In a world full of trolling, it is important to restrict trollers from commenting on our posts. Today, getting hate or negative comments on our pictures is very common. That is why I love the restriction feature of Instagram. Instagram is a place where you can be easily trolled for posting pictures.
Recently, one of my friends was getting a lot of hate comments just because she loves to share what she does the whole day. This is when I realized how people can spread negativity even on small things. I wanted to help her, so I started exploring this feature of Instagram.
Eventually, I got to know about the ‘Restrict’ feature that helps us stop them from posting our pictures. If you are also facing such a problem, let’s deeply understand what the restrict feature is and why it is important.
What Does Restrict Mean on Instagram?
Instagram is one of the largest growing social media platforms that is more prone to cyberbullying aur commonly known as trolling. Today so many Instagram handles are flooded with negative comments. This feature was introduced in 2019 to reduce trolling and let users control how they want to interact with others. The restrict feature was created to build a positive community. It helps to limit how you want to interact with others.
Suppose, you are getting a call from a person whom you don’t like to talk with, you will silence your phone. This is exactly how the restriction on Instagram works. It limits the people to comment or message you without blocking them.
A restricted person can like or look at your post or the stories. Their comments are invisible to others and their messages get into request inboxes. Even if you have seen them, they will not be notified about it.
What are the Ways to Restrict a Person on Instagram?
There are several ways by which you can restrict a person on your profile. Below I have shared them to help you get safe from being trolled:
- Restrict from Messaging
- Restrict from Settings
- Restric from Profile
How to Restrict a Person Through Messaging?
It is often we get random messages on our personal Instagram accounts. Most of them are unnecessary or a negative one. In such a situation, I prefer restricting them through the message only. If you also want to restrict the person through messages, follow the steps mentioned:
- Open your App and go to the message section by clicking the message icon prison at the top right of your feed.
- Select the chat of the person you want to restrict and click on the name present at the top of the chart.
- You will see three dots in the top right corner which is also known as more actions. There will be a list of options and you will have to tap on restrict option.
- Once you tap on the restrict option, the person will be restricted from your account.
When you restrict a person through messages, the chat from that person will be moved to the message request section. Future messages will also be a part of message requests. You could see the message of the person but that person will not know whether you have seen the message.
If needed, you can also block or even unrestrict the person. In addition to that, this feature also helps you to know that you are in a group with a restricted person. Please note that being a part of a group, you will get to see their messages. If you don’t want to receive them, simply leave the group.
How to Restrict a Person Through Settings?
Have you ever come across a reel or a post that states that the comment section is restricted to some people? If you want to restrict a few people from commenting or doing anything on your profile, you can restrict them from settings only. To restrict a person through settings, you must follow the steps mentioned below:
- Click on the profile picture present at the bottom right of your profile.
- Choose more options present at the top right corner.
- Look for how others can interact with your option and below it tap on the Restricted button.
- Select the Next option and look for accounts you like the restrict from your profiles.
- Choose to restrict the present next to the username to restrict them.
- Contrary if you want to unrestrict someone, tap on unrestrict.
How to Restrict Someone Through Their Profile?
This method is my personal favorite as I can easily restrict the person who is unknown to me. Whenever I receive a suspicious message from a profile, the first thing I do is to restrict them through the profile. Below are the steps by which you can easily restrict anyone through their profile only:
- Search for the username and open their profile.
- In the top corner, you will see three dots at the side of the profile.
- Tap on it, and there will be a few options available on the screen. Choose to restrict the option to restrict that person from seeing, commenting, or sending you messages.
What Happens When You Restrict Someone on Instagram?
Restricting a person on your Instagram account will help you get a few benefits. Below is a list of things that will happen once you restrict a person on Instagram:
Active Status will be Hidden
It feels annoying when you don’t want to talk to someone but they can see you online. In such a situation, you are left with no other option than replying to them. But thanks to restrict mode, your active status will be hidden from the people you have restricted. Now you can enjoy your online active status without worrying much about them.
Messages will not Come in Inbox
Another major impact of restricting a person is that the message will not appear in the request inbox. You will see a message in the request inbox that will not disturb you while you enjoy your Instagram time. They won’t be able to check if you have seen the message or not. Additionally, there will be no notification of their message.
Comments will be Hidden Automatically
There is always a person in our comment section who loves to spread negativity. Every time you delete their comment, they will post again and again. This becomes frustrating as we have to delete their comments again and again. Restrict mode is one of the great features of Instagram as it helps to restrict the comments from coming to your comment section.
If a restricted person comments on your profile, their comment will be viewed by them only. No other person can see their comment in the comment section. You will also be able to see their comment by tapping on the sea comments option. If you want, you can approve the comment on your post.
Blocking vs. Restricted Features on Instagram
Blocking and restricting are two important features of Instagram that play a crucial role in preventing cyberbullying. However, both are different from each other and play their different roles. Below is a table that helps to differentiate both the features:
| Blocking | Restricting |
| If you don’t want anything from a specific person, just block them. Blocking a person means cutting off the person. | Restricting a person means cutting off from that person without removing them from the friend circle. |
| Once you block a person, she or she will not be able to see your profile. | The person will be able to see your profile. |
| They cannot send messages to you. | They can send messages to you. |
| They cannot interact with your post. | They can interact with your post but no one else can see it. |
Conclusion
If you have ever been a victim of cyberbullying on Instagram, don’t worry. Instagram has launched a special feature known as restrict mode that helps to get saved from trollers online and have a positive community. Restricting someone can be easily done through three different ways: messaging, settings, and personal profiles. To restrict them, all you have to do is search for their profile, go to the settings, and select the restrict option.
Once you restrict their account, they will not be able to see your active status. Also, comments will be limited to you and the restricted person. If you want to check the comment, you can do so, and if needed, you can approve it. Restrict mode is one of the best features that not only prevents cyberbullying but also keeps people in your circle without cutting them off.
FAQs
Will Someone Know if You Restrict Them on Instagram?
No, Instagram does not notify the person you restrict from your account.
When you Restrict Someone on Instagram can They See Your Posts?
Yes, when you restrict a person, they can see your posts on Instagram.
If you restrict someone on Instagram, can they see you viewed their story?
Yes, if you restrict someone and view their stories, they can see that you have viewed their stories.