How to Unblock Someone on Instagram in 2023

Social media can be a powerful tool for connecting with others, but sometimes relationships turn sour. You may find yourself wanting to block someone on Instagram because they are harassing you, spreading negativity, or you simply don‘t want them interacting with your profile anymore.

While blocking can create distance, you may later decide you want to reconnect. Instagram makes it easy to block and unblock users as needed. Here is a detailed guide on how to unblock someone on Instagram in 2023.

What Happens When You Block Someone on Instagram

When you block someone on Instagram, it severs the connection between you and that user. Some of the effects of blocking include:

• They can no longer view your posts or Stories on your profile. Any posts you make after blocking will also be hidden.

• They are automatically unfollowed from your account. Your follower count will decrease by one.

• Any comments they have made on your posts in the past will be deleted.

• They can no longer search for your Instagram profile or view it. Your profile essentially disappears from their view.

• You cannot receive any messages, reactions, or notifications from a blocked user. This includes group messages.

• You will no longer see their posts, Stories, or any other activity. It‘s as if they don‘t exist on Instagram.

Blocking is designed to completely remove someone from your Instagram experience. For your contacts, it will seem like you deleted your account altogether.

Blocking should not be used lightly. It is best reserved for cases of harassment, bullying, excessive unwanted contact, or other serious issues. Casually blocking people you follow just because you don‘t like their posts anymore is generally not recommended.

When You Might Want to Unblock Someone on Instagram

There are a few reasons why you might want to unblock someone down the road:

• You blocked them impulsively. Emotions sometimes get the best of us. In a moment of frustration, you may have blocked someone you didn‘t intend to. Unblocking rectifies that mistake.

• The situation has changed. Maybe you blocked someone during a fight or disagreement. After cooling down and making amends, you may want to reconnect.

• It‘s been a long time. Months or years later, you may wish to unblock someone from your past to reconnect as friends.

• You overreacted. Upon further reflection, you realize blocking them was an overreaction. You want to undo it to rekindle the relationship.

• You need to contact them. You might want to get in touch about something unrelated to the original blocking issue. Unblocking opens up communication.

Think carefully before unblocking as doing so also gives them access to your profile again. If harassment or other problems persist, you can always re-block.

How to Unblock Someone on Instagram

Unblocking a user on Instagram is straightforward whether you use the mobile app or the desktop site:

On the Mobile App

1. Open the Instagram app on your iPhone or Android.

2. Tap your profile picture in the bottom right.

3. Tap the 3-line menu button in the top right corner.

4. Select Settings.

5. Choose Privacy > Blocked Accounts.

6. Find the user you want to unblock in the list and tap Unblock.

7. Tap Unblock again on the confirmation prompt.

The user will now be unblocked. They can view your profile, posts, and Stories again. Your posts will also reappear in their feed if you are still being followed.

On the Desktop Website

1. Go to instagram.com and login to your account.

2. Click your profile picture in the top right.

3. In the dropdown menu, click Profile.

4. In the sidebar of your profile page, click Edit Profile.

5. Scroll down and click Blocked Users.

6. Locate the user and click Unblock.

7. Confirm you want to unblock them when prompted.

The process is the same whether you use a PC or Mac. The user will be unblocked right away.

Tips for Unblocking Users on Instagram

Keep these tips in mind when unblocking people on Instagram:

• Unblocking is permanent. You cannot undo it unless you block them again.

• You may need to refollow each other depending on your previous follow status. Unblocking alone does not reinstate follows.

• The user will not receive a notification when you unblock them. It will seem like you deleted them before.

• You can unblock someone without having to re-add or follow them again if you don‘t want to reconnect.

• Unblocking someone you blocked a long time ago means they‘ll now see all posts made since blocking.

• If you suspect a blocked user is harassing you with secondary accounts, unblocking may reveal those alt accounts.

• You cannot mass unblock people. You have to go through and unblock users one by one.

• If someone blocked you, you can‘t unblock yourself. You will need to get them to unblock you first.

• On iOS, you can also unblock users directly from their profiles using the More (…) menu.

As you can see, unblocking doesn‘t automatically re-establish a connection. Further steps may be needed if you wish to follow each other again and see posts mutually.

Should You Tell Someone You Unblocked Them?

Since Instagram does not notify users when they have been unblocked, you may be wondering if you should let them know.

There are pros and cons to notifying someone that you have unblocked them:

Pros:

• They will understand why they can suddenly view your profile and posts again.

• It opens the door to communicating and rekindling your Instagram friendship.

• They may decide to unblock you back if you were also blocked.

Cons:

• It reminds them that you had previously blocked them, which could reopen old wounds.

• You lose control over the narrative because they are finding out on your terms.

• If your relationship is still rocky, it could stir up unnecessary drama.

There is no right or wrong answer here. Base your decision on the current status of your relationship. If you are on good terms, a quick notice can help smooth things over. But if tensions still exist, you may want to remain silent.

What to Do If Someone Blocks You on Instagram

Finding out you‘ve been blocked can be upsetting. Here are some productive ways to handle it:

• Reflect on why it happened. Did you do something to violate their boundaries or make them feel disrespected? Learning from mistakes can help.

• Respect their decision. Regardless of how reasonable you think the blocking was, continue respecting their space by not trying to circumvent it.

• Don‘t make other accounts. Making secondary or fake accounts to get around a block will get you banned from Instagram.

• Don‘t ask friends to intervene. Getting others to plead your case rarely helps mend fences.

• Give it time. The user may cool off and unblock you later. Pressuring them to do it faster will likely backfire.

• Make amends if appropriate. If your actions clearly caused the block, a sincere apology showing you have changed may help. But only do so if you mean it.

• Move on if needed. Some relationships can‘t or shouldn‘t be repaired. As hard as it is, accepting that fact and letting go is sometimes healthiest.

Getting blocked is not the end of the world or a reflection of your self-worth. Consider it an opportunity for self-improvement.

Avoid Getting Blocked in the First Place

No one enjoys being blocked. Here are some tips to avoid getting blocked on Instagram:

• Respect other users. Don‘t harass, bully, or degrade others in comments, captions, messages, etc.

• Follow proper etiquette. Ask permission before posting users‘ images. Give credit. Don‘t spam.

• Take disagreements offline. Don‘t use Instagram to air dirty laundry. Have mature discussions in person.

• Don‘t be clingy. Constant messaging/tagging comes off as needy. Give people space.

• Know when to stop. If someone says they aren‘t interested in communicating, move on respectfully.

• Make genuine connections. Don‘t just follow or compliment others hoping to get a follow back. Add value.

• Don‘t make assumptions. You never know what someone may be going through privately. Give them the benefit of the doubt before judging.

• Say sorry when needed. If you mess up, sincerely apologize and alter your behavior going forward.

Following these etiquette tips helps ensure you use Instagram responsibly and minimizes your chances of being blocked.

Can You See Who Someone Has Blocked?

No, there is no way to see a complete list of users that someone has blocked on Instagram. The list of blocked accounts is private and only visible to the account owner.

Even if you have access to someone‘s profile, the blocked user list remains hidden. Instagram does not provide a setting for making this list public.

Some signs that a user may have blocked you include:

• Your comments disappearing from their posts
• Their profile vanishing from search results
• Their posts no longer appearing in your feed
• You cannot view their Stories
• Your messages to them fail to send

But without access to their blocked list, you cannot confirm for sure if you‘ve been blocked. The only way to know is if the user tells you directly.

Can You Unblock Someone Without Them Knowing?

A common question is whether you can unblock someone without them being notified. The answer is yes — Instagram does not alert a user if they have been unblocked.

From their perspective, it will seem like you either deleted your account or they were never blocked in the first place. They will only realize they were unblocked if they notice they can suddenly view your profile again.

Some reasons you may want to unblock someone privately include:

• To discretely keep tabs on a person you are no longer close with

• Unblocking as "forgiveness" without wanting to reconnect

• Preventing an embarrassing public conversation about the blocking

• Maintaining your pride by not admitting you blocked them

• Strategically unblocking before posting content you hope they‘ll see

The lack of notification gives you control over the narrative if you wish to conceal the blocking altogether. However, also consider the benefits of being transparent for repairing damaged relationships.

Can You See Someone‘s Posts After Blocking Them?

No, once you block someone on Instagram, you can no longer see any of their posts or activity on their profile. This includes:

• Photo and video posts
• Instagram Stories
• Live broadcasts
• IGTV videos
• Reels
• Usernames tagged in posts/captions
• Comments left by the user

Blocking creates a complete break between you and the user online. It prevents their content from appearing anywhere in your Instagram feed.

Their profile also will not show up in any "Likes" or "Follows" lists for other users you follow. You‘ll never be notified about their posts or have them recommended to you by Instagram‘s algorithms.

Of course, since blocking is reversible, you can always unblock the person later to view their profile and posts again. But as long as someone remains blocked, their content is inaccessible to you.

Are Deleted Messages Restored After Unblocking?

If you previously blocked someone on Instagram and had conversations with them in Direct Messaging, those messages remain deleted after unblocking.

Instagram does not store or recover messages that were deleted as part of the blocking process. This prevents old conversations from automatically popping back up.

However, any new messages sent after unblocking will be visible. The previously deleted messages cannot be restored.

You can check if a conversation has been erased due to blocking by viewing message requests. If you cannot find their name in either your Chats or Requests, that is a sign all messages were permanently removed.

Can You Unblock Someone You Blocked Years Ago?

Even if you blocked someone years ago, you can still unblock them today. Instagram does not delete data on who you have blocked or impose time limits for unblocking.

For example, if you blocked someone way back in 2014, they will still appear in your blocked users list. You can unblock them at any time just like any other blocked user.

When unblocking a user after years, here are some things to expect:

• They will be able to see all your posts made since blocking them.

• They may be surprised to suddenly gain access to your profile again.

• Your earlier posts they interacted with may have been deleted.

• It can feel awkward reconnecting after so long.

• Both your lives may look completely different now.

• They may not remember ever being blocked in the first place.

• You may have forgotten why you even blocked them initially.

Don‘t hesitate to unblock old connections you lost touch with. Just be aware it can take time to rebuild that relationship again.

Can You Accidentally Unblock Someone?

It is possible to accidentally unblock someone on Instagram by tapping buttons without paying full attention. However, Instagram makes it unlikely thanks to two confirmation steps:

1. Tap "Unblock" on their profile

This brings up a confirmation screen to prevent accidental taps.

2. Tap "Unblock" again in the pop-up

This ensures you really want to proceed.

You would have to tap through both of these screens without reading them to unblock someone by mistake.

Instagram also does not let you mass select and unblock multiple users at once. There is no "select all" option.

So ultimately, while possible, it is difficult to accidentally unblock someone. Paying attention at each step should ensure you only unblock intended profiles.

Can You Unblock Someone and Still Have Them Blocked?

No, it is not possible to unblock someone while keeping them blocked at the same time. Unblocking fully revokes all blocking restrictions applied to that user.

Some reasons this cannot be done:

• Instagram only lets you either block or unblock someone. There is no in-between state.

• When you unblock someone, their ability to interact with your profile is restored.

• They can see your posts, search for your account, follow you again, etc.

• You also regain access to view their profile and posts after unblocking.

• Unblocking overrides the block, so blocking essentially gets turned off.

To achieve the effect of an "unblock" while maintaining a block, your only option would be to create a second account they don‘t know is associated with you.

But on your main Instagram account, unblocking makes them fully visible to you and vice versa. You would have to block them again to undo it.

In Conclusion

While blocking provides a powerful tool for removing unwanted contacts from Instagram, it can sometimes go too far. Thankfully, Instagram makes it just as easy to undo blocking through the unblock feature.

With this guide, you now understand how to unblock accounts on Instagram through the app or website. Keep in mind that unblocking alone does not necessarily reconnect you with that user. Further steps may be needed if you wish to interact with them again.

When used properly, blocking and unblocking can help you manage your Instagram connections. But always think twice before hitting that block button to avoid regrets down the road. Maintaining open communication and respect will go a long way in building lasting relationships on social platforms like Instagram.