With over a billion monthly active users, Instagram has become a social media juggernaut, connecting people worldwide through photos and videos. Instagram’s user-friendly interface and engaging features have definitely made it a popular platform. People from all over the world use it to connect with others and post pictures and videos capturing their lives. People use it to share about their talents, arts, and hobbies. Some people even use it for businesses.
However, Instagram’s various intricacies can sometimes lead to confusion among users. One common question that arises among people who use Instagram is whether blocking someone on Instagram removes them from your followers’ list.
If you are also curious about this, keep reading! In this article, we delve into the mechanics of Instagram’s blocking and follower dynamics to provide a clear understanding of how these actions impact user connections.
Let’s get started!
What happens when you block someone on Instagram?
Blocking on Instagram serves a similar purpose as on other social media platforms, establishing a barrier between two accounts to restrict communication and access. When a user blocks someone on Instagram, several key actions take place. Let’s discuss them one by one.
Communication Severance
The blocked individual is no longer able to send direct messages (DMs) to the person who blocked them. Additionally, comments left by the blocked user on the blocker’s posts will no longer be visible.
Profile Invisibility
The blocked user cannot view the blocker’s profile, posts, stories, or highlights. Any attempt to access the blocked profile will result in a “User not found” message.
Follower Removal
If the blocked individual was following the person who blocked them, their status as a follower is removed. Blocking is often used as a means to manage privacy, control interactions, or address unwanted attention from specific users.
Does Blocking Someone on Instagram Remove Them from Your Followers?
One of the primary reasons users consider blocking on Instagram is to remove unwanted followers from their list. When you block someone on Instagram, the action does indeed remove them from your followers’ list.
This means that you will no longer be able to see their posts or stories in your feed, and they will no longer be able to see your posts or stories in their feed. Additionally, they will not be able to tag you in posts or stories, and you will not be able to tag them.
However, when you block someone on Instagram, it does not delete any of the interactions you have had with them in the past. This means that any likes, comments, or follows that you have exchanged will still be visible. But you will no longer be able to see the person’s profile or send them messages.
If you block someone on Instagram and later decide to unblock them, they will not automatically be re-added to your followers. You will need to follow them again manually.
Let’s explore some nuances to be aware of when you block a user on Instagram.
Unblocking Doesn’t Restore Follower Status
If the blocked user attempts to visit the blocker’s profile after being blocked and is subsequently unblocked, they will not automatically become a follower again. The user must re-initiate the follow request, and the blocker has the option to approve or deny it.
Public vs. Private Accounts
The dynamics of follower removal can vary depending on whether the blocker’s account is public or private. When someone with a public account blocks a follower, the follower is removed immediately, and their ability to view the blocker’s profile and posts is restricted.
If the blocked user visits the public profile after being blocked, they will see a “User not found” message. For private accounts, the process is slightly different. When a private account holder blocks a follower, the follower is removed from the list, and their access to the private content is restricted.
If the blocked individual tries to visit the private profile, they will see a “This Account is Private” message, indicating that the account holder has not approved their follow request.
Why blocking someone removes them from your followers?
There are a few reasons why blocking someone on Instagram removes them from your followers.
First, blocking someone is a way to prevent them from seeing your posts and stories. If you block someone, they will not be able to see any of the content that you post, even if they are already following you.
Second, blocking someone is a way to protect yourself from unwanted interactions. If you are being harassed or stalked by someone on Instagram, blocking them can help to prevent them from contacting you.
Third, blocking someone is a way to control your privacy. If you want to keep your Instagram account private, blocking people who you don’t want to see your content can help you to do so.
Blocking on Instagram provides users with a way to control their followers’ lists, ensuring that only desired individuals can access their content. Users should be aware that unblocking doesn’t automatically restore follower status. If they wish to reconnect with a previously blocked user, the follow request must be initiated again.
How to block someone on Instagram?
To block someone on Instagram, follow the steps stated below.
Step 1: Open the Instagram app.
Step 2: Go to the profile of the person you want to block.
Step 3: Tap the three dots in the top right corner of the profile.
Step 4: Tap Block.
Step 5: Tap Block again to confirm.
There you go! Using the above steps, you can easily block someone on Instagram.
What are some alternatives to blocking on Instagram?
While blocking effectively removes someone from your followers’ list and restricts their access to your profile and content, there are alternatives users may consider:
Restricting Accounts
Instagram’s Restrict feature allows users to manage interactions with potential harassers or unwelcome followers without outright blocking them. When an account is restricted, comments from that account are only visible to the commenter.
Also, direct messages from the restricted account are moved to the Message Requests folder. This gives users more control over their interactions without taking the extreme step of blocking.
Unfollowing
If the concern is solely about managing followers’ lists without severing all connections, users can choose to unfollow specific accounts instead of blocking them. Unfollowing removes the account from the user’s followers list, but the other user remains free to follow and interact with the user’s account.
Wrapping it up
Well, that brings us to the end of this blog. Let’s quickly go through everything we have learned today to sum it up. We began our discussion by talking about Instagram and the different features it offers to people.
We then explored whether blocking someone on the platform removes them from your followers, the answer to which is Yes. We also discussed the various reasons for the same. We then explored some alternatives to blocking people on Instagram.
Lastly, we explored how one can block a user on the platform. With this, we hope we were able to resolve all your doubts and queries about Instagram and whether blocking someone on the platform removes them from your followers.
If you have any more questions you would like us to answer, feel free to drop them in the comments below. We will make sure to address them in our upcoming blogs, as always!
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