Following people helps you connect with new users and establish your IG network. But if you’re busy wondering, “Why is Instagram not letting me follow people?” you won’t be able to grow. In this blog, we’ll show you why Insta limits your follows and how to get around this.
Why Is Instagram Not Letting Me Follow People? 7 Most Common Reasons
Whether it’s a specific page or the whole site, IG might stop you from following users. There are a number of possible culprits for this, some of which involve Insta’s own issues. Here are a few reasons for Instagram limiting activity like this:
- Server issues: Like any site or app, Instagram’s servers may go down. Check websites such as Down Detector. These show if it’s just you — or if others report the same error.
- Connection problems: It’s possible IG isn’t responsible at all. In fact, the issue might be with your internet connection. Check if your device is still able to access other sites.
- Daily follow limits: If you follow too many people, Instagram might cap your profile. You will likely run into this once you follow more than 200 Instagram users in one day.
- Bot-like behavior: Similarly, suspicious activity such as mass following IG users can trip the platform’s alarms. The site might put you in a 48-hour “time out” as a precaution.
- Account limits: Your account can only follow 7,500 users in total. Instagram claims this is to reduce spam. If you reach this limit, it’s worth clearing out your following list.
- IP issues: If someone else on your IP address looks suspicious to Instagram, your page might also suffer. Insta may limit you in case you’re the other user’s backup account.
- Blocks: Even when an account blocks you, you may still be able to see their profile. But if you try to follow them, pressing the follow button simply won’t work whatsoever.
What Is the ‘You Can’t Follow Accounts Right Now’ Instagram Error?
Sometimes, trying to follow anybody will flag up this error message. Users report this happening out of nowhere, even with a new account. Sudden bursts of activity typically put Instagram’s bot detectors on edge. This means even your first follow spree could look like suspicious behavior.
While IG’s daily limit is 200 follows, even this varies. For example, if you haven’t used your account for a while, suddenly following 100 profiles might seem unusual. If Instagram limits your follows, this should go away after a day or two, barring technical issues.
When your page has a limit like this, you might worry in case Insta closes your account. But this just means you’ll need to be more careful with your follows in the future. If you still can’t follow anyone on Instagram after a few days, contact IG’s customer support.
How Does Instagram Spot Suspicious Accounts?
Insta is always on the lookout for spambots and suspicious users. Every day, they carry out “bot purges” to kill fake accounts. This shouldn’t happen to you, however, even if IG limits you. You’ll hopefully be able to follow people again in a matter of days.
You’ll likely be wondering, “Why won’t Instagram let me follow people when I’m not a bot?”. This is because even if you aren’t a bot account, IG tries to cut down on automated tools. These help users mass follow (or spam follow) profiles, then unfollow anyone who doesn’t follow back.
Limiting follows is a simple way to stop people from abusing Insta’s own features. However, this does catch innocent users in the crossfire. If you can’t follow accounts right now, Instagram might see your profile as a potential spammer.
What To Do When You Can’t Follow Anyone on Instagram
Even if you can’t follow people, there are still ways to support them or build up your network. It’s worth treating a follow limit as a chance to take a break. But there are still ways to fix the error and keep up with other users. Here are a few examples:
- Post a comment: Insta users reward great content with followers, likes, and more. If you can’t follow a user whose posts you like, leave them a positive IG comment instead.
- Bookmark the user’s posts: If you can’t follow someone, you might worry about being unable to find them again. Bookmark one of their posts so you can go back to it.
- Reach out via DMs: You can similarly choose to build new connections via Insta’s direct messages. If this starts with them following you, explain why you can’t follow back.
- Uninstall third-party apps: Are you using an automated IG tool? This may lead to your Insta having unusual activity. Uninstall these, or your follow limits will last even longer.
- Check if it’s everyone: Try following different accounts in case it’s just one profile you can’t follow. This could mean the account in question blocked you or is deactivated.
- Wait and see: In nearly all cases, an IG follow limit is temporary. If you’re left wondering, “Why won’t Instagram let me follow someone?” you might just have to wait a day.
Why Is Instagram Limiting Activity From Real Users?
Like any social media site, Insta works hard to build a fair playing field. Automation tools and bot followers get in the way of this, however. For example, spam accounts could follow hundreds of people in minutes. Without a built-in site-wide limit, these accounts would run rampant.
A natural question here is, “Why can’t I follow accounts on Instagram despite proving I’m real?” The answer is, unfortunately, that Insta doesn’t like taking chances. Even real accounts can use special bot-like tools to mass follow people. This still poses a problem for IG’s fairness.
Even without any bots or automation tools, mass following goes against Insta’s aims. Real users still use this to spam people. This is often just a ploy to get more followers in return. Instagram’s goal is to foster genuine connections. Inauthentic activity will make this a lot harder for users.
You’ll never get organic growth with bots or auto-follow tools. If you want to build your Instagram network quickly, however, you can buy real followers. This doesn’t violate any of the site’s terms.
Why Can’t I Follow More People on Instagram?
If you follow 7,500 people, you can’t add more users. Some people do follow more than this, but only because they did so before Instagram added this limit. It might simply be that there are a lot of accounts you want to keep up with. But it’s still worth going over your following list.
Unfollowing users helps you free up space on your account. The more people you unfollow, the less time it will be before you have to go through the list again. Think carefully about which Insta accounts you won’t miss on your feed. The only alternative to this is making a second page.
Similarly, going over the 200 a day limit puts a temporary lock on your follows. Be more cautious with who you follow and only connect with trusted accounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
[FAQ] How long does Instagram restrict you from following?
Instagram’s restrictions only last for a short period of time, usually one or two days. If you’re still unable to follow anyone after five days, contact IG support.
[FAQ] Why is Instagram restricting me from following someone?
If it’s one specific account you can’t follow, they might have blocked you. This sometimes leaves their page partially visible. However, you still won’t be able to follow them.
[FAQ] Why am I unable to send follow requests on Instagram?
If you can’t send follow requests to any private account, Instagram may simply have a glitch. But if it’s just one account, they might have blocked you.
[FAQ] Why can’t I follow more people on Instagram as a new account?
Instagram encourages new accounts to follow people in their niche right away. But following too many people still looks suspicious. Some people even report this kicking in at far fewer than 200 follows.
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