You can tell if someone has blocked you on Instagram by looking for several key signs:
- Search for their profile: If you search their username and cannot find their profile at all, they may have blocked you or changed their username. To confirm, try searching from another Instagram account or ask a friend to search for them. If they appear for others but not for you, you are likely blocked
- Check their profile page: If you can visit their profile but see no posts and a message like "No Posts Yet," even though you know they had posts before, it indicates you have been blocked. Also, if their profile shows as "Instagram User" with no profile picture, that is a strong sign of being blocked
- Try to follow them again: If you see a "Follow" button on their profile but it quickly switches back to "Follow" after you tap it (instead of changing to "Following"), it means you have been blocked
- Look at your direct messages: Open a conversation with them in Instagram Direct Messages. If their username appears as "Instagram User" and you cannot see their profile or posts through the DM, you might be blocked. Also, messages may not show as "Seen" if you are blocked, though this alone is not definitive
- Try tagging or mentioning them: If you try to tag or mention their username in a post or comment and Instagram prevents you from doing so, it is another indicator of being blocked
- Use Instagram web: Visit their profile URL (instagram.com/username) while logged out or in a different browser. If you can see their profile when logged out but not when logged in, you have been blocked
- Check past interactions: If you had previous comments or messages with them but now their profile does not load when you tap their handle, this suggests blocking rather than account deletion
By combining these methods, you can reliably determine if someone has blocked you on Instagram. Instagram does not notify users when they are blocked, so these indirect checks are necessary
