If You Block Someone On Instagram, Will They Know (2023)? (2024)

When you block an account on Instagram, they won’t know because a blocked account is not notified when you block them. They’ll only be able to tell you’ve blocked them when they realize they cannot interact with your account anymore via tags, mentions, or messages or search for your account.

Have you blocked someone on Instagram and wondered if they know that you’ve blocked them? I’ve blocked a few people on IG before, and while I don’t usually think or care about if they can tell that they’ve been blocked, I know that’s not the case for everyone.

When you block someone on Instagram, it can sometimes lead to some awkward in-person interactions, so it’s understandable if you want to know if someone can tell if they’ve been blocked. That’s why I went ahead and wrote this article to help you understand how someone can tell they’ve been blocked on Instagram.

If I Block Someone On Instagram, Will They Know That I Did It?

Instagram is a great platform to share and connect. There’s a reason why it has 2.35 billion monthly active users according to the marketing company, Demand Sage. I use Instagram to keep up with friends and creators, however, I know that Instagram has its downsides too.

That’s why I firmly believe that sometimes you have to block someone on Instagram to protect yourself and your digital space. This is especially the case if you’re being harassed or bullied online, like 59 percent of teens in the United States, according to The Atlantic. Online harassment is horrible and sometimes the only solution is to block the Instagram profile doing it.

When you block someone on Instagram, you put boundaries in place to protect yourself from the blocked person. Why waste time going back and forth with an online troll when you can just block them and move on?

However, sometimes the person you block isn’t unknown, sometimes it’s someone you know and will possibly run into in the real world. Maybe you’re like me who blocks certain relatives or old schoolmates so they don’t see what your online profile is like.

If that’s the case, you may be wondering exactly how someone can tell that you’ve blocked them. Or you may be wondering if you’ve been blocked by someone. Read on as I show you exactly what happens when you block someone on Instagram.

Notification

I like that when you block someone on Instagram, the blocked account isn’t notified about the block. So, right off the bat, they don’t have any knowledge that they’ve been blocked. In order to find out, they’d need to do a little investigating.

Instagram blocks work in an interesting way that’s a bit different than other social media platforms, as you can see in my screenshot above, you have the option to block one account as well as any existing accounts that the person may have or create.

However, I found out via the Instagram Help Center that if you do follow multiple accounts by the same person, you’d need to block them individually.

Likes & Comments

When it comes on to likes and comments, I learned that blocking someone on Instagram removes their likes and comments from all your posts. If you unblock them, these likes and comments won’t be restored.

I also realized that people you block can still see your likes and comments on posts that were shared on public accounts or accounts that they follow. This means if you both follow the same account, they’ll see your likes and comments on the other’s posts that this mutual follow has shared.

If you don’t want to block someone but instead limit their ability to comment on your Instagram posts or interact with your account, then you can restrict their ability to comment on your Instagram posts.

Mentions & Tags

One of the features of an Instagram block I love is that even though someone you’ve blocked can see your likes and comments on other Instagram posts, that doesn’t mean they’ll be able to mention or tag you. I had a suspicion about this but I confirmed this via the Instagram Help Center.

If you blocked them and changed your username, they still won’t be able to mention or tag you even when they know your new username.

Messages

Naturally, blocking an Instagram user also affects your direct messages with that person. In my experience, when you block someone on Instagram, the message threads in your direct messages with them still remain. However, a blocked account won’t be able to send you any more direct messages and vice versa.

However, similar to WhatsApp, if you remain in a group with someone you’ve blocked, then they’ll be able to see your direct messages and vice versa in that group chat. However, if this person tries to message you directly, you won’t receive them and even if you unblock them, you still won’t receive the messages.

I found out that if you receive any messages from someone on Instagram that are concerning to you, you can report that message or conversation according to the Instagram Help Center.

Your Account Won’t Be Displayed In Search Results

One of the benefits I found when you block someone on Instagram is that the blocked account won’t be able to find your account in the search results. However, this could be used as a hint that you’ve blocked them and they’ll possibly take other means to confirm their suspicions.

I find that this is often the hint most people use to see if they’ve been blocked on a social media platform. It’s also one of the ways you can tell if someone has blocked you on Facebook.

They’ll Be Removed As A Follower

Another thing I like is when you block someone on Instagram, they’ll automatically be removed as a follower from your Instagram account. This means you won’t show up in their following list. If you were following the blocked user then they’ll also be removed from your following list once you’ve blocked them.

I found out via the Instagram Help Center that you can remove a follower without blocking them so you don’t lose their likes or comments.

Your Profile Is Still Visible

As I mentioned before, even when you block someone on Instagram, they can see your likes and comments on public posts, as well as in group chats that you’re both in. Due to this, your profile will still be visible to them.

However, when they go on your profile, it’ll read “user not found” and while the blocked person will see your profile picture, they won’t be able to see your stories, posts, or highlights.

Here’s a video showing you what happens when you block someone on Instagram:

FAQs

What Happens When You Block Someone On Instagram – Wrapping Up

What’d you think of this article?

When you block someone on Instagram, “will they know” is often the first question that comes to mind. However, some people are like me and don’t care if the blocked user knows that they’ve been blocked.

Keep in mind that even if you blocked someone on Insta, they can still track you. One of the ways to avoid that is to make your Instagram account private and then some spy apps won’t be able to snoop on you.

If you blocked someone on Instagram and feel that they’ve served their time on the block list then here’s how to unblock them.
Leave any questions you may have for me in the comments below. Be sure to share this account with your fellow Instagram users too.