Instagram introduced its ‘Restrict’ feature in 2019 as a countermeasure against cyberbullying and to ensure the safety of its users. The functionality allows you to decide whether or not your (Restricted User) comment threads will be visible to the general public.
In addition, their messages will show up on your Requests page, which means they won’t know whether you’ve seen them or not. Instagram, on the other hand, does not provide any alerts to those who have been restricted, making it quite tough for them to figure out what’s going on.
Even though there isn’t a standardized way to determine whether or not you’ve been placed under restrictions, there are a few workarounds you may try. These solutions may appear simple, but they can get the job done.
Were you also recently restricted by someone on Instagram? Are your texts messages getting no response? If yes, let’s find a way to get around it.
1. The Restricted Button
Finding whether a certain someone has restricted you on Gram is quite simple. You’ll get your answers once you visit their profile. Look for a small ‘Restricted’ button on their profile.
The icon will be visible if your access has been restricted or vice versa.
The only catch is that this method only works if your profile still sits in their follower’s list. Or you can simply just ask your relatives and friends if they have restricted you.
2. Send Them a Text
Send a quick text to a person in question from your main account to see whether they’ve restricted you or not.
Texts that aren’t viewed or reacted to for an indefinite period may be a sign that the recipient has blocked you from sending them private messages.
If the message is ignored or you don’t hear back for a long time, you may be certain that the recipient has labeled you as restricted.
3. The Comment Section
This one is simple, make use of your secondary Instagram account and go through the comments section of any posts of the one you believe has restricted your access.
When a user restricts your account, then you’ll not find your response or comment in the comments section of the post you commented earlier on.
If any user restricts you, your comments are automatically filtered and are invisible to anyone dwelling in that comment section.
Note: All your comments before the restriction will be visible to others. However, one will not be able to read any comments you make once this restriction takes effect.
4. Activity Status
Even if it’s of limited use, it might still be a superb way to clear up your reservations about whether or not your primary account has been restricted by someone.
Restricted users can’t see a user’s active status including their last active time. Nevertheless, beforehand, ensure your profile’s activity status is set to “Active” so you can see others’ activity status.
Or else, go to Settings, select Privacy, and check your account’s Activity Status there. Leave the status “Active” so that you can see other people’s statuses and see whether you’ve been restricted on Instagram.
Use a separate profile or your backup account if you can’t see the active status, and if you can, you can be certain they’ve limited your access.
5. They Still Follow You?
It’s possible that you’d lose followers if someone opted to restrict your Instagram activity. It’s rare for them to restrict you before choosing to unfollow you.
You may inspect your follower’s list to see whether they’re on there. However, if they’re not on the list, you’re probably out of luck and restricted. The only way this may happen is if they have already unfollowed you.
Or, you can also verify this by assessing their online activity.
Some FAQs
Here are some FAQs to settle any more of your doubts.
Does Instagram Notify You When You Are Restricted?
Instagram never notifies someone who is marked as restricted. They may write comments, send texts, and peek at your account just like every other person, so it appears that nothing has changed for them.
Only the person at the other end of the phone can tell the difference.
Why would someone restrict me on Instagram?
There are a plethora of reasons why anyone may choose to limit your access to their profile. You may, for instance, be sending them irritating comments or spamming their inbox with (DMs) they don’t want to receive.
Conclusion
Instagram’s “Restrict” anti-bullying feature has been efficacious in decreasing hateful and nasty comments. However, it may also be abused by others to keep you from engaging with their postings or from writing comments on them.
The lack of official methods to gather information on this problem makes it a difficult task, yet these basic and straightforward methods might prove useful in determining whether or not you’re being forced into the Instagram “Restrict” zone by someone, who presumably wishes to ignore any contact with you.
Hope this article settled all your doubts.
Further Reading
- How to Save, View, Delete Drafts on Instagram
