Why can’t I follow people on Instagram?

Everything is just going fine. You gain some new friends on Instagram. This feels so cool, and suddenly, you see that you are unable to follow people on Instagram. Does this make your mood sour? And it feels very strange thinking about why I cannot follow people on Instagram.

You keep on looking for reasons and trying again and again. But, nothing works! Then this blog is for you, here, you can figure out all the possible reasons why Instagram is not letting you follow people. The problem might seem big, but just trust us. By following our simple solutions, you can easily overcome this.

How to follow people on Instagram?

Instagram is very user-friendly, and following someone on Instagram is straightforward and quick.

1. Go to the profile that you want to follow.
2. Click on “Follow.”

Note:

If it is a private account, you can only request a follow.

What happens when you follow someone on Instagram?

There are two types of accounts on Instagram.

1. Private
2. Public

Why can’t I follow people on Instagram?

Let us discuss why you can’t follow people on Instagram.  We will also look at the solutions one by one.

1. You have a weak internet connection

Sometimes, while traveling or having a bad network, the connection gets weaker. You do not get an immediate idea about it. But it suddenly appears that many functions in Instagram are not working. This could include Instagram’s “follow” button.

Solution: You can restart your phone or check your net connection.

2. You have exceeded your follow limit on Instagram.

Have you wondered how many people you can follow on Instagram? Yes, there is a limit on everything, and Instagram has a follow limit; you can follow up to 7500 people on Instagram.

Some websites also claim you can follow only 60 people in one hour on Instagram.

Solution: You can unfollow one or two people on Instagram in order to follow new people.

3. Instagram doubts that you are a bot, robot, or spam

When you follow too many people on Instagram or start making too many accounts with one email, Instagram assumes that you are a robot and restricts you for this reason.

 Solution:

1. If you are using a bot or automation, stop using it.
2. Authenticate yourself, log out of Instagram, and log in again by giving your login details.
3. Do not follow too many accounts at one time.
4. Don’t repeatedly post identical comments across different accounts in a short period. Do not like too many accounts in a short period.
5. Avoid posting duplicate, stolen, or outdated content.
6. Do not tag too many people or random people in your content.
7. Do not install any 3rd party app to increase followers.
8. Do not put spammy links in your bio.

Also, do not behave like a bot, posting generic things like “nice,” “good,” etc., on all posts to bring engagement.

4. You have not updated your Instagram app

Instagram keeps bringing new updates every time. If you have not updated the app for a long time, many things might not work properly in the app, including the follow button.

Solution:

1. You can go to the Play Store and manually update the app.
2. You can turn on auto updates in your Google Play Store (Android devices) or ensure the app updates toggle is on for Apple devices.

5. The account that you are trying to follow is not present on Instagram

There may be no error from your side, but the other side’s user has an error

1. They have changed their names on Instagram
2. They have temporarily or permanently deactivated their Instagram.

Note:

If the person has blocked you, you will not be able to find their account on Instagram.

Solution:

First, you should check whether the account is present or not. Refer to your friends, and tell your friends to check the account. Whether they can access the account or not, if they too cannot, then the user is not present on Instagram or has changed their username on Instagram.

6. There is a glitch on Instagram

Although Instagram successfully handles so many users on its platform, it is possible that temporary errors occur. And these can occur in any time.

Solution:

1. You can clear your cache.
2. First, you can uninstall your Instagram. If it does not get uninstalled, then you can force-stop it
3. Next, you can reinstall it and log in again.

7. Instagram has noticed any safety issues

If you are using a VPN, and your location changes continuously, then Instagram will doubt your identity and restrict your account.  

Solution-

You should stop using a VPN for some days, and even if you use it, do not change the location frequently.

What if nothing works?

There is no need to panic if nothing works. You can contact Instagram help to allow you to follow others.

1. Open your Instagram, go to the hamburger icon

2. Scroll down and go to “Help.”

You can also try logging into your account from a new device; this would help with authentication.

FAQs

1. Why can I not see people I follow on Instagram?

You cannot see people you follow on Instagram for many reasons.

1. There could be a glitch in the Instagram app, or your internet connection could be slow
2. The Instagram app might be outdated; you can update the app
3. The person might have blocked you
4. The person might have temporarily or permanently deactivated the Insta account.

2. Why cannot I follow people back on Instagram?

There are several reasons why you cannot follow people back on Instagram.

1. You might have crossed the following limit on Instagram: (Instagram allows you to follow 7500 people only)
2. Due to some activity, Instagram might have suspected you and restricted you from following others
3. There could be a glitch in the Instagram app, or the network connectivity could be slow.
4. Try rectifying these mistakes and then try again.

3. How long does Instagram restrict you from following?

Instagram temporarily restricts you for 24 hours; however, in some cases, Instagram might limit you for a more extended period of days. In this case, you can

1. You can reauthenticate yourself by logging in again and providing your details.
2. You can also contact Instagram Help and appeal to them to remove the restriction.

4. It shows, “You can’t follow accounts right now; Instagram restricts certain activity.” Why?

This notification shows that Instagram thinks you are a bot or spam.

1. You should stop activities on your account, such as liking, following, or commenting.
2. You should remove any 3rd party apps that you have installed for Instagram.
3. You should not act like a bot, like following too many people at once, liking too many posts, or commenting on the same things on many videos.
4. Remove any suspicious or malicious content or links from your bio or account.

5. How to fix restricted activity on Instagram?

You can analyze your recent activity and posts. Suppose there is anything that has violated Instagram’s policies and guidelines.

In that case, you can try removing that post or stop doing that activity.

You can also go to Instagram help and appeal to Instagram to stop restricting you.

Key Takeaway

After all, Instagram is a social media platform, and sometimes few errors and glitches occur. The good thing is, after reading this blog, you must have figured out why you cannot follow people on Instagram.

It is said, knowledge is power. Now you have the power, and you can stay calm.

Also, if you face any other problems with Instagram, you can keep exploring our blogs about it.

The most important thing is not to behave irresponsibly on Instagram by violating guidelines or acting like a bot. Like the real world, Instagram should be a safe and happy place for everyone.