Instagram Restrict vs. Block: Which Privacy Option Should You Use

Quick Tips

• Blocking someone stops them from seeing your posts or stories or even interacting with you, i.e., messaging or calling you.
• Restricting is a milder version of blocking, in which users can see your posts or stories and even send you messages.
• However, their comments will not show up on your post. Plus, their messages will be delivered to the Request section.

What Does Restrict Mean on Instagram

Touted as an anti-bullying feature, restrict on Instagram helps avoid unwanted interactions without letting the other person know about it. Restrict is a toned-down version of blocking that offers the capabilities of blocking in a limited manner.

When you restrict someone, Instagram will hide their comments and messages, including notifications about the same. It’s like keeping the restricted user at a distance where you can’t see their comments and messages whenever you use Instagram, and they won’t even know about it.

Can the Other Person Know You Blocked or Restricted Them

The biggest drawback of the block feature is that it’s not private. A direct way to know if someone has blocked you doesn’t exist. However, many methods help you confirm the same.

Fortunately, the restriction feature is safe. That’s because the other person will never know if they have been restricted. Everything appears normal on their end. They can still comment, send messages, and view your profile like any other user. It’s on your end where things are different.

What Happens When You Restrict or Block Someone

Can they –	Restricted	Block
See your posts/stories	Yes	No
Comment on posts	Yes (you won’t see)	No
View your profile	Yes	No
Message you	Yes	No
See Active status	No	No
Tag or mention you	Yes	No

Can you –	Restricted	Block
Comment on their posts	Yes	No
View their profile	Yes	No
Send them message	No	No
Tag or mention them	Yes	No

Restricted vs. Blocked on Instagram: Who Can See Your Posts

When you block someone, they cannot see your posts or stories. However, when you restrict a person, they can still see your posts, stories, and highlights as per usual.

Who Can Comment or Interact With Posts

Since the blocked person cannot see your posts, they can’t interact with them, i.e., like, comment, or share. However, when the restricted person posts a comment,

• It will only be visible to that person, neither you nor other users can see it.
• You aren’t notified about such comments in your notification tab.

In a nutshell, the restricted feature allows the other user to enjoy their right to comment without disturbing and impacting you.

What Happens to Comments

While still available under the post’s comment section, it’s hidden under a protected message or what Instagram refers to as a sensitivity screen. You must open the post to view the comment.

You can either leave the comment as it is or,

• Tap to see the comment. Notably, it will only be visible to you.
• You can delete it. However, if you do so, the other person may notice you removed the comment.
• Approve the comment. After that, everyone can see it as a normal comment.

Note: When you take action on the comment, the restricted user isn’t notified. So, don’t worry; you are safe either way.

Can You Interact With Their Posts

If you’ve blocked them, you can’t see their posts and, in turn, can’t interact with them. But when you’ve just restricted the person, your comments behave normally on their posts. Everyone will see them, including the restricted person.

Can Restricted Accounts Message You

A blocked person can neither message you nor can you send a message without unblocking them. Things are different in the case of the restrict mode.

When you restrict a person, they can still message you. However,

• Their messages will arrive in the Requests folders.
• Furthermore, Instagram won’t notify you.
• You must check the Requests folder manually to check their messages.

You also get the privilege to view the message without Instagram notifying the restricted person with the ‘Seen’ text in their inbox. That is, they won’t know when you have read the messages. It’s like the Ignore mode of Facebook Messenger.

If you want to reply to such messages or send a new message to the restricted account, you must Unrestrict (remove restriction).

Restricted vs. Blocked on Instagram: What Happens to the Activity Status

When you restrict a person, they won’t be able to see your Active status on Instagram. The same holds for the block option.

Can Restricted Accounts Tag or Mention You in Posts

When you block someone on Instagram, they won’t be able to tag you in their posts or stories. Your username won’t be available to them when they try to mention you. On the other hand, when you restrict an account, they will still be able to tag or mention you.

Additionally, you will be notified when a restricted account mentions you in their story or tags you in a post. So, if you wish to avoid being tagged in posts without your consent, it’s best to block the account.

Restricted vs. Blocked: Do You Get Notifications

Blocking someone removes all interactions with the account, so there is no question of notifications. When it comes to restricting, though, as you must have noticed, you aren’t notified about two kinds of interactions — messages and comments. But you get notified about tags.

How to Restrict or Block Someone on Instagram

Step 1: Open the profile you want to restrict in the Instagram app.

Step 2: Hit the three-dot icon at the top-right corner. Select Restrict or Block from the menu.

If you want to unrestrict or unblock someone, open the Instagram app → profile tab → three-line icon → scroll down and select Restricted Accounts or Blocked Accounts accordingly. Next, select the user and unrestrict or unblock them.

Instagram Restrict vs. Block: Which One to Use

If you don’t want the other person to see your posts or stories or interact with you in any way, you should block them. Use the block when you cannot bear the person and are okay with them knowing they have been blocked.

On the other hand, if you want to avoid someone without letting them know, restrict is a good option. When using restrict, your posts and stories are still accessible to the person. Only comments and messages are affected. You can call restrict a soft block.

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