Explained: Why Won't Instagram Let Me Follow People?

If you receive the message “Action Blocked. This action was blocked. Please try again later..” or something like, you are not alone. Many users had this problem that Instagram doesn't let me follow contacts.

In this article, you will learn the possible reason why Instagram won’t let you follow people and how to act accordingly to unlock the follow on Instagram.

What is Instagram action blocked error?

When the Instagram algorithm detects suspected activities, they will probably prevent the account from following, commenting, liking, or direct messaging for some time to prevent spamming. Different activities require different actions to unblock it, so read on to see what is the more possible cause of your problem.  It is possible that you may get blocked for no specific reason. 

The Possible Reasons Why Instagram Blocked Following People

That Instagram has blocked the Follow function in the application may be due to something more complex than a simple programming error.

According to the rules and terms of use of Instagram, these reasons below will result in follow action block:

• You have followed a large number of Instagram accounts in a short period of time. Instagram has never officially announced the follow limit per hour. During our test, we find out that you are limited to follow under 200 profiles per hour, but also under 1000 a day. If you are using a new account, the limit follow number may be even lower than that. 

• You have liked a large number of photos from other profiles in a short period of time. The like limit is similar to the follow number limit. 

• You have been reported by one or more users for violating Instagram’s terms of use or other reasons. 

• You have shared your Instagram account and password with a service that helps you get more likes or followers, which is against Instagram Community Guidelines. Usually, Instagram will also ask you to reset your password. 

• An indication of suspicious activity has been detected. For example, logging in from different devices or different IP frequently.

If you have indeed committed any of these actions in the past few days, you can do little to unblock the Follow function on Instagram, not during the suspension of the action block.

It is also possible that you are blocked because of an Instagram app error. In that case, you can fix it now. 

How Long Does Blocked Action Instagram Follow?

Usually, Instagram specifies the blocking time of the Follow function in the error message. If not specified, the block period usually ranges from 6 hours to 7 days. If Instagram detects such usual actions again, the next blocking time can be even longer, it may reach a month of suspension, or even results in your account termination.

I Can't Follow On Instagram: How To Recover

If you are still unclear why Instagram doesn’t allow you to follow any account, you can follow these steps to troubleshooting in the hope of regaining the follow fuction. 

Delete Instagram app Data

In terms of application failure, the first thing you want to try is to delete the data from Instagram, as well as the cache memory of it. If you are on Android, go to Settings and navigate to the Applications section. From there, find Instagram and click on Force stop. Then you go to Storage and tap on Clear cache and Clear data. For iOS users, you can delete the Instagram app and install it again from AppStore.

After that, you may need to enter your Instagram account and password to login to the Instagram app. In the case of an error in the app, it is most likely that it has disappeared, so you can follow anyone without any problem.

Reset Instagram Password

It is likely that the above has not worked, so the next thing you want to try is to reset your password. If your account was blocked because Instagram detects that you have logged in from different locations, then you can probably unblock the follow function by resetting your password. 

Usually, if Instagram hasn’t specified the time period for the action block, resetting the password can recover your account. 

Contact Instagram Support

The previous methods do not work,  the only thing you can do is contact the Instagram support service. When you see the Action Block message, you probably see the Tell Us option and then tap on it. Then go to the tab of your profile and slide the interface to the left to access the Configuration section. From there, you can go to Help and finally to Report a problem.

At this point, you can choose to Send comments or to Report a problem. No matter which option you choose, you need to describe the problem in detail and provide the relevant screenshots with the goal of unlocking Follow on Instagram. After that, you can expect a response from two to three days.

You may be interested in: 3 Best Apps to See Who Unfollowed You on Instagram: Free & Quick

How to Avoid Instagram Follow Block

As mentioned, Instagram does have a restriction on the number of persons that you can follow in a certain period of time, so don’t overdo it. The specific number is never revealed officially by Instagram. Generally, More than 1,000 followers or likes a day and between 350 and 500 shares an hour are considered exorbitant.

If you want to buy followers, you have to do it carefully. Instagram doesn't want you to share your password to services or apps that help you get more likes or followers, which has been addressed in Community Guidelines. To prevent Instagram follow action block, you should only buy followers from app or service that does not require your password. In that case, SuperPostSuperPostSuperPost is perfect for you. You just need to input your username and you will get followers and likes. You can also buy followers for your friends. 

The best part, It is totally free to use. After installing the app and signing up, you will get 1000 coins which are enough to buy 50 likes. You can also earn more coins to buy followers or likes with a little time. If you don’t want to spend the time, you can buy Instagram followers with money.