Why won’t Instagram let me follow people? If you have this question, you’re not alone.
Many people face this issue on Instagram on a daily basis and it’s extremely frustrating.
You want to follow others, but Instagram blocked you from doing so. Why is that the case?
This article will guide you on how to fix and prevent it.
- Why Won’t Instagram Let Me Follow People?
- Fix: “Why Won’t Instagram Let Me Follow People?”
- How to prevent the error
Why Won’t Instagram Let Me Follow People?
Instagram won’t let you follow people because you either followed people too quickly, you have reached the 7,500 following limit, your account is new, or Instagram is down.
This is also known as the action block that typically lasts for up to 24 hours.
There are a few causes that might cause Instagram to temporarily disable you from following others.
But don’t worry, the block is not permanent, it’s just a temporary restriction to prevent you from abusing the following button.
Here are 3 reasons why won’t Instagram let you follow people:
1. You followed people too quickly.
If you follow people too quickly, (e.g. 30 users in 30 seconds), you will be action blocked by Instagram.
Just like other social media platforms, (e.g. Twitter, TikTok), their algorithms will detect that you’re spamming and you will be temporarily disabled from following others for a period of time.
These algorithms are developed to mitigate bot and spam activity.
2. You have reached the 7,500 following limit.
You’ll have to take note of the following limit on Instagram.
Instagram allows you to follow a maximum of 7,500 users.
If you have reached the following limit of 7,500, you can no longer follow people until you start unfollowing others.
3. Your account is too new.
If you’ve just created a new Instagram account, you’re restricted to a small number of actions as compared to an aged account.
Instagram ‘penalizes’ newer accounts to reduce spam and bot activity.
So if you’re using a new account, be sure to not bulk follow people or you will be action blocked.
Instead, use an older account to follow others.
4. Instagram is down
This is extremely rare because Instagram’s up-time is close to 100%.
Almost all of the time, the issue is from your end because Instagram’s algorithm has marked you for spam and temporarily disabled you from the ability to follow others.
But if you suspect that Instagram is down, please visit their official Twitter account or use a down detector to fact check this.
How to follow people on Instagram again
In order for you to follow other people on Instagram again, you need to wait it out.
The block can last for a couple of hours, 24 hours, or more depending on various factors.
Users who got the action block eventually managed to follow others again, it’s just a matter of time.
There are two types of action blocks—one with the timer, and one without.
If you happened to get the one with the timer, the error message will explicitly state the duration of the action block.
Unfortunately, if you got the one without the error, you won’t be able to know how long the block lasts.
If that’s the case, you’ll typically have to wait for up to 24 hours to follow people on Instagram again.
In rare cases, the block might last for several days.
How to prevent the follow block
To prevent the error from happening, you need to stop following a large number of people at one go and stop using automation/third-party apps.
Otherwise, you may be blocked from following others.
There are a number of ways you can follow to prevent being disabled from following people.
Follow these guidelines and you’ll never be action blocked again.
1. Stop following a large number of people at one go
Stop repetitively following others or you will be blocked from following more people!
Instead, follow others in an interval of 5-10 minutes.
To prevent being blocked from following others, you’ll have to stop spamming.
This is the number one cause for the temporary disablement of following people.
2. Stop using automated tools/apps
Don’t use automated tools or apps to follow others.
These tools and apps allow you to follow people at a faster rate.
Hence, Instagram’s algorithm will mark you as spam and temporarily disable you from following more people.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, you should prevent following others repetitively.
Social media platforms like Instagram have algorithms that mitigate spam and bot activity.
This is to prevent spam on the platform.
Hence, in order for you to prevent being action blocked; you’ll have to act like a human and follow others in intervals.
Related articles
Instagram Couldn’t Create Thread (How to Fix) – https://www.followchain.org/couldnt-create-thread/.
Couldn’t Load Users on Instagram (How to Fix) – https://www.followchain.org/couldnt-load-users/.
Instagram Action Blocked: How to Fix And Prevent It? – https://www.followchain.org/instagram-action-block/.
Why Can’t I See My Following List on Instagram? – https://www.followchain.org/cant-see-following-list/.
P.S. If you liked this article, feel free to join our follow for follow community for Instagram: https://www.followchain.org — it’s free!
Grow your Instagram audience!
Share your Instagram link on Followchain, a follow for follow community for Instagram.
Author: Lim How Wei. Lim How Wei is the founder of Followchain, a community that simplifies growth and networking for Instagram users. Feel free to follow him on Instagram.
