How to Know If Someone Restricted You on Instagram: 3 Easy Ways

Instagram rolled out the “restrict” feature in 2019 to help users limit their interactions with certain accounts. You can simply restrict someone, this will feel like a TikTok shadow ban, but based on individuals rather than platform-wide. But how to know if someone restricted you on Instagram? Will you get notified if a person restricts you? What happens when you get restricted on Instagram?

We’ll uncover the answers in this blog. Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

What Does “Restrict” Mean on Instagram?

Instagram’s “restrict” feature allows users to limit interactions with a certain account without having to unfollow or block them. Once you restrict an account:

They can’t tag or mention you,
They can’t see when you’re online or you’ve read their messages,
Their messages to you will be moved to the Message Requests.
Only you and the restricted account can see their new comments on your posts.

This feature also makes it impossible for the restricted user to view your notes on Instagram.

How to Know If Someone Restricted You on Instagram?

Instagram doesn’t provide notifications when someone restricts you, but there are specific cues to look for to confirm if you’ve been restricted.

1. Use Another Account to Check the Comments

Instagram’s restriction feature primarily aims to reduce cyberbullying, so restricted user comments are hidden from the public eye.

If someone has restricted you, only you and the person who restricted you can see your comments on their posts.

To check, create a new account or use an existing one to see if your comment is visible. If it’s not, there’s a good chance you’ve been restricted.

2. Use an Anonymous Instagram Viewer to Check the Comments

If you can’t create a second account to check the comments, it’s OK. Just use an Instagram anonymous story viewer to view the comments.

You can use IG viewer tools like Instanavigation or IgAnony to check your comments. However, this is only possible if the person who you think has restricted you has a public account. Here’s how to use an IG anonymous viewer to see your comments:

Go to the Instagram website, log into your account, open the person’s profile, and copy their profile link.
Now, go to the anonymous viewer website, paste the link in the search bar, and tap ‘Search’.

Instagram Anonymous Viewer

Next, select ‘Posts’.

Using an Instagram Viewer to Check the Comments

Choose the post you want to view comments on and tap ‘Show Comments’. If you can’t find your comment, the user may have restricted you.

How to Know Someone Restricted You on IG by Checking Comments

3. Send a Direct Message (DM)

Another method to find out whether someone has restricted you is to send them a direct message.

If you’ve been restricted, your messages will land in ‘Message Requests’ rather than the regular DM conversation.

How to tell if someone restricted you on Instagram by direct messages

How to Know If You’re Restricted on Instagram

4. Check Their Activity Status

You can also use the activity status as a means of verification. When someone restricts you, you won’t be able to see whether they’re online or not. To check someone’s activity status on Instagram, follow these steps:

Open the Instagram app.
Go to your profile page.
Tap on “Settings” and select “Privacy.”
Look for the “Show Activity Status” option and ensure it’s turned on.

Check Activity Status to See If You’re Restricted on IG

Once enabled, you can easily monitor when your Instagram followers are active on the platform. Visit the user’s profile and check their last seen or active status.

If this information is unavailable, even if they’ve recently posted on Instagram, there’s a likelihood that you’ve been restricted.

Note: It is important to note that any of these signs on their own may not necessarily mean that someone has restricted you.

For example, someone may simply be busy and not have had time to read your messages or approve your comments yet. Alternatively they could have decided to hide likes on Instagram which is making their post seem abnormal. However, if you are seeing all of the above signs, you have likely been restricted.

What Happens When Someone Restricts You on Instagram?

When a user restricts you on Instagram, your interactions with them will be limited. Let’s find out what it looks like when someone restricts you on Instagram.

You can still see their profile and posts.
Your comments on their posts will be hidden from everyone except you until they approve them.
You will not be able to see when they were last active.
They will still be able to see your stories and posts unless you have blocked them in return.

Final Thoughts

While figuring out if someone restricted you on Instagram is not easy, there are a few red flags. If you notice your comments are disappearing, you can’t see a person’s online status or your messages go unanswered, you might be restricted. Remember, these are not 100% proof, but they’re symptoms!

FAQs

1. How to Tell If Someone Restricted You on Instagram?

There are a few ways to tell if someone has restricted you on Instagram:

You can’t see their activity status. If you have activity status enabled on your account, you will not be able to see when someone who has restricted you is online or if they have read your messages.
Your comments on their posts are hidden from everyone except you. When you comment on a post from a restricted account, your comment will be automatically hidden from everyone except you. The person who restricted you will have to approve your comment before it is visible to others.
You never see the “Seen” status on messages you send to them. If you send a message to a restricted account, you will never see the “Seen” status, even if they have read your message.