Does Blocking Someone On Instagram Delete Messages?
When you block a user on Instagram, their old messages remain in your inbox, yet they lose the ability to send you new messages or view your profile. In this article, I’ll delve deeper into what happens when you block someone on Instagram.
Instagram stands as one of the most popular social media platforms, boasting a straightforward and user-friendly interface accessible via smartphones and PCs. While it operates on both, the smartphone interface tends to offer a more optimized experience, with some features possibly unavailable on PCs.
Similar to other social media platforms, Instagram provides a blocking feature to distance users from inappropriate content and individuals. This function allows you to prevent communication and restrict profile viewing from unwanted users. But a common query arises: does blocking someone on Instagram remove messages? In this article, I aim to address your queries about the effects of blocking someone on Instagram, especially whether it deletes messages.
Does Blocking Someone On Instagram Delete DMs?
Blocking someone on Instagram doesn’t erase the messages. So, the answer is no—Instagram doesn’t delete the DMs of a blocked person. After blocking someone, your messages will remain in your Direct Inbox or Messenger, though they won’t be visible to you. If both of you are in a group, you’ll receive a prompt to choose whether to remain in the group or not. Staying allows you to view their group messages only.
Instagram boasts robust privacy policies. When a blocked user attempts to DM you, their messages won’t reach you, safeguarding your privacy as you’ve opted not to engage with them.
Regarding whether a blocked person can still see your sent DMs: they retain visibility of your old messages but won’t see any new ones sent after the block. Blocking operates both ways—you can’t send messages to them, and vice versa. Even if you later unblock them, any messages sent while they were blocked won’t be delivered upon unblocking.
Understanding that blocked actions retain their status, any interactions made while a user is blocked won’t take effect upon unblocking. Thus, messages sent during the block won’t be delivered upon unblocking.
Now that your queries are answered, let me also provide some fundamental insights into Instagram blocking.
How To Block Someone On Instagram?
Now that you understand that blocking someone allows them to see old messages but prohibits new ones, it’s crucial to know how to block someone effectively. Blocking a user on Instagram doesn’t trigger a notification to them, yet it prevents them from viewing your profile or messaging you.
Typically, people often realize they’ve been blocked under such circumstances.
Here are the steps to block a user on Instagram:
- Open Instagram on your smartphone.
- Log in to your account and navigate to the user’s profile you want to block.
- Tap the three dots located at the top-right corner of the user’s profile page.
- Select the “Block” option from the menu.
How To See A Blocked Users List On Instagram?
After blocking someone, you might want to confirm if the action was successful. Here’s how to check on the Instagram app:
- Open Instagram on your smartphone.
- Log in to your account and tap the Profile icon at the bottom-right corner.
- Tap the three horizontal lines at the top-right.
- Select “Settings” and then navigate to “Privacy.”
- Scroll down and tap “Blocked Accounts” to view the list of blocked users.
What Happens When You Block Someone on Instagram?
Once you know the answer to whether blocking someone on Instagram deletes DMs, understanding what happens when you block someone becomes important. Here’s what occurs:
- Blocked users won’t see your profile, activities, posts, stories, or comments.
- You can still see their activities, posts, stories, and comments.
- Their likes or comments on your content will display as “Instagrammer” or “Instagram User.”
- Automatically removed from each other’s follower and following lists, indicating no mutual follow.
- Searching for the blocked person’s profile reveals it with “Unblock” instead of “Follow” and “No Posts Yet” below it.
- You won’t see their posts, and they won’t see your profile or profile picture.
- Both you and the blocked user can’t exchange direct messages (DMs).
- The blocked user can’t view your new DMs, as you’re unable to send them.
Blocking is a way to remove unwanted interactions and users from your Instagram experience, providing privacy and control over your profile and content.
If I Block Someone On Instagram Can They Still Find Me?
Instagram highly prioritizes user privacy. When you block someone, they lose access to your profile, while you can still see theirs. If you search for their name or username, Instagram presents their profile and allows you to unblock them if needed.
The intent behind blocking is usually to restrict others from viewing our profile, activities, or messaging us. So, the answer to whether a blocked person can view our profile on Instagram is straightforward: No. Once blocked, they can’t locate our account or view our profile.
Their feed won’t display our posts, stories, likes, or comments. In their DMs, our username will appear as “Instagram User” or “Instagrammer.” Conversely, we maintain the ability to view their profile but not their posts or activities—just a glimpse of their account.
How To Unblock Someone On Instagram (iPhone Or Android)
Here’s a guide to unblocking a user on Instagram:
- Open the Instagram app on your device.
- Log in to your account if you’re not already logged in.
- Tap the profile icon at the bottom right to access your profile.
- Next, tap the three horizontal lines or dashes at the top right for the options menu.
- Select “Settings” and navigate to the Privacy option marked with a lock icon.
- Under “Connections,” tap “Blocked Accounts,” similar to the process explained earlier in this article.
- Locate and select the person you wish to unblock.
- Their profile will appear on your screen; tap “UNBLOCK” at the center.
- A confirmation pop-up will appear; tap “Unblock” again to confirm.
- Once unblocked, the user can view your profile, follow your account, send friend requests, message you, and see your account activities.
If I Unblock Someone On Instagram, Will They Still Be Following Me?
If you unblock someone on Instagram, they won’t automatically become your follower again. When you block someone, Instagram removes them from your followers list, and unblocking them doesn’t restore this connection. To resume following you, that user needs to send you a follow request anew.
Conclusion
Instagram prioritizes safety, granting users control over their interactions. Blocking someone on Instagram doesn’t erase previous messages. Instead, it prevents them from sending new messages, protecting you from potential spam.
FAQs
What does the other person see when you block them on Instagram?
When you block a user, they won’t receive a notification about it. But they’ll notice they can no longer view your profile, likes, comments, or send you messages, which implies they’ve been blocked.
How long does a block last on Instagram?
If you block someone and decide to unblock them within 24 hours, Instagram still maintains the block for the entire 24-hour duration.
What is a soft block on Instagram?
Answer: Soft block refers to the ability to conceal specific parts of your profile. For example, if you want to hide your story from someone, you can utilize this feature to keep them from seeing it on Instagram.