How to Block Someone on Instagram: 4 Ways and What Changes

To block someone on Instagram, open their profile, tap the three dots in the top right, then Block. Instagram then asks whether you want to block only that account or also any other accounts the person has or may create. They don’t get a notification. You can also block from a chat or from your settings without ever opening their profile. And if the cleanup leaves you with a calmer but quieter account, Instagram followers give your profile some weight back.

What happens when you block someone?

Blocking cuts off almost everything, and Instagram stays silent on both sides. The person gets no alert and no message. They can’t find you in search, can’t see your profile, posts or stories, and can’t message you. The follow disappears both ways: you no longer follow them, and they no longer follow you.

Instagram’s help page on what happens when you block someone spells out four effects that most tutorials skip:

• Their likes and comments are removed from your photos and videos, and they don’t come back if you unblock them later. If a comment matters to you, screenshot it first.
• They can no longer mention your username or tag you in a post or story.
• Your chat stays in your inbox, but you can’t message them. Anything they try to send you during the block is never delivered, even after you unblock them.
• In a group chat you share, Instagram asks whether you want to stay or leave. If you stay, you’ll both still see each other’s messages in that group.

What blocking doesn’t do: hide your likes and comments on other people’s posts. On a public account, or an account they follow, the blocked person still sees your activity. Another blind spot: if your Facebook account isn’t set up in Accounts Center with Instagram, they can still message or call you there. You’d need to block them on Facebook too.

How do you block someone from their profile?

This is the most direct method, and it works the same on iPhone and Android.

1. Search for their username and open their profile. You can also tap their name on a post or story.
2. Tap the three dots in the top right of the profile.
3. Tap Block.
4. Instagram offers two options: block just this account, or block this account plus other existing accounts they may have and new accounts they may create. Pick the second one if you really want to cut contact.
5. Confirm with Block. The profile now shows an Unblock button where Follow used to be.

On a computer, the path is the same on instagram.com: profile, the three dots next to the username, then Block. The block applies right away on all your devices.

How do you block someone from a chat?

When the trouble comes through DMs, you don’t need the profile at all. It’s also the only way in when you can’t remember the exact username.

1. Open your messages and go into the chat.
2. Tap the person’s name at the top of the screen to open the chat details.
3. Scroll down to Block and confirm.

On instagram.com, click Messages on the left, open the chat, click the Information icon at the top, then Block. That’s the desktop method Instagram’s help center describes.

A message request from a stranger can be blocked without accepting it: open the request, and the buttons at the bottom of the screen let you block or delete it. No need to reply first.

How do you block someone without visiting their profile?

Instagram keeps a list of your blocked accounts, and you can add someone to it directly. Handy when the profile is hard to find, or when you’d rather not open it at all.

1. Go to your profile and tap Menu (the three lines) in the top right.
2. Below Who can see your content, tap Blocked.
3. Tap Add in the top right and search for the person.
4. Tap Block next to their name, then confirm at the bottom.

At the very bottom of that list, you may see a line called You may want to block. A rumor on TikTok says it shows accounts that “stalk” you without following. Instagram’s help center says something else: the list appears if you’ve turned on connected experiences in Accounts Center, and it’s based on accounts you’ve already blocked from messaging your Facebook account. Nobody lands there because of profile visits. For that question, read our piece on who views your Instagram profile.

How do you block someone from your stories only?

Sometimes you don’t want a clean break. You just want one person to stop watching your day. Instagram calls this hiding your story, and the person isn’t told about it either.

1. From your profile, open Menu in the top right.
2. Below Who can see your content, tap Story, live and location.
3. Tap Hide your story and live videos from specific people.
4. Select the people, then tap Done.

Faster: while you’re checking who viewed your story, tap the options icon next to a name, choose Hide your story and confirm. Keep in mind that this person can still see your profile and posts. To cut that too, you’d need to block them, or switch to a private account and remove them as a follower.

Block, restrict or mute: which one?

Instagram has four tools that look alike, and blocking isn’t always the best one. It depends on what you’re trying to avoid.

• Block: you cut all contact, profile, DMs and tags included. Keep it for harassment, a persistent ex or a spam account.
• Restrict: the person can’t see when you’re online, their new comments on your posts are visible only to them until you approve them, and they can’t tag you. They won’t notice anything, which makes it the discreet option.
• Mute: their posts, stories or notes leave your feed, but you keep following them. Good for a coworker or relative who posts a lot.
• Remove a follower: on a private account, they no longer see anything, and it isn’t a block.

If you’re unsure, start with restrict. You can still block later, and you avoid the “user not found” screen that gives a block away. Reporting is a separate thing: it’s anonymous and meant for content that breaks Instagram’s rules. You can report and then block right after.

On a creator account, regularly blocking spam accounts has another upside: cleaner stats. An account that gets Instagram likes from real profiles instead of bots sends a better signal to the algorithm.

What if they come back with another account?

That’s the point of the second block option. When you choose to block their other accounts too, Instagram blocks the accounts it links to that person, including ones they create later. The help center adds two limits:

1. Accounts of theirs that you already follow aren’t covered. You have to block those one by one.
2. If they run several Instagram or Facebook accounts, Instagram says you may need to block each of them. Detection isn’t guaranteed.

If a new profile still reaches you, block it with the same option, then report it for harassment from its three dots menu. If there are threats, take dated screenshots before blocking, since the block removes their comments from your posts.

Changed your mind? Our guide on how to unblock someone on Instagram covers the way back. And if you think you’re the one who got blocked, here are the signs that actually hold up. On TikTok the logic is similar but the menus differ: see how to block someone on TikTok.