Do you like connecting with new people? Do you love networking with people who inspire you and those who interest you? If you love networking with people often, Instagram is inarguably one of the best platforms to hang out on. The platform can introduce you to new people, help you catch up with old friends and acquaintances, and enable you to follow people you like.
In fact, following people is one of Instagram’s most fundamental distinguishing features. The platform is largely about following people and interacting with their posts, videos, reels, and stories.
As much as following people is an integral part of the Instagram experience, it has its own limitations. And sometimes, you might realize that Instagram has banned you from following more people.
If you have recently been follow-blocked on Instagram, you must be confused and frustrated. You might be wondering why it happened and how long it would last.
Well, your questions have reached the place where the answers reside. In this blog, we will talk about this strange block and discuss why you might have faced this. We will discuss whether and how you can get rid of this ban and how to avoid it in the future. In short, we will be talking about a lot of things. So, don’t skip any part! Let’s start.
So, make sure to read till the end!
What is this block all about?
Let’s begin from the beginning. Where did it all start?
Instagram is where we can follow people and catch up with their daily life updates. We can also say that following people is a part of Instagram. Why would a platform prevent a user from performing the most basic action that keeps the platform alive?
The reason is fair enough. Instagram expects all users to behave normally on the platform. It doesn’t want anyone to do something that seems suspicious. And it has its own definitions of normal and suspicious.
When it comes to following people, the platform has some unsaid rules. Following too many people in a short period will raise the virtual eyebrows of Instagram’s algorithm and might lead to a temporary block.
How many people should you follow?
This is the tricky part. You see, Instagram doesn’t want people to follow many accounts too frequently. But it has no explicitly specified limits on how many accounts you can follow in an hour, day, or week.
This is because the limits are not fixed. They are account-specific and depend on the age of your Instagram account, among other factors. New accounts are less trustworthy and are assigned lower limits.
The limits gradually increase as you start using your account by posting, commenting, and liking the posts and videos you like. And you will encounter fewer blocks as time passes.
There is one fixed limit:
There is only one fixed limit regarding the number of people you can follow. You can follow a maximum of 7,500 people from one Instagram account. This is the overall number of accounts you can follow on Instagram from one account.
How Long Does Instagram Temporarily Block You from Following
Since we have discussed the background story of the issue, let’s get back to your question. How long does a follow-block on Instagram last? For how long are you restricted from following more people on Instagram? Well, the answer is just as vague as the following limits.
Let’s look at the error message that pops up when you try to follow people on Instagram:
This action was blocked. Please try again later. We restrict certain content and actions to protect our community. Tell us if you think we made a mistake.
As is clear from the message, there is no mention of the time for which you are blocked from following people. The message only tells you to “try again later.”
The duration depends on various factors, such as your account’s age, whether you have been blocked before, if there has been another suspicious activity in your account, and so on. But if this is the first time you have been blocked from following people, you don’t need to worry.
First-time blocks are usually lifted within minutes to hours. You can usually expect to get your following abilities back within 2 hours. However, some users have also reported bans lasting 24 hours or more. But bans of this duration are rare. But again, there is no thumb rule here. Instagram gets to decide when and how long to block people from following.
Do this if the block lasts for over 24 hours:
If you cannot follow people even after 24 hours, you need to do something about it. And the only thing you can do is report the problem to Instagram. Read on to learn how to do that:
Step 1: Log into your Instagram account on the mobile app.
Step 2: Try to follow someone as you usually do. When the error message appears, take a screenshot.
Step 3: Head to your profile page by going to the right-most tab at the bottom.
Step 4: Tap on the three parallel lines at the top of the screen and select Settings.
Step 5: From the Settings page, go to Help>>Report a problem.
Step 6: A pop-up will appear. Select the option that says Report problem without shaking.
Step 7: You will be asked to include log data in your report. Tap on Include and Continue to move on.
Step 8: Now, upload the screenshot and describe your issue briefly. Then tap on the checkmark in the top right to submit the report. It might take some time, but your report will eventually be sent.
The Instagram support team will review your report and provide a resolution if they deem it appropriate.
How to avoid such blocks in the future?
Prevention is certainly better than cure. And it will be best if you don’t encounter such bans or blocks in the first place. But the real question is, “How to avoid these bans and blocks?”
Since there is no fixed limit, there is no fixed specific precaution you should take to avoid these bans. You don’t know how many people you can follow in an hour or day. And there is no way to find that number.
Hence, the only thing you can do is be patient. Use Instagram normally, and follow people only if you like their posts consistently. Following irrelevant people will not benefit you or the other person. Use the platform on the go, and like posts you like. Ignore posts you don’t like. Don’t follow unnecessarily, and everything will be fine.
Summing up
We have come a long way through this blog, haven’t we? We have discussed roughly everything there is to know about follow-blocks on Instagram.
We discussed why you might get this block and why Instagram implements this block (and when). Moreover, we realized that no fixed limit triggers this block and that the limits differ from one account to another.
We also talked about how long this block might last, how you can get rid of it, and finally, how to avoid such blocks in the future.
With all these pieces of information, we believe this blog is certainly power-packed with all the insights you need to understand the issue. Do you agree? Tell us in the comments!
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