How to block someone on Instagram
To block someone on Instagram, open their profile, tap the three dots in the top right corner, and select "Block." Instagram will ask you to confirm. Once you block them, they cannot see your posts, stories, or profile, and they cannot message you or find your account through search. You can block from a phone or computer, and the person will not receive a notification that you blocked them — though they may figure it out if they try to visit your profile and see a message saying the user is not found.
The block takes effect immediately. If you change your mind, you can unblock the same way: visit their profile (or search for their username if their profile is hidden), tap the three dots, and select "Unblock."
Key Takeaways
- Blocking prevents someone from seeing your posts, stories, profile, and messages, but does not delete past conversations from your inbox.
- The person you block will not get a notification, but they can discover the block by trying to visit your profile or search for you.
- You can block from your phone or computer using the three-dot menu on their profile.
- Unblocking is just as simple as blocking and restores their ability to see your public content and message you.
What happens when you block someone
When you block someone, Instagram hides your account from them in several ways. They cannot see your profile, posts, stories, reels, or follower list. If they try to visit your profile directly, they will see a message saying "User Not Found" or "No Posts Yet." They cannot send you direct messages, and any past conversations between you will disappear from their inbox — though the messages remain in your own message history until you delete them.
Blocking also removes them from your followers and following lists if they were already connected to you. If they follow you, that connection is severed. However, blocking does not delete comments they left on your posts before the block — those remain visible to other users unless you delete them manually.
How to block on a phone
On iPhone or Android, open Instagram and navigate to the person's profile. You can do this by searching their username or tapping their name from a comment or message. Once on their profile, tap the three horizontal dots (or three vertical dots, depending on your phone) in the top right corner of their profile header.
A menu will appear with several options. Scroll down and tap "Block." Instagram will show a confirmation screen explaining what blocking does. Tap "Block" again to confirm. The block is now active, and that person can no longer see your account or contact you through Instagram.
How to block on a computer
On a desktop or laptop, visit Instagram.com and search for the person's username using the search icon at the top. Click on their profile to open it. In the top right corner of their profile, you will see three dots or a menu icon. Click it to open a dropdown menu.
Select "Block User" from the menu. A confirmation dialog will appear. Click "Block" to confirm. The block takes effect immediately, and the person will be unable to see your profile or contact you through Instagram's messaging system.
Blocking versus restricting and muting
Instagram offers three separate privacy tools, and they work differently. Blocking is the strongest option — the person cannot see your profile, posts, or stories, and they cannot message you. Restricting is milder: the person can still see your public posts and stories, but their comments and messages go to a separate folder you can review privately, and they cannot see when you are online or whether you have read their messages. Muting is the lightest option — you simply hide their posts and stories from your feed, but they can still see your content and message you normally.
Choose blocking if you want no contact with someone. Choose restricting if you want to limit their access without them knowing. Choose muting if you just want to see less of their content without changing what they can see from you.
What the blocked person might notice
The person you block will not receive a notification from Instagram saying they were blocked. However, they may discover it themselves. If they try to visit your profile, they will see "User Not Found" or a message indicating the profile is unavailable. If they search for your username, your profile will not appear in results. If they try to message you, their message will fail to send, or they will see that the conversation has disappeared.
Some people may try to visit your profile from a different account to confirm the block. If you want to prevent this, you can block their other accounts as well. There is no way to hide the fact that you blocked someone once they actively look for you, but most people will not investigate unless they have a reason to.
Unblocking and what happens after
To unblock someone, visit their profile again (you may need to search for them if their profile is hidden), tap the three dots, and select "Unblock." Confirm the action. Once you unblock them, they can see your profile and posts again, but they do not automatically follow you — they will need to follow you again if they want to see your stories and posts in their feed.
Unblocking does not restore deleted messages or past conversations. If you had a direct message thread with them before the block, that conversation will not reappear in either of your inboxes. However, if they message you after you unblock them, a new conversation thread will start. There is no notification sent to them when you unblock — they will only know if they try to visit your profile and find it is accessible again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell if I blocked them?
Instagram does not send a notification, but they can figure it out by trying to visit your profile or search for you. If they see "User Not Found" or cannot find your account in search, they will likely realize you blocked them. There is no way to block someone without them potentially discovering it if they look for you.
If I block someone, do my old comments on their posts disappear?
No. Your comments remain visible on their posts to other users. Blocking only prevents them from seeing your profile and new content going forward. If you want to remove your comments, you must delete them manually from their posts.
What if I block someone by accident?
You can unblock them immediately by visiting their profile, tapping the three dots, and selecting "Unblock." There is no waiting period or limit to how many times you can block and unblock someone. Once you unblock, they can see your profile again, though they will not be notified of the change.
Can I block someone without them seeing that I viewed their profile?
Yes. Blocking someone does not notify them, and Instagram does not tell users who has viewed their profile (except for story views, which show usernames). You can visit their profile and block them without them knowing you were ever there.
If I block someone, will they still see my posts if they are logged out?
If your account is public, they can still see your posts while logged out or from a different account. Blocking only affects that specific account. If you want to prevent anyone from seeing your content, you would need to make your account private.