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How to lock your instagram account


4 Reasons Instagram Locks Your Account and How to Prevent It

Instagram locking your account can be stressful, but steering clear of these four actions can help prevent it from happening.

Been getting locked out of your Instagram account lately and have no idea why? 

Well, you’re not alone! We’ve been facing a few Instagram account issues ourselves over the past few months. Getting to the root of it all has taken a lot of trial and error. 

And we knew if we were getting locked out of Instagram then other businesses likely were, too.

The good news? Getting your account back doesn’t have to be a headache or take forever.

 In this post, we’ll share everything we’ve learned about Instagram lockouts. This includes:

  • Why Instagram locked your account in the first place
  • How to avoid losing access to your Instagram account in the future
  • What to do if Instagram does deactivate your account (and how to get it back ASAP)

Top Reasons Instagram Locks Your Account

Instagram isn’t known for providing detailed information on why they lock or disable accounts.

This leaves leaving many brands and content creators frustrated. Rightfully so! 

Fortunately, these lockouts are usually just temporary blocks that pose no immediate threat to your account. 

But after multiple incidents, Instagram may warn that you’re at risk for suspension or termination. This warning is scary given all the time and effort it takes to build a following. 

Even though Instagram may not specifically tell you why your account is locked, we’ve tracked down the most common reasons it happens. We also discovered specific actions you can do to lower the chances of a lockout in the future.

1. You’ve Broken Instagram’s Guidelines

Everything posted on Instagram must adhere to the platform’s Community Guidelines.

If any of your content has been walking the line lately, this might be your cue to dial it back. Common accidentally-broken guidelines include:

  • Reposting copyrighted material without permission or credit
  • Content that depicts graphic violence (that includes footage of news coverage) 
  • Ay kind of engagement-boosting bots (such as purchasing likes or followers)

Chances are you haven’t been breaking rules left and right. We’ll give you credit! Still, take a close look at your feed. Double-check that none of your content or activity could be interpreted as breaking the rules above. 

2. You’re Logging in With Too Many Different IP/MAC Addresses

When you log in to Instagram, the app detects your:

  • IP address (think: AKA your general location)
  • MAC address (think: the type of digital device you’re currently using).

How are these details relevant to getting locked out? Well, let’s say your social media team is scattered across the country like ours is. Instagram might see simultaneous login attempts from different locations as suspicious. The platform may then temporarily block you as a precaution.

3. Instagram Thinks You’re Engaging in Spammy Behavior

Instagram is pretty aggressive about identifying spam accounts. This is usually a good thing but not so much when legit accounts get caught in the middle.

If your account appears to be engaging rapidly in any action, you might be flagged as spam.  

These activities include:

  • Liking posts
  • Leaving comments
  • Following or unfollowing accounts en masse

If you engage in this type of behavior, Instagram could temporarily block you from these actions. You could get temporarily locked out of your account, too. This is why it’s important to build your following authentically and not take shortcuts!

Don’t recall getting carried away in a “liking” spree? Be sure to double-check any apps you may have connected to Instagram. Sometimes third-party apps will engage in this behavior without your knowledge. 

If you’ve ruled that out, talk with your team members. Figure out if your Instagram activity is overlapping. When a handful of team members are engaging with customers or making comments at the same time, you can see how this be viewed by the platform as spam.  

In this case, you may want to schedule specific times for team members to log into Instagram. Doing so will limit the number of possible actions being taken at a time.

For more information on what Instagram deems to be spammy behavior, check out our post on shadowbanning.

4. Your Third-Party Apps Might Be Misbehaving

Speaking of third-party apps, they can play a big role in your account getting flagged.

As mentioned above, if any apps connected to your Instagram account are doing anything at an inhuman rate — especially following and unfollowing accounts — this alerts Instagram of bot-like behavior. Even legitimate social scheduling tools have triggered this alert for us!

Another reason you may get this message: Instagram wants to protect you from phishing scams. If your username and password are used on a site that Instagram thinks may be skimming your personal information, the platform takes action. You’ll receive a pop-up upon login warning that your account could be compromised and you should change your password. 

How to Prevent Being Locked Out of Instagram in the Future

Maybe you’ve just returned from a temporary block.  

Or perhaps you’re paranoid about losing access to your Instagram account in the future.

Hey, we get it! 

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

This is the big one. Next time you open Instagram, plan ahead by making sure two-factor authentication is on. To check this, go into “Settings” on your account. 

   

Then, select “Security.” Tap on “Two-Factor Authentication” and ensure that it’s active. Also, double-check that the information you provided is still accurate.

 

   

While you’re there, tap on “Additional Methods” and then “Backup Codes.”

 

 

Here, you’ll find a set of recovery codes that look like a random string of numbers. These codes are unique to you and each can only be used once. 

Backup codes are lifesavers if you get locked out of your account and have no way to authenticate via text or email. Screenshot these and keep them in a safe place. Oh and do not share them with anyone outside of your social team.

For security purposes, we obviously had to block out our own backup codes. We promise you’ll see them on this screen instead of a big teal box!

Remove Extra Devices

To check the list of devices currently logged in to your account, navigate again to “Settings” and then “Security.” Tap on “Login Activity,” and you’ll see a list (and map) of all the devices and locations your account was recently accessed from. 

If you find a device that shouldn’t be there or someone forgot to log out, simply tap the three dots next to the device name to log them out remotely. See several unfamiliar devices on this page?  Update your password and continue monitoring to prevent future hacks.

Remove Third-Party Apps

Since Instagram has a habit of flagging accounts that have third-party apps connected, removing them can sometimes resolve this issue. You can start by reviewing all of the apps connected to your account and removing any old or unauthorized ones.  

To do this, under your “Security” settings, tap “Apps and Websites.” From here, you’ll have the option to disconnect any apps you wish. If you spot any unauthorized apps that weren’t connected by you or your team, change your password.

Unfortunately, even legitimate scheduling tools and grid planners can trigger a phishing message from Instagram. Don’t see any questionable apps connected to your account? Do your research and make sure any tools you’ve connected are verified and trustworthy. If it keeps happening frequently, try a more established and trustworthy tool. 

Limit Your Social Media Team’s Logins

As we mentioned above, logging in from too many different IP addresses or MAC addresses can cause Instagram to flag your account. 

If your marketing team is accessing your account from all over, consider streamlining the posting process to reduce that traffic. For example, designate one or two team members who do all the manual posting on the app. Then, have everyone else log out permanently.  

Sit down with your team and assess your posting needs. From there, figure out if you can limit the number of logins your account has on a daily basis. Alternatively, just create a schedule and stick to it. 

What to Do if Instagram Deactivates Your Account

“Ugh. Instagram locked me out again!”

Getting deactivated is frustrating. Trust us, we’ve been there.

In fact, we have plenty of firsthand experience on how to regain access to a locked Instagram account. Statusphere’s own Alexa Groat has dealt with deactivation twice.

Below is Alexa’s story of going from locked out to back in control of her account in a few hours:

“There was no reason behind it. I know this is not an uncommon issue for creators and brands. I’ve been locked out before. 

THANKFULLY I know the trick to getting your account back!

I started the recovery process at 8:30 AM. After chatting with someone from Instagram for about 15 minutes, I just had to wait for an update. That’s it! I was reactivated by noon which feels like record timing. 

I know some accounts never get reactivated. I think it’s because they don’t know how to efficiently get in touch with someone who can help.” 

The takeaways? Be patient, have a bit of faith and get in touch with the Instagram Help Center! Alexa noted that she followed the specific steps in this video to get her account back.

Bottom Line: Your Instagram Needs to Work!

Where you can’t live without Instagram or rely on it for business, getting locked out is bad news.

Hopefully the steps above can get you back into your account sooner rather than later.

And if you ever do get locked out again, don’t panic!

We see it happen all the time. It’s an especially big problem for businesses and brand teams that share Instagram accounts. 

When multiple employees are DMing customers or creators at the same time, Instagram can see that as a red flag. This results in a lockdown and brings your outreach efforts to a grinding halt.

Not ideal, right? If DMs or influencer outreach is giving you a headache, consider how you can avoid pitching people on Instagram altogether.

At Statusphere, we match your brand with influencers from our reliable network and get them ready to post about your products at the push of a button. No DMs, shipping or post tracking is required – we take care of it all. 

Want to know how the process works? Chat with one of our influencer marketing experts about your Instagram marketing goals and how we can help you meet them.

Originally published August 8, 2021. Last updated June 24, 2022.

“Your Account Has Been Temporarily Locked”

Instagram can temporarily lock your account for several reasons. The company will lock an account to protect user accounts, protect the platform, and encourage the best user experience. If you have tried to log into your account and received the “Your account has been temporarily locked” message. This article will review what might have prompted the message and how to get your account unlocked as quickly as possible.

We’ve also detailed some specific account activity that Instagram will deem suspicious then automatically lock your account.

Why Was My Instagram Account Locked?

Instagram will place a temporary lock on your account if they believe you have breached any of their user policies. The lock can happen even if you had nothing to do with the violation.

Here are the common activities that cause Instagram to issue an account lock:

1. Bot-Like Activity

Instagram is on the lookout for actions being performed too quickly per hour and per 24-hour period. The following acts performed at an unnaturally fast rate will be considered “bot activity” and trigger a temporary account lock:

Following and Unfollowing Users in Bulk

Typical Instagram conduct includes “following” someone, and they “follow” you straight back. To exploit this practice, one could “follow” hundreds of people at once, then once they’ve been “followed,” the person “unfollows” them.

Instagram will deem this bot behavior as humans using Instagram have agreed not to abuse the platform with such behavior.

Liking and Un-Liking Pictures Too Quick

Again, this would be considered bot behavior.

Scrolling through your feed and ‘liking” a couple of photos or so at an average pace is matched to typical human behavior. However, “liking” or “un-linking” a hundred pictures, for example, in a few minutes, can only be achieved by a program.

Commenting on Posts Too Quickly

The more comments you leave on people’s posts, the more engagement you get, and eventually, the more followers. Super-fast commenting on loads of posts will seem artificial to the Instagram algorithm.

Posting the Same Comment Multiple Times

Not only is it likely that this will not add value to a conversation, but it’s also not something that a user who is genuinely engaging with posts would do.

2. Use of Third-Party Apps

The use of some third-party applications on the Instagram platform is a breach of their Terms of Use. Not all apps are banned; there is an approval process for some apps to have access.

However, the types that help to automate actions are prohibited and easily detected by Instagram. Bots work against a great user experience, and since Instagram encourages this, any account suspected of using them will be locked.

3. Phished Account Credentials

Hackers can obtain your sign-in details using a fraudulent website. If you accidentally submitted your Instagram credentials by signing into a login screen that looked like Instagram’s sign-in screen but wasn’t, you may have given away your login details.

Since your account is compromised and hackers can do what they want, whatever they did has triggered a red flag with Instagram, and the platform responded with an account lock.

How To Unlock a Locked Instagram Account

To unlock your account when seeing the “Your Account Has Been Temporarily Locked” message at login, you need to submit the My Instagram account has been deactivated form:

  1. Go to the My Instagram account has been deactivated form or enter a “My Instagram account has been deactivated” search in Google, and choose the Facebook result.
  2. Complete the form, then enter the email address tied to the Instagram account you’re trying to unlock.
  3. Explain that your account was blocked by mistake, and you believe you haven’t violated the user guidelines.
  4. Once you’ve completed the form, click “Send.”
  5. You’ll eventually receive a reply requesting a photo of you holding up a piece of paper with the code they’ve sent you handwritten on it. Your picture must be natural with your face seen clearly with the paper– no Photoshop editing. Instagram is quite strict and may reject the photo if they believe it isn’t you.
  6. There is a waiting period after you’ve sent the photo.
  7. You’ll receive a confirmation from Instagram that your account has been unlocked. Approval times can take anywhere between a few days to a few weeks.

Additional FAQs

How long does an Instagram ban last?

The length of a temporary ban depends on your number of past bans and the causes of those bans. A typical duration could last from a few hours on the lighter side to 24-48 hours for repeated infractions.

If you receive subsequent bans, then the length may be further extended. Therefore, do your best to avoid bot-like behavior so your account doesn’t get flagged.

If you receive the “Your Account Has Been Temporarily Locked” message when trying to sign in, complete and submit a “My Instagram account has been deactivated form” to reinstate your account as soon as possible.

Does Instagram ban IP addresses?

Some platforms take banning very seriously. They don’t just ban the account; they want to permanently ban the user too. The only way to permanently ban a user is to restrict their device’s IP Address. Instagram has not issued any official statements on the subject, but many users have reported an IP ban.

Essentially, if Instagram deems that you have violated their Terms of Service or Community Guidelines, the company will ban your device along with your account.

What do I do if my appeal is denied?

If you followed the steps above and Instagram didn’t restore your account, you can process the appeal again. While not confirmed, there are some theories that a second or third appeal can work because another reviewer looked into your case.

If I get banned, can I create a new account?

In most cases, yes. But, beware that creating a new account with the same (or similar username) can result in an immediate ban of the new account.

Human Instagram Account Owners Only

An Instagram account is automatically locked whenever Instagram believes a user has breached its community guidelines. To create the best user experience, Instagram prohibits the use of most third-party apps. It will block any account displaying bot-like behavior or an account that exhibits irregular activity.

Luckily, unlocking your account is one form away. By completing a form and proving you are the human owner of the account, Instagram will recover your account as quickly as possible.

Has your account been mistakenly locked by Instagram? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

How to temporarily freeze your Instagram account from your phone and computer

Have you ever wanted to hide your Instagram* profile from everyone? Or remove it so that constant notifications do not interfere with work? In these cases, one thing stops - I don’t want to lose all the posts, correspondence, photos and likes. But an account on Instagram* can simply be frozen for a while and unfrozen when you need it.

Surely most Instagram users* at least once had a desire to delete their account. If you delete it completely, all publications with photos and videos, as well as Likes, comments and subscribers will disappear without the possibility of restoring everything. In such a case, Instagram* has developed an account freeze function - all likes and activities are saved and simply hidden. You can do this from a computer or with a little trick.

Why to freeze an account on Instagram*

There are different reasons for temporarily blocking a profile. It happens that the user wants to take a break from social networks, and constant notifications are annoying. Or someone just started a new profile and froze the old one. Perhaps there is no longer a need to maintain a company blog that used to bring leads and was popular. Or they decided to develop the blog in a different direction from the very beginning, but they don’t want to delete everything old.

If you just don't know what to write about in your blog, read our articles. If you need fresh ideas for posts, check out the article “What to write about on Instagram*: 20 timeless blog topics”. You need the right tools for the job – check out 15 Instagram Content Creation Tools*.

In any case, if you decide to freeze your account - your profile and its contents, all your actions on the site, comments and likes will not be deleted. They will be hidden until you restore your account. The main thing - do not forget the data from your account.

Instagram* has a condition. You can deactivate your account no more than once a week. This is a privacy setting to prevent users from using fake accounts.

If you are just tired of posting every day, you can do something simpler and at the same time more useful for the account and for its owner. Simply schedule many posts at once with the SMMplanner scheduling posting service. Prepare posts and go do other things - publications will be released on the days and hours assigned to them. And you can relax and find ideas for work somewhere else. When registering via the link to SMMplanner, you will get free access to all functionality for 2 weeks. If you were looking for an excuse to try automating work - here it is :–)

How to freeze your Instagram account* from the phone

If you still decide and are determined to temporarily freeze your Instagram profile* without losing your account, then here is a small instruction: to your Instagram profile* and click on the burger menu - 3 horizontal lines in the upper right corner. In the window that appears, select "Settings".

Settings menu

Next, click "Help" and after opening the next window - "Help Center".

Help Center

You have reached the Instagram Help Center*. Here you can find a lot of useful information both about the site itself and specifically about your profile.

But we are here to freeze your Instagram* account from your phone. Therefore, click on the burger menu and select "Account Management" in the new window.

"Delete account" menu

In the account management menu, select "Delete account". And if you have not yet changed your mind about freezing your profile, choose the help "How to temporarily disable your Instagram account *?" Otherwise, you can accidentally lose your profile completely.

How to temporarily disable your account

In the help that opens, select "Instagram.com in a browser on a mobile device."

Switching to the web version via smartphone browser

Click on the link and go to your page, which will open in your smartphone browser. Go to the main page of your profile, to do this, click on the profile photo in the lower right corner.

How to disable my account temporarily

Now click "Edit Profile" and scroll down the page to select "Temporarily disable my account".

Select the reason for the temporary ban

Remember that we are here to temporarily freeze your Instagram* account, not delete it completely. You don’t have to worry, you can restore your account at any time, but for now your publications, comments and likes will be hidden - only temporarily.

The system will ask: "Why did you decide to block your account?" You can choose any answer you like from the suggested ones. If you don't like any of the options, you can choose "Other" and write your answer. The system will accept any answer.

How to disable a profile

Enter your account password and click "Temporarily disable account".

Now you have a temporarily disabled account

It's not easy for Instagram* to let you go and ask you to think for a second: “You are going to temporarily disable your account. Proceed?" Choose the answer option, in our case it is “Yes”, and you get a frozen Instagram account*.

By the way, if you don't want to develop a new account, you can buy a ready-made one with live subscribers. Whether it is necessary and how profitable it is - read our article “Why buy an Instagram account* with live followers”.

How to freeze an Instagram account* from a computer

The procedure for freezing an Instagram profile* from a computer is the same as through a smartphone browser. You can freeze your account from the web version of Instagram* or through the official application pre-installed for PC.

We will do this using the "INSSIST|Web Assistant for Instagram*" extension from Google Chrome. This extension is useful for its functionality, it allows you to use Instagram from a computer and perform operations that are available in the official mobile application, but not available in the web version.

Extension « INSSIST|Web Assistant for Instagram*»

Click on your profile photo and then click on Edit Profile.

Disable account via Google Chrome extension

Then click on "Temporarily disable my account". After you have entered your password and answered the question "Why did you decide to block your account?", Click "Temporarily disable your account" and select "Yes".

That's it, your profile is temporarily frozen.

If you still have any problems, you can contact technical support. We wrote about the ways in which you can contact them in the article “4 Ways to Contact Instagram Technical Support*”. There we told how to do it without problems and delays and when to wait for a response from the company.

How to recover a frozen Instagram account*

If you are still afraid of the thought that you have frozen all your posts and likes, we hasten to reassure you. To restore a frozen account, just go to the Instagram application* and enter your username and password from your account.

You can also use any browser, go to the instagram.com website and enter your data in the same way as in the application. Everything is as usual. Enter your username and password and you're done. The page is active again.

Restoring a frozen profile

If you decide to restore your profile and sell goods or services through it, read the article “How to create an Instagram profile* for selling services”. In it, we told you how to prepare an account so that people understand what they can buy and why it should be done in your profile.

By the way, you can learn more about working with the Instagram platform*, advertising and everything else at the SMM.school courses. There you will be told how to run ads, create profile-appropriate content, promote your account, and more.

In conclusion

We have figured out how to temporarily freeze Instagram * without losing your account. With a flick of the wrist, an active Instagram profile * turns into a frozen one. The main thing in all this is not to lose your login and password, but it is better to write them down somewhere. Another option is to link your profile to Facebook*. Then the recovery process will be even faster.

More about Instagram*, the nuances of how the social network works, publishing content and creating it - in our blog.

How to delete an account on Instagram: instructions

Sometimes it is useful to take a break from social networks, but self-discipline allows this only to a few. Then deleting the profile comes to the rescue. We explain how to delete from Instagram permanently or temporarily, saving data

Since March 21, 2022, the social networks Facebook and Instagram have been banned in Russia by a court decision, and the Meta Platforms holding company that owns them has been recognized as an extremist organization and is also banned.

Some users notice that they devote too much time to managing their Instagram account to the detriment of work and personal affairs. Even the owner of Instagram, Meta, admitted in internal documents that its social networks have a negative impact on sleep, work, parenting, work productivity and personal life of approximately 12. 5% ​​of users. And scientists from the University of British Columbia found that users' own lives begin to seem insufficiently bright and interesting compared to what they see on Instagram.

Meanwhile, until the spring of 2022, the social network was consistently in the top 10 in terms of downloads in Russia and in the world. The international agency We Are Social estimated that in 2021 Instagram ranked fourth in our country in terms of the number of users (61.2% of Russian Internet users go there), and in total 67.8% of the Russian population (99 million people) use social networks. The average Russian spends 3 hours a day outside of work at the monitor or with a smartphone.

In November 2021, Instagram began testing the Take a Break feature. It will allow users to escape from the continuous viewing of the feed. In the settings, it will be possible to set reminders for breaks, for example, 10, 20 or 30 minutes. After that, the application will issue a warning about the need to rest. However, this feature has been opened to a limited number of users so far.

For now, everyone has the only alternative - to give up Instagram for a while or for good.

How to permanently delete an Instagram account

This option should be chosen when the profile is definitely no longer useful: for example, if we are talking about the account of a company that has closed.

Before deleting a profile, Instagram will offer to save data from it. To do this, you need to send a download request. After that, an email will be sent to your email within 48 hours with a link where you can download photos and videos. You can also request a copy of your data through the Instagram app for Android and iPhone. To do this, open the menu in the profile, go to the "Settings" - "Security" section and select the "Download data" item. Next, you will need to enter your email address and account password.

Download request from Instagram

Even after deleting the profile, it will be visible on the social network for another 30 days. During this time, the user can change his mind and restore the account. If within a month the owner of the profile has never logged into the system, then the account is permanently deleted.

In the web version

To delete a profile using a computer, you need to perform several steps:

  • go to the social network site and click on the "Help" button in the lower right corner;
  • go to the "Help Center" and select the line "Delete your account" in the left menu;
  • follow the link suggested in the article;
  • specify the reason why the profile is being deleted;
  • confirm the action by entering a password.

From a smartphone

To delete an Instagram profile using your phone, you need to take more steps:

  • enter your profile in the application and click on "Settings";
  • in the menu that appears, select the line "Help" and go to the "Help Center";
  • on the page that opens, select the item "Manage your account";
  • in the search bar enter the query "Delete profile";
  • go to the article "How to delete your Instagram account";
  • follow the link in the article;
  • indicate the reason for deleting the account and enter the page password.

How to temporarily delete an Instagram account

The user can also stop using Instagram for any period and then restore the page. However, you can do this no more than once a week. A temporarily deleted profile is not visible to other users of the social network. To restore it, you just need to log into the application.

In the web version

To temporarily deactivate your profile using a computer, you must perform the following steps:

  • go to the social network site under your account;
  • click on the profile photo and select "Settings" in the menu that opens;
  • at the bottom of the page, click on the link "Temporarily disable my account";
  • on the page that opens, indicate the reason for the temporary disconnection and enter the account password.

From the phone

As in the case of the "perpetual" deletion, temporary blocking of Instagram will require more steps:

  • go to your profile;
  • go to the "Settings" section and select the "Help" item;
  • in the menu that appears, click on the line "Help Center";
  • on the support page, open the "Manage your account" item;
  • in the search bar, enter "Temporarily disable";
  • go to the article "How to delete your Instagram account";
  • click on the link "How to temporarily disable your account" and find the article "Instagram. com website from a mobile browser";
  • click on the link in the first paragraph of the instructions and go to the mobile browser;
  • on the main page of the account, click on the "Edit profile" button;
  • select the link "Temporarily disable my account" at the bottom of the page.

Is it possible to delete a blocked Instagram account

To delete your account, you need to know your username and password. A forgotten password can be reset using an email address, phone number, or Facebook account. If the user does not have access to the email address specified during registration, and his Instagram and Facebook accounts are not linked, then the support service will not be able to provide access to the account.

In the event that an Instagram account has been blocked by the social network itself, its owner will see a corresponding message when logging in. He can appeal this decision. To do this, you need to open the app, enter your username and password, and then follow the instructions on the screen.

Learn more