Instagram offers users the ability to restrict an account as an alternative to blocking, but what exactly does it do? On Instagram, if a user’s account is public, anyone can like or comment on their content. Instagram released the restrict function in 2019 to combat cyber-bullying and cultivate a more positive community. This feature is designed to help users better control their online interactions and reduce instances of online bullying, harassment, or unwanted contact.
Restricting can be a helpful tool for managing a user’s online interactions. According to Instagram, account holders will be able to hide their online status from restricted users. The restricted user will never know whether the account holder has read their messages, since their chats will be moved to the Message Requests section. Restricted accounts will still be able to comment on a user’s posts, but these comments will only be visible to them. The account holder can tap on ‘See Comment‘ if they want to view the text, or let other users see the comment by tapping ‘Approve‘ to confirm. Additionally, if a person is restricted, the account holder will not be notified of any future comments from them.
How To Restrict Someone On Instagram
To enable the restrict function, first tap on the profile picture located in the bottom right corner. Next, tap the three lines in the top right corner and tap on settings (gear icon). After that, tap ‘Privacy’ and scroll down to the option that reads ‘Restricted Accounts‘ under ‘Connections.’ Tap ‘Continue’ and search for the account that needs to be restricted. Tap on ‘Restrict’ next to the username.
Users can also restrict an account through comments by tapping and holding on a comment (Android) or swiping to the left of a comment (iPhone), tapping ‘i’ and selecting ‘Restrict [username].’ Alternatively, users can restrict someone through their DMs. To do this on an iPhone, tap the person’s name at the top of the chat and tap the three dots followed by ‘Restrict‘ and then ‘Restrict Account.‘ On Android, tap the person’s name, tap ‘Restrict‘ at the bottom, and confirm by tapping ‘Restrict Account.’
One of the main benefits of the restrict function is that it limits interactions with specific accounts. A person is unlikely to know they’re restricted, since they’ll continue to see a user’s posts and stories, and be able to comment and send DMs as usual. However, they will no longer see when the account holder is online or if they have read their messages. Restricting is a useful way to limit access to an account on Instagram, without having to resort to blocking or unfollowing them.
Source: Instagram