What Does Restrict Mean On Instagram + 2 Easy Ways to Do It

Have you ever had someone follow you on Instagram simply because it would be rude not to, even though you really don’t want that person to interact with you?

Wouldn’t it be nice to eliminate that person without their knowledge? Well, it’s possible.

In the following paragraphs, I will explain what “restrict” means on Instagram and how you can use this feature to your advantage!

What Does Restrict Mean On Instagram?

We all have certain people in our lives with whom we dislike communicating, yet we cannot eliminate them for various reasons.

They could be former friends, relatives, exes, or coworkers whom you can’t unfollow or block on social media, but you don’t want to see their posts, don’t want them to see much of yours, and wish to limit your interaction with them.

Restricting someone is a milder form of blocking, as the person will remain unaware that they have been restricted.

This feature is not only valuable for peace of mind but also extremely helpful for businesses, as negative comments can impact your content.

Their direct messages will be sent to your message requests

When you restrict someone on Instagram, you will no longer see their DMs, nor will you receive any notifications that they have sent you a message.

This feature is particularly useful when someone sends messages that disturb you or that you prefer not to see, yet you feel pressured to engage with them each time you encounter their messages.

You will still receive messages from the restricted account, but they will not be visible to you unless you actively search for them. Additionally, you will not receive any notifications about these messages, as they will automatically appear as message requests.

Their comments will be concealed

Have you ever had an excellent post spoiled by a few snarky comments?

You find yourself in a dilemma: if you delete them, you will show that they got to you, and they may criticize you on their other profiles. However, if you leave them, they might negatively impact your other followers. Arguing on Instagram isn’t a viable option if you manage a successful business or client’s account.

By using the restriction feature, you can eliminate these issues. When you restrict someone on your profile, their comments become hidden from you and all your followers, making it practically as if they don’t exist.

The comment is visible only to the person who wrote it, and it appears to them like any other comment, while no one else can see it.

If you wish, you can view comments from the restricted person, as they will appear alongside others on your post but will be marked as a protected message.

You will not receive notifications when they comment, meaning their comments are only visible when you open the post and scroll down to the comment section.  

When you select the See comment option, you will have the choice to approve or delete it. If you click approve, it will be visible to everyone. 

If you choose to delete the comment, it will be removed entirely, and the person who commented may notice that it is gone. If you decide to take no action, it will remain visible only to you.

When Should You Restrict Another User’s Profile?

Restricting is a good option for people you know personally, as it can be awkward to block them; they will realize they have been blocked. However, when you restrict them, they will remain unaware of what is happening.

This is also helpful when you want to stop people from tagging you in various trivial posts constantly, but you lack the heart to tell them directly or to cease receiving messages from individuals you don’t particularly like but aren’t sure how to reject politely.

You should restrict someone on Instagram only if you do not feel threatened by them.

If you do, you should think about blocking and reporting them.

How to Check if You’ve Been Restricted?

There isn’t a clear way to determine if you are restricted, which is beneficial when you restrict someone, but not so advantageous when they have restricted you.

Over time, people may notice that you are no longer responding to them as you once did, leading them to conclude that you have restricted them.

If you have suspicions and want to determine whether someone has restricted you, you can try a few tactics. However, keep in mind that these methods are not 100 percent reliable, as Instagram does not inform users when they have been restricted.

Check if the green dot below their username is visible, or if there are statuses such as “active 30 min ago”.

If you don’t see it, you may have been restricted, or the user might have simply hidden their active status.

Another way to check this is by commenting on their post and asking a friend who follows them to see if your comment is visible.

This method is more effective, but it requires you to comment on someone’s post, which could feel awkward if you already suspect they are avoiding you.

Additionally, comments may sometimes lag, so it is not a completely reliable method.

Although there are no certain ways to determine if you have been restricted, you may notice a clue if someone stops responding to your messages or comments, suggesting that you should likely stop attempting to reach out.

Restricting an Instagram Account

You can restrict individuals from your mobile device using the Instagram app or from a desktop.

How to restrict someone from a mobile device?

How to Restrict an Account on the Desktop Version?

If you change your mind, you can always click on that caption and select “unrestrict” whenever you wish.

There is also an option to restrict accounts directly from comments by tapping and holding on their comment, then selecting the restrict option.

You can also navigate to your profile Settings > Privacy > Restricted accounts to search for the account you wish to restrict and select it directly.

Blocking vs Restricting

The main difference between blocking and restricting someone is that blocked users can see that you have blocked them and have no access to your profile, whereas restricted users are unaware that you have restricted them.

When you block someone, they are completely prevented from interacting with you. In contrast, restricted accounts can still comment on your posts, tag you, and send you direct messages.

Restricting a profile enables you to keep someone on Instagram while limiting unwanted interactions, whereas the block option entirely removes the blocked person from your virtual life.

Conclusion

Unlike blocking, the restriction feature provides you with greater control over managing unwanted comments and direct messages.

It is a valuable feature for individuals who are merely annoying and not harmful in any other way, and it serves as an effective tool for limiting those who leave negative comments.

If you feel uncomfortable with an interaction on Instagram, consider blocking the account in question. If there are repeat offenders, be sure to report them to Instagram.

Instagram should be a safe space, and it is a priority for Instagram to ban all inappropriate and harmful content. Therefore, do not hesitate to shut down Internet violence when it occurs.

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