seems rather obvious to the professionals that they do. 

An IP address indicates the location from which you’re logging onto Instagram, and it’s an easy piece of identifying information to change. When someone uses Instagram, they are identified not only by their username but also by their password, IP address, and MAC address, which shows the hardware of the device. If you’re logging in to Instagram from multiple IP addresses or from multiple devices, Instagram may see this as suspicious activity and block you.

If Instagram decides to block someone, you won’t be able to log on to the network using your username and password from your old IP addresses, with the same MAC address, or with the same phone. Any attempt at logging in will be flagged by Instagram and send you back to square one.

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Temporary Block vs. Disabled

There is a big difference between Instagram’s temporary block and having your account disabled. It is important to note that Instagram will warn you if you’re close to having your account banned or disabled. So, be careful and listen closely.

while both temporary blocks and disabled accounts involve restrictions on an account’s functionality, temporary blocks are temporary and reversible, typically imposed for less severe violations, while disabled accounts are permanent and irreversible, usually imposed for more serious violations.

New Instagram automation restrictions will flag your account for performing any action at a high speed. This includes commenting, liking, following, hashtagging, etc.; actions that could appear as spam. 

Don’t freak out if you receive a temporary block on your account. It’s only temporary. 

Research shows, if you get your Instagram account blocked, you won’t necessarily be banned on Instagram. Typically, you’ll only be blocked for a specific amount of time. 

When your Instagram account is blocked, your account can be prohibited from performing any activity for 24-48 hours. After your block time is over, return to the app on the exact date and time of your unblock and perform an action. Error messages will notify you as soon as possible if you’re blocked. 

On the other hand, Instagram disables accounts for things like excessive profanity, spam, repeatedly being reported by other accounts, or violating Instagram’s terms and conditions. 

These accounts can be disabled without warning. You will likely see a message such as “your account has been disabled” “We’re sorry, something went wrong” or even an error like “username not found”.

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Your Instagram Account is Blocked : What Now?

If you had your Instagram account blocked, we feel for you. This is not an ideal situation. If you have created a business account, it’s likely you have invested a lot of time and money into your page development, engagement and brand collaborations. 

With a perfect grid, a large following and unique connections, it’s unimaginable for it to be gone in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common for Instagram users. One day, you could be blocked and not even know the cause. 

To restore your account, there is an option to appeal the decision. If you do not see the notification, you may have issues with the login. 

Unfortunately, if someone else deletes your account, Instagram will not be able to recover it. You can create a new account with the same email address, but you will likely not be able to use the old username again. 

If you receive an error message with a learn more option, click it to let Instagram know your account was disabled by mistake. 

A question on the next screen will allow you to identify whether you had a business or personal account. 

Next steps include filling out the form. To restore your business account, specify your full name, Instagram username and email address. 

Then, to prove your relationship to the company/business you will need to attach examples of documents like your license, registration certificate, confirmation of a domain registration, etc. This is to prove the account truly belongs to you. 

Finally, click “send” and wait for an email. Hopefully, if you are not banned on Instagram, you should only be waiting one to two days for a response. When you do, do not expect to learn the reason for your initial disabled account. This information is unfortunately not disclosed. 

Instagram Account Blocked: Infographic

Reasons Why Your Instagram Account Is Blocked Infographic

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Blocked By Instagram

If your account is blocked by Instagram, hopefully, this article gave you a deeper understanding of how this might happen and the actionable steps to avoid it happening again.

Instagram strives to foster a community that is authentic and safe and provides a space for inspiration and expression. They ask that you only post your own photos and videos, follow the law, and respect everyone on the app. 

Instagram is a reflection of our diverse community of cultures, ages, and beliefs. We hope our insight and tips help you better understand your part in the community and how you can make it a better place and avoid getting blocked.

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40 Comments

  • Hilel Eddine Tebbouche says:

    Good

  • Niki says:

    What if we’re hosting a giveaway on our page? Could the sudden uptick of comments, likes, and followers cause our accounts to be flagged?
    Also, other accounts like to “spam” accounts to get noticed in hopes for a follow back. I often get every photo in my feed liked all at once by another business account, I’m assuming that could get me flagged as well, even though they are the ones doing it. Great! Lol.
    I often upload new product images “all at once” one after another, with many of them sharing the same hashtags. Do I need to avoid doing this?
    I have a few other questions but I don’t want to bombard your comment section. Thanks for the article!

    • Sam Hackett says:

      Niki, thank you for all your questions! If you have more questions about the using Kicksta and the threat of being flagged, please email [email protected] and they can answer all your questions and concerns.

  • Hacking problem solve my account please help me

    • Sam Hackett says:

      Hello! Be sure to follow the steps outlined in the blog if you are blocked by Instagram or experience a hacking problem. We would also recommend reaching out to Instagram and changing your password to prevent further hacks!

  • Vishnu Singh says:

    Sir my account block is please unblock my account

    • Sam Hackett says:

      We do not have the power to unblock your account, but be sure to follow the steps in the blog and consult Instagram and hopefully they can help!

  • Mary says:

    Hi,
    I can’t sign into my Instagram account. Sometimes I get a 6-digit security code sent to my phone but that’s very very rarely and when I do, I type it in and it says “Sorry there was a problem with your request” then I pressed “get support” and they sent a code and I had to take a picture with the code followed by my name and username to verify my identity after I did that they gave me a 8 digit recovery code and they verified my identity and said use the code where it says ‘Use Recovery Code’ the problem is, it doesn’t say that anywhere. After I log in it goes straight to type in the 6 digit security code we sent to you phone which I’m not getting. So I press try another way and I pressed use back up code and when I type in the code they gave me, it says “Sorry there was a problem with your request” I can’t get into my account anywhere but I can get in my friend account. Please help with serious solutions . I don’t know what happened exactly. I can not log in from any devices or web!

    • Kicksta says:

      Hi Mary, I am sorry to see that you are having issues with your Instagram account. It sounds like your issue is not from being blocked, but password issues that potentially formed from logging into your account from multiple locations and API addresses. Contacting Instagram support will be your best way to resolve this issue and make sure moving forward that you are not demonstrating any suspisouc activity on your account which is what triggers the 6-digit security code. Hope this helps!

  • mary says:

    Hi dear Kicksta,
    I have texted Instagram support more than 20 times so far. They send me the same code again and when I inform them that this code does not work. In response, they tell me:
    “It should be fix.”
    But unfortunately the problem is not solved. The robot seems to give the same answer to my request for help.

  • Blue butterfly says:

    I used follow meter app and at the same time I mass followed and unfollowed many account at once and I am a new Instagram user
    Now Instagram asks for face recognition selfie video though I complete taking it,it fails to upload and says the app is stopping still I could see my Instagram account but couldn’t refresh the feed am I temporarily banned or permanently blocked please reply
    Will I get back my account
    I am so frustrated and depressed 😔😭 help me

    • Kicksta says:

      Yes unfortuately mass following and unfollowing is considered suspicous activity to Instagram and they may ban or block your account. We suggest reaching out to Instagram support to see whether the ban is temporary or permanent! If permanent, create a new account and be sure to avoid any susipicous activity highlighted in this blog.

  • Hi instagram please open my instagram account disactivated id sorry that my Mistake please please my personal college account activate please

    • Kicksta says:

      Hello there, we recommend that you reach out to Instagram themselves if you have further problems with your account. We only provide tips and help relating to Instagram but if you have more questions please ask Instagram directly. They may be able to access your account better. Thanks!

  • Elsa Baker says:

    Thank you for this article. I was freaking out a bit yesterday because all of a sudden I couldn’t click on anything without it bringing me to a white page with the words “spam status failed” or something like that and I was scared I got completely banned (the thing is that I have only two posts and I don’t have much dms, so I was wondering where that block/ban came from). Thinking about it after reading this article, I was probably just going too fast without realizing it… Oh and do you think logging in with only two devices is too much? They always stay in the same location. (My computer and my phone basically) Anyways great article, pretty informative. :)

    • Kicksta says:

      Hi Elsa! We’re so glad you were able to figure it out and with the help of our article! We appreciate your reading. I can confidently say that you can log into the same IG account on different devices, it also doesn’t affect it if the devices are at two different locations so you’re good!

  • Gwen says:

    I’m desperate to get in touch with someone at Instagram. I have been unable to log into my IG business account for nearly 2 months now.
    Whenever I’m trying to log in, IG prompts me to enter my password and then nothing happens. Each time I’ll get a security e-mail saying that someone’s attempted logging into my account and if it’s not me I should reset my password etc. I have reset my password, reinstalled the app, cleared the cache, but it’s still impossible to get in (even using my email address or mobile number). Yet my followers can still see my account so hopefully it still exists. I’m also receiving email prompts from IG to spur me on visiting again and check what’s going on with the people I follow, but I simply can’t log in. The irony is that, if I enter the password wrong, IG tells me that it’s wrong, but when I enter the correct password, the app is ‘thinking’, and then nothing happens, I still have a blank screen.
    It’s all very frustrating, I don’t want to lose this account that has all my data and over 3K followers. It’s clearly an IG login bug, I’ve been trying to get hold of IG but there’s no way of ringing them or e-mailing them. Even if I resolve to start from scratch again and create a new account, the old account is still there floating in cyberspace, people might contact me on it and I can’t see their DMs… it’s awful as it’s a business account.
    I’d welcome any tip or shared experience.

    • Kicksta says:

      Hi Gwen, we’re so sorry to hear about this frustrating experience that you’re having with Instagram. Unfortunately, it does sound like a bug problem on their end. Have you tried logging in through your desktop? If so and it still doesn’t work, and contacting Instagram through their contact page doesn’t help, we suggest getting a hold on an email possibly? Hope that helps with your problem!

  • Mila says:

    My Instagram account has been restricted since mid-May. I deleted the app for 72 hours and nothing changed. I didn’t use the app for a whole week and nothing changed. I have attempted to contact multiple times, I have even reported an issue and haven’t seen any changes whatsoever. I have my Facebook linked to my account. I am still able to post on my stories and tag my friends. I am still able to respond to messages. I am still able to make posts but unable to make a caption, tag friends, or comment. I am unable to follow or follow back. I have reviewed the Community Guidelines and I have had a couple of friends review them for me as well, I haven’t violated any guidelines whatsoever whenever I post. This has never happened to me and I feel like I have tried everything I could to figure out what is going on with my Instagram account. I was using a third party app and have since deleted back towards the end of June. I have three different accounts, one is for business, one is personal (friends and family only), and I made one for my dog. This restriction has affected all three of my accounts and I have no idea what to do now. Help, please! T_T

  • Rejoice says:

    pls help,my account has been disabled but I opened another one but Instagram disabled it three times now pls I need help but if you can I need the very first account

    • Kicksta says:

      Hello there, our advice is to go straight to Instagram’s support for more in-depth help on your account!

  • I cannot log in into my Instagram anymore. People cannot find my account at search . And when I’m trying to log in they said to introduce the code from sms but when I m doing this Instagram said it’s an error. I just cannot log in into my Instagram. What can I do ? My account it’s deleted:((((

    • Kicksta says:

      Hello there! We suggest contacting Instagram for a deeper look into your account. We hope this helps!

  • Please my Mera Instagram account block ho I ya plz open

    • Kicksta says:

      Hi there! We’re not affiliated with Instagram, so we suggest going to Instagram’s customer service and asking if they can help with your account!

  • Patience Oje says:

    Please how do we contact Instagram to help with blocked accounts?

  • Looygoose says:

    My daughter’s account has been suspended because she started inflowing people. It’s bizarre, because she’s one of the most gracious Instagram users.
    She’s been suspended now for nearly a month with no change. It’s really upsetting for a 15 year old. What can we do?

    • kicksta says:

      Hello, thanks for reading our blog post! You may reach out to the Help Center of Instagram and try explaining what happened to your daughter’s Instagram account. Best of luck!

  • Nina says:

    Hello, I have a current problem with instagram but no sign of getting support. One of my comments from september got deleted by Insta, because of a translation mistake. I told a friend of mine to “shoot” her new costume. Insta deleted this comment because of violent speech and soft-banned my account since then. How can I delete this status from my account? Thanks so much for any advices!

    • kicksta says:

      Hello Nina! We’re sorry this happened to you. Try reaching out to Instagram’s help page here: https://help.instagram.com/. Best of luck!

    • PS says:

      “shoot” her new costume” Wow. This is ridiculous. So many posts get deleted, just because IG/their KI/whatever is too stupid to understand things. Got several posts deleted for “hatespeech” and in reality it was just jokes, responding back to someone. And everytime the account is like zapped and you don’t get a notification, but nothing works anymore and you have to log out/log in, error message gets shown, several minutes where you don’t know what is going on or whether they’ve deleted your account. And most appeals get rejected. It’s pathetic, really.

  • I can’t see anything on my instagram account it’s look like I don’t have any data,will like to know what happens please

  • Celewish says:

    This is a good one.

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