Following people is an essential part of the Instagram experience, just like liking posts, commenting, sharing stories, and sending DMs. It is how you discover new creators, stay connected with friends, and build your own audience. But sometimes you tap the Follow button, and nothing happens — or worse, you see an error saying you can’t follow people on Instagram. This can be frustrating, especially if you are actively trying to engage or grow your account.
When you can’t follow, unfollow, like, or post, it is often related to Instagram’s updated algorithms and automated security systems. To reduce spam, bots, and abusive behavior, Instagram places limits on the number of actions users can perform within a certain time. If your account triggers these limits — by following too fast, acting like automation software, or breaking community rules — Instagram may temporarily block actions on your profile. Sometimes the issue also comes from bugs, poor internet connection, outdated app versions, or account verification problems.
In this guide, we will walk through the most common reasons behind the “Can’t Follow People on Instagram” error and show you practical ways to fix it. You’ll learn what action blocks are, how long they usually last, and how to avoid triggering them again in the future. We will also cover key steps such as checking your account status, updating the app, clearing cache, reviewing third-party apps, and adjusting your activity behavior.
If your goal is to grow your Instagram presence safely, it’s also important to focus on organic engagement strategies rather than aggressive mass-following. By understanding how Instagram’s system works and applying the fixes discussed here, you can restore normal functionality and continue using the platform without interruptions.
What is an Instagram action blocked error?
Instagram action blocked is an error that appears when the Instagram algorithm detects spammy activities and prevents the account from performing any actions, including posting, following, commenting, liking, or direct messaging, for some time. Any unusual activities on an Instagram account, including logging in from different devices or different IPs, following people in sequence more than a certain number, and also liking posts more than a certain number, can be blocked.
Action blocked is an error that occurs when a person exceeds the number of following, liking, or commenting on others’ Instagram accounts.
How to fix the Instagram action blocked error?
If Instagram has already blocked your actions, you should wait for some time (from a few hours to a few days). The best way to prevent being banned on Instagram is to control your actions to engage in natural activities. You should follow no more than 200 accounts in a day, and also divide this number between day’s hours. For example, follow or like people’s posts no more than 10 in an hour.
The following are some of the other tips to fix the action blocked on Instagram.
Spy on Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, LINE, Telegram, Tinder and other social media apps without knowing; Track GPS location, text messages, contacts, call logs and more data easily! 100% safe!
- Not doing any actions until the error is fixed
- Changing the IP address,
- using mobile data instead of Wifi
- Connecting Instagram accounts to other social media networks
- Use Instagram help
On November 19, 2018, Instagram announced in its blog about Reducing Inauthentic Activity on Instagram, that it decided to limit third-party actions, and as you can see, the trends were rising about Instagram alternatives. However, it seems that they soon changed it. This action limits not only Instagram users but also all small businesses and influencers who are using Instagram for business purposes. The question remains, we all know that there are thousands of old companies having many followers, how about new companies joining Instagram? And also, is there any interest behind the limitation of this action for Instagram itself?
Why can’t I follow people on Instagram?
The Instagram algorithm is changing, and the newest Instagram strategy is to limit the actions of small businesses and accounts on Instagram. Because of this, they have limited the number of likes & followers of other accounts. You might get banned by Instagram because you have exceeded the number of followers or likes daily.
However, this will ruin the popularity of Instagram shortly, and people will move to other apps like Instagram. Here are the Google Trends for Instagram alternatives. As you see, the search for Instagram alternatives is increasing, and even Google is estimating that people will look for other options instead of Instagram in the coming days.
There were the same trends for Facebook, and soon it lost its popularity, all small businesses, and people who could not request to get new friends or followers, moved to Instagram because of its freedom to get new followers and fans. However, the future of Instagram is at risk with its new algorithm.
I can not follow people on Instagram. How to fix it?
However, we have researched the newest Instagram algorithm, and we found that the limit of following on Instagram daily is 200 users only. The critical point is you need to plan it to be random, which makes it natural, and Instagram won’t ban you.
Another vital matter is mixing the actions regarding new followers and old followers. If you are using an Instagram Bot, you can pause the activities, wait for 2 hours, and go back to your profile and do some activities manually for old users, like & comment. Then go back to your account and continue with it. The mixture of acting for all followers makes it a healthy one, and it shows the natural trends for your account.
Discussion on the Instagram action block
On November 19, 2018, Instagram announced in its blog about Reducing Inauthentic Activity on Instagram, that it decided to limit third-party actions, and as you can see, the trends were rising about Instagram alternatives. However, it seems that they soon changed it. This action limits not only Instagram users but also all small businesses and influencers who are using Instagram for business purposes.
The question remains, we all know that there are thousands of old companies having many followers, how about new companies joining Instagram? And also, is there any interest behind the limitation of this action for Instagram itself? The same trends occurred a few months ago in February Instagram changed its algorithm, but this action would have ruined the popularity of this social media if it hadn’t changed the algorithm.
If you have any feedback about this new algorithm, you can share it on this page:
https://downdetector.com/status/instagram
How useful was this post?
Click on a star to rate it!
Average rating / 5. Vote count:
