Instagram is a great social media platform for people who enjoy looking at photographs and watching videos. But like any social media platform, it has spammers and trolls.
The good news is that you can block or mute another Instagrammer. In this article, we show you how...
Muting vs. Blocking on Instagram
The mute and block features offer different types of solutions to getting rid of annoying content or users on your Instagram feed.
If you are following someone you know in real life who overposts or shares content that you're not interested in, the mute button may be the best option. This way, you don't have to unfollow or block the profile, but you won't see the photographs and videos they share. Muting is the softer approach for a user you might just find a bit annoying but don't want to unfollow.
Meanwhile, the block option on Instagram would be best utilized when someone is harassing you, sending spam, or bombarding you with direct messages that you don't want to receive. Keep in mind, if you block someone, they may notice that you have blocked them.
Blocking is the best choice for users you have no interest in ever communicating with and who you want to prevent from contacting you.
If you are mainly frustrated with your feed being oversaturated with content, and you want to clean up your Instagram, there are ways you can easily do this outside of muting and blocking users.
How to Mute Someone on Instagram
Muting someone on Instagram is a good way to keep their content hidden from your feed, but leaves you room still visit their profile and remain a follower. If the account has tagged you in a post, you will still receive a notification, even if they are muted.
If you mute a profile's Instagram Stories, their Stories will no longer appear on the top of your feed for viewing. However, you can still view their Stories by going to their profile and tapping on their avatar.
When you mute an account, they will not be notified. Also, you can unmute the account if you change your mind.
To mute someone on Instagram:
- Go to the profile you want to mute.
- Click the Following button on the top right area of their profile.
- Select the Mute option.
- Toggle on the Mute features for Posts and Stories, depending on your preferences.
If you decide to unmute the account, you can click the Following button and turn the toggles off to see their Stories and posts again.
How to Block Someone on Instagram
The block button is a great way to keep your peace. We would suggest using the block option when you are being bombarded with messages or if you don't wish to communicate with the Instagrammer further.
When you block someone on Instagram, they will not be able to find your profile, Stories, or posts on Instagram. All of their likes and comments will be removed from your account and there is no way to retrieve them. However, they will not know you have blocked them.
If you block an account, they will still be able to see any comments or likes you leave on accounts they follow or public accounts. You will still be able to see the Instagram Direct messages that they sent you before you blocked them.
To block an account on Instagram:
- Go to the profile of the account you wish to block.
- Tap on the three horizontal dots on the top right corner.
- Select Block.
- To finalize your decision, tap Block again.
If you decide you want to interact with this Instagram account again, you can unblock them by going back to the three dots on their profile and tapping Unblock.
If you want more information about this topic, this article about how to unblock someone on Instagram has all the information you need.
Block With Care
The mute and blocking options on Instagram definitely give us more control over what we see and who we interact with on Instagram.
However, if you choose to block someone, keep in mind that although they may not receive a notification, they may notice you have blocked them.