Have you ever been burned by social media when you try to follow someone on Instagram and get a persistent "error" message instead?
You haven't been shadowbanned, so don't worry.
Instagram may be turning you into a ghost of a follower for a few reasons. Together, we can solve this puzzle and restore your freedom to follow with this guide.
To avoid spam and keep the platform clean, Instagram restricts how many profiles you can follow. There are two primary limitations: the 7,500 account maximum for total follows, and a time-based limit on the number of follows you may complete in a brief time.
You may have reached one of these limits if you're having problems following people, or there may be a brief issue with the app.
Consider seeing how many people you now follow, suspending to follow, or logging out and back in. You can reach out to Instagram for help if the issue still exists.
Don't panic if you can't follow someone on Instagram because your account has been reported for engaging in "inauthentic activities." You can attempt the following short solutions to get back your ability to follow others on Instagram:
Occasionally, the IP address of your internet connection may be the ban's focus. Therefore, consider using an alternative internet connection to log into the Instagram app.
For example, if you've already exhausted your mobile data, utilize your WiFi network to access Instagram and see whether you can follow others now.
If suspicious behavior hasn't been reported against your account, trying to access Instagram from a different device occasionally works.
Thus, log out of your account and then use a different device, such as a tablet or PC, to log back in.
Facebook owns Instagram. Therefore there is a strong integration between the two services.
Because the majority of Instagram users also have Facebook accounts, you can follow them there if you can't follow them on Instagram. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Navigate to "Settings" after opening your Facebook profile.
Step 2: Follow and Invite Friends you want to follow.
Step 3: Follow contacts to achieve this.
Step 4: Next, choose "Connect to Facebook" under the "Suggested" tab. All your Facebook friends with Instagram accounts are now visible to you.
If you still see a notification such as "Action blocked," you can request support within it or through the app's settings. This is how you do it:
Step 1: Open the Instagram app and select "Settings."
Step 2: Press the "Help" and then “Report a Problem" button.
Step 3: To report the issue, follow the on-screen instructions.
While attempting the methods to regain your following functionality, it's crucial to understand that these fixes might not address the root cause of the restriction.
Access may be temporarily restored, and continuing "inauthentic activities" may result in a permanent ban. Use a service such as PurePrivacy for long-term privacy and security.
PurePrivacy is an app designed to help you take control of your online privacy and security. It examines your social network configurations, suggests enhancements for increased privacy, and assists you in deleting your data from the internet.
It also has features to stop targeted advertisements and block trackers.
Analyze your current social media settings and permissions to identify areas where you can tighten up your privacy.
It provides tailored recommendations for specific changes you can apply to your privacy settings. This improves your safety profile and allows you to make intelligent decisions.
With PurePrivacy, you can quickly and easily remove your search history from various social media sites.
It safely removes your search history, guaranteeing the privacy of your online actions and encouraging a higher level of online secrecy.
With this feature, you can keep private or outdated content hidden from the public eye so that only you can access it.
To remove unwanted postings from the social media network altogether and make sure they are no longer accessible, you can use the Permanently Delete Postings option.
Most experts advise against following more than 200–500 individuals on Instagram daily, even if there isn't an official tally. Remember that this amount varies depending on your Instagram account; if it's a few days old or less, limit the number of people you follow each day to 50. You can do more if you've been using the platform for a while and interact with it frequently.
Depending on how serious your infraction was. Generally speaking, though, an Instagram account might be restricted for anything from twenty minutes to several hours or even several days. A permanent ban may be imposed in extreme circumstances, but a month-long restriction may also be imposed in more serious cases.
If your Instagram follower count has reached its maximum, you'll have to wait it out. Instagram sets follower limitations to stop spam. Although the precise restriction may change, it typically resets every 24 hours. During this period, concentrate on liking pictures, creating intriguing content, and interacting with your existing followers.
Instagram may be restricting you from following users for several reasons.
You can identify the problem by examining your internet connection, adhering to restrictions, and looking for any possible blocks.
A quick app refresh, a new authorization, or a cache clean can frequently fix small bugs.
If none of these fixes work, contact Instagram for more help.