So, you have blocked someone on Instagram for whatever reason, and now it’s time to unblock that someone on Instagram. Blocking can be a great way to stop someone seeing your posts temporarily, but it works best if you set your account to private too.
Maybe you have been too hasty with the block button in the past: it happens. If you’ve patched things up and want to reconnect on social media, unblocking someone is just as simple as blocking them. Unblocking someone does not mean that they follow you on Instagram again. So if you are hoping for more followers on Instagram, unblocking former followers won’t help.
Let’s take a look at how blocking people on Instagram works, and how to unblock people on Instagram on both the web and mobile devices.
What Happens When You Block/Unblock Someone on Instagram?
When you block a user on Instagram, you prevent them from being able to:
- View your posts and stories
- Find you using the search tool
- Contacting you via private message
- Follow you (when you block someone, they automatically unfollow you)
Content from accounts you’ve blocked will be hidden. Any posts you have liked from that profile will also be hidden until you unblock that user again, at which point your likes return. Remember: If you block a user but leave your account public, they only need to sign out of Instagram in order to see your posts again.
To change your account privacy settings:
- On iOS and Android: Tap on your profile tab, then tap on the three dots menu icon. From here select Account privacy and toggle the Private Account option.
- On the web: Log in to Instagram.com and click on your profile icon in the top-left corner. Click on the Settings icon (the one that looks like a cog) then select Privacy and Security and toggle the Private Account option
When you unblock someone, they will be able to view your posts and stories, find you again, and send you messages. They will not automatically follow you again though, so you will need to notify them if you want them to do so.
Why not check out a few other ways to grow your Instagram following while you are at it.
How to See the List of Instagram Users You’ve Blocked
If you can’t remember the name of a user, or you simply want to review your block list, you can do so from an iOS or Android device. There is no way to access your block list from the web, as yet.
Launch Instagram and select your profile tab. Tap on the three dot menu button in the top corner, then choose Blocked Accounts. Tap on an account to view it, then unblock it using the instructions outlined above.
How to Unblock Someone on Instagram?
Unblock Someone on Instagram Using iPhone and Android
If you know the name of the account you have blocked, first, search for the account using the search bar. Tap on the name to bring up the profile, then hit the three-dot menu icon in the corner of the screen. Choose Unblock from the menu that appears.
You will be asked to confirm your decision, hit Unblock to do so. Depending on your device and current app version, you may just be able to hit the big blue Unblock button on the profile page too.
Unblock Someone on Instagram Using the Web
While using the web version of Instagram, search for the user you want to unblock. You may find their name appears further down the search results than other similar account names. If you know their exact name, you can go to instagram.com/username (replacing username with the account username).
You can now either click the three dots account menu button, then choose Unblock this User or hit the big blue Unblock button. You will be asked to confirm your decision, hit Unblock to do so.
Unblock Someone Who Has Also Blocked You
The old “double block” makes it harder to unblock someone, but there are a few ways around it. It works best if you know the name of the account, assuming the name hasn’t changed:
- Compose a new direct message to yourself, include the @username of the account you wish to unblock in the body of the message. Once sent, tap on the username and unblock as normal. See how to check Instagram direct messages online if you are not sure.
- Log in using a web browser at Instagram.com, then type instagram.com/username, replacing username with the name of the account you wish to unblock. When you see the profile, unblock as normal.
Do Not Forget to Follow Unblocked Accounts Again
When you block an account, you automatically unfollow that account. If you have decided to unblock someone and you want to actively start seeing their posts again, you will need to head back to their profile and re-follow them.
The Last Words
While blocking people on Instagram is a solid way of sorting the wheat from the chaff, the other option is to make your account private. Private accounts can’t be followed by simply anyone.
Instead users must request approval from the account holder, essentially a whitelist of approved followers. If you are concerned about privacy, the private account option is a good route to take.
Using this method, you won’t really have to block anyone. You can get back to using Instagram as intended.
Note:
Just because you’ve unblocked someone, doesn’t mean you’re necessarily friends again. When you block someone, it removes them from your followers, and you from theirs. Furthermore, according to Instagram, people you unblock will not receive a notification about it. As such, you will need to follow them again if you want to see their posts back in your feed, and you may have to let them know they can follow you to see your posts once again. Hopefully, they won’t ask any awkward questions about why you blocked them in the first place. But if they do, well, you can always just block them again.
And to do even more on Instagram, be sure to check out our list of useful Instagram features you should be using. How to schedule your posts on Instagram and view private Instagram profiles.
