Can I block Instagram from my browser?

Take a break from an annoying friend or account

Updated on August 16, 2022

What to Know

• Block in Instagram app: Go to account page > tap three dots > Block > Block > Dismiss.
• Block in browser: Go to account page > tap three dots > Block this user > Block.
• Unblock: Go to blocked account page > tap three dots > Unblock.
  

This article explains how to block users on Instagram to prevent them from seeing or interacting with your posts. Instructions apply to the Instagram app on both Apple and Android devices, as well as Instagram on a web browser.

How to Block Someone Using the Instagram App

Blocking an Instagram user means they won't be able to locate your profile, posts, or Instagram story. They won't be notified that you blocked them, but they can find out with a little detective work. While they can mention your username in their posts, these mentions aren't displayed in your Activity stream. Here's how to block another user:

1. Download and open the Instagram app on your iOS or Android device.

2. Find and load the profile of the user account you want to block.

   To find the account, use the search function or tap the account's username from anywhere in the Instagram app, including your list of followers.

3. Tap Menu (three dots), located in the upper-right corner of the screen.

4. Tap Block.

5. A confirmation box explains what happens when you block the account. Tap Block to proceed.

6. You'll see a message that the account is blocked. Tap Dismiss to finish the process.

7. To unblock the account, return to its page, tap menu, and then select Unblock.

   If the person has a private account, you'll have to request to follow them again.

How to Block Someone Using a Web Browser

If you don't have the app available or use a platform that doesn't support it, you can block someone from the Instagram website.

1. Open a browser, navigate to the Instagram website, and find and load the profile of the user or account you want to block.

2. In the upper-right corner of the screen, tap Menu (three dots).

3. Select Block this user from the pop-up menu.

4. Select Block to confirm.

5. Select Dismiss to complete the process.

6. To unblock the account, return to its page and select Unblock.

FAQ

• How do you deactivate your Instagram account?

  To deactivate your Instagram account, log in to Instagram on a web browser. Select your profile picture > Edit Profile > tap Temporarily disable my account and follow the prompts.

• How do you change your password on Instagram?

  To change your password, go to the log-in screen and tap Forgot Password. Enter your email address, phone number, or username and select Reset Password. Check the email or phone number associated with your account for a link to reset your password and follow the steps.

• How do you mute someone on Instagram?

  To mute an Instagram account, go to their page and select Following > Mute. You can choose to silence posts or stories.

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By now, we all know that Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram often steal away our attention when we need it most.

I mean who wouldn’t want to bask in the social praise of friends and family when you have a thesis to write, or to scroll down your Twitter feed only to find that BuzzFeed has a quiz that can tell you how old you are based on inkblots. These simple, flashy distractions always seem more appetizing to our brains when serious or potentially monotonous tasks are hanging over our heads. And to be fair it’s not entirely our fault — our brains are wired to seek out this kind of distraction.

You can try to shut distractions out by yourself, but realistically a lot of us could use a little extra help when it comes to maintaining our focus. So instead of depleting your limited self-control reserves, let Freedom do most of the heavy-lifting by blocking distractions until you’ve accomplished what’s important.

HOW TO BLOCK SOCIAL MEDIA:

1. Create an account or sign into freedom.to

2. Select whether you want your session to “Start now,” “Start later,” or to create “Recurring sessions”

3. Choose how long you want to be free from distraction

4. Select a blocklist or create a new one. If you create a new list — title it, add URLs of the sites you want to block, or add some of the most frequent distractors from the list. Make sure you save your block list and that it is selected.

5. Then, select which devices you want the block to apply to.

6. Finally, start your session and accomplish what you need to. We’ve got the distractions, you have the rest.

To learn more about Freedom and download the Freedom software for your Mac, Windows, iOS or Android device, visit the Freedom website.

Originally published at freedom.to on February 22, 2016.