Dealing with an error message that says “action blocked” on your Instagram account? That can be pretty annoying, especially if you want to grow your Instagram account and reach more followers or get more engagements on your posts. Luckily, there are a few steps you can take to get rid of the “action blocked” or “try again later” error on Instagram, so you can get back to posting and commenting. But first, let’s take a look at what the “action blocked”‘ message actually means.
Why does my Instagram account say Action Blocked?
You might be wondering – why does this error message pop up in the first place. Well, it turns out that question is not always easy to answer, but in short, Instagram usually believes that there has been some unusual or suspicious activity on your account. No worries – you can rectify this in most cases. An action blocked error message can certainly be very inconvenient, but it usually doesn’t mean that your account is permanently blocked or lost.
“Action Blocked: This action was blocked.” Please come back later and try again. To safeguard our community, we limit some content and behaviors.”
So what is this suspicious or unusual activity, you might ask? Doing too many things – such as following people, liking, or commenting – in a short period of time will result in the action blocked error message. You might even get this problem if you unfollow too many people in a couple of hours. If it’s the first time getting this message, you don’t have to worry at all, simply try not to follow/unfollow large amounts of people in a short time period and try again after 24 hours. Of course, this also means that the popular follow/unfollow technique to gain more followers on Instagram will almost certainly result in frequent action blocked error messages.
Are you specifically dealing with the issue that you can’t follow more people on Instagram? Read our article with tips and trucks on how to resolve this.
Is my Instagram account banned after an Action Blocked?
Banned isn’t the right word for it, but your Instagram account is definitely frozen for a little while. The Instagram algorithms believe that because of your repeated actions, it’s not a human who’s controlling the account, but an AI or a bot. Of course, that goes against the Instagram terms and conditions, and the action blocked error message then basically serves as a warning.
How long can an Instagram “Action Blocked” last?
Usually, the first error message definitely won’t take very long, and chances are you’ll regain full control over your account in just a few hours. However, repeated violations of the Instagram terms and conditions will certainly result in longer blocks, or even worse, a permanent account ban and deletion on Instagram.
Usually, Instagram will hand out these account freezes for a couple of different intervals:
- Between a couple of hours until 24 hours
- 7 days – one week
- 24 days
- Permanent account removal
The more you act suspiciously on Instagram, the longer your action blocked status will last. So if you want to prevent that, simply follow the steps or the tips below to make sure your Instagram account remains in good standing.
What do I have to do if Instagram action blocked or froze my account by accident?
Of course, the automated Instagram algorithms which detect suspicious activity on your account resulting in the error message, aren’t always perfect. Sometimes, false positives will come through, and a perfectly normal and well-behaving account can also deal with this issue from time to time. No worries though, just follow the tips below and your account will be restored without breaking a sweat.
How to avoid or remove the Action Blocked error on Instagram
If you’re dealing with the Action Blocked error, here’s what you can do. Of course, you can also follow these tips to make sure that you’ll never have to deal with this pesky error message (again).
Tip 1: Give it a little bit of time
This is probably one of the more boring or straightforward answers, but it’s also the one that makes the most sense: just give it a little bit of time. Your account is on a cooldown period, and if you’ve only received the action blocked error for the first time, just wait it out for a little bit.
Tip 2: Your Instagram account is too young
If you’ve created a brand-new Instagram account, the account will still be very limited in terms of what you can do. Your ‘limits’ will be much lower than an aged, trusted Instagram account which has been around for a while. In short, build an authentic audience, engage with other Instagram users genuinely and just spend some time on the app. Once your account is out of the ‘sandbox period’, chances are you won’t be seeing the error blocked message as often as before.
Tip 3: Never post any adult content (or anything else that goes against Instagram’s terms and conditions)
The social network is absolutely clear about this: posting content that is against the terms and conditions will result in an account suspension and in most cases, even a ban. Don’t post anything on Instagram you wouldn’t want your mother-in-law to see, and also stay away from topics such as guns, gambling, or unlawful activities.
Tip 4: Clear your Instagram app cache and re-download the app
Sometimes your app can just act up a little bit, but there’s a trick that will usually alleviate these problems instantly. Clearing your cache can definitely help out a ton in some cases, although you can only do this on an iPhone or iPad. Here are the steps to delete your Instagram cache on your iPhone or iPad:
- Navigate to Settings on your phone or iPad
- Press “General”
- Head over to “iPhone Storage”
- Scroll in your list of apps and select “Instagram”
You’ll see a “Delete App” button in red. Pressing this will delete Instagram from your iPad or iPhone, but it will also delete the cache and saved data. This deletion process is more thorough than a regular app delete. Also good to know: this won’t delete your logged-in accounts and you won’t need to enter your password next time, these aren’t deleted and aren’t in the cache. Things such as profile pictures and most commonly viewed posts are – your phone will just have to redownload them once you visit those again in the app.
P.S: If you’re wondering what the best way to view Instagram is on an iPad (since there’s no app), here’s our complete guide to making Instagram fullscreen on iPad.
Are you using an Android smartphone or tablet? Simply deleting the application will suffice as well.
Tip 5: Get some assistance from the Instagram support team
If you’ve tried the most common steps above, you can also try to get in touch with the support team over at Instagram by filling out their help form over here. Definitely explain in detail what you’re trying to do (following people, commenting on Reels, liking posts…) when your receive the action blocked notification. Wait a couple of days until someone from the support team responds. If you’re a business user, check out the tip below.
Tip 6: Get in touch with the Instagram Business page
If you’re a business user (or if you’re an influencer, for example), it might be worthwhile to contact the “Instagram for Business” page on Facebook – you know, that other huge website that Meta owns. The For Business accounts are known to provide quicker support, and the chances are also higher that you can speak to a human and won’t have to wait until you get a response that’s usually automated anyway. Sometimes, you can even try to get a help agent on the phone, which might be preferable to explain and solve your issues.
Tip 7: Verify your account as much as possible and set up two-factor authentication
Why does Instagram block your account? It’s usually because they believe that you’re a bot. That’s why it’s in your best interest to verify your account as much as possible. In short, you’ll definitely want to verify your phone number and email address. Regarding security, you’ll also want to set up a two-factor authentication code. That way, you’ll let Instagram know that there’s a human logging in every time, and it also greatly enhances your account security. It’s a win-win! Lastly, if you have a Facebook account, be sure to link your Facebook and Instagram accounts together.
Tip 8: Stay away from bots, paid followers, or any kind of third-party service that involves logging into your account
Bots, buying followers, or faking your follower engagement – it might have worked at one point in time, but in this day and age, Instagram (and its users) are pretty damn good at detecting this malicious activity. The first time, you’ll probably be presented with a warning, but you’ll definitely be banned if you keep doing this. You can even get shadowbanned if you’re not careful – which is being banned without even knowing it. The Instagram algorithm is super smart and can detect a lot of things – don’t expect that you’ll be able to game it.
Tip 9: Try another phone or device
Sometimes, Instagram accounts can deal with was is called a ‘device ban’. Your account might be fine, but your device could be flagged as suspicious, resulting in the action blocked status. Want to find out if this is the issue? Simply log into your account from another device, and see if the issue persists there.
Tip 10: Link in your bio? Make sure it’s trustworthy
Many different users have reported on social media and on Reddit that they’ve started encountering “action blocked” errors after posting an URL in their bio. If you do this – make sure that there’s nothing shady going on with the website you’re referring to. If you’re looking for a good Instagram bio link provider, you might be interested in our full analysis and review of Linktree and whether it’s safe.
Conclusion
The “action blocked’ message usually isn’t a big deal on Instagram – just make sure you comply with the terms and conditions and keep your account in good standing. Engage genuinely with your audience and stay away from automated systems, spam, or bots, and you likely won’t have any more issues at all.
Additional reading
Will Instagram Delete My Account? Here’s Why Accounts Get Removed (2021): Wondering if your Instagram account can get removed for inactivity or suspicious activity? Here’s what happens when Insta decides to delete a profile.
What Will Replace Instagram? 4 Realistic Up And Coming Alternatives: Getting bored of Instagram? Perhaps you’ll like one of these four up-and-coming other apps that are surely gaining more traction.
