With the rise of social media also came new ways of harassment and bullying. But, Meta is cracking hard against these supposed problems and the same goes for user privacy on Instagram as well. For a better user experience, Instagram allows users to limit comments on their Reels, Stories, and Posts. Here is a guide on how to limit comments across Instagram and manage them.
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How Limiting Comments Affects Your Instagram
To safeguard user interests, Instagram has an option that limits a group of accounts which can be people who either don’t follow you or who’ve recently started following you within the last 1 week.
Enabling Limits can have a host of privacy improvements on your Instagram profile.
On Reels, Stories, and Posts
Any comments made by the limited users would be hidden by default and won’t be visible to anybody except you. Then you can choose to let them stay hidden from everybody or make them visible if they’re from someone known. Any direct messages sent by the limited users would also be hidden by default and you won’t get any notification for these messages either.
On Live
You can also limit these users to commenting on your Live. After enabling limits when you post your Live as a story, you get an option to hide that story from specific users. Just search for the username of the concerned person and they won’t be able to view what you shared in your Live as a story.
How to Limit Someone on Instagram
We will be using an Android as an example here but the UI is pretty simple across all platforms and all options would be present under the same settings and sections.
1. To enable Limits, open the Instagram app on your smartphone and tap on the Profile icon at the bottom right.
2. Tap on the kebab menu icon, and select Settings.
3. Then, tap on Privacy under Instagram Settings and look for Limits in the Interactions section.
4. Tap on Continue and you’ll see options for Who to limit. Keep these toggles enabled or disabled as per need.
5. Set the duration of the Limits under How long to limit section. For reference, we’ve set it as 1 week but you can set it to a maximum of 4 weeks. Now, tap on Turn On to enable the said option.
When to Limit Users on Instagram
Here are some scenarios to help you understand the possible use cases of this feature.
Generally used when people hate-comment or troll you even after your intimation to not do so. It can keep you worry-free and away from this unnecessary stress.
Limits:
It acts as a screen between you and the user who is limited from commenting on Instagram with only limited access to your content. So they can communicate with you but only if you allow them to do so.
Restrict:
It sets the restricted user as an entity in a separate space from you where any likes or comments from them won’t be shown to you. Any noise they make will be sent back to them only.
Block:
It completely removes the person from your Instagram user base as if the user doesn’t exist. If you’ve blocked someone then they can’t find you or contact you anywhere on Instagram.
Report:
It is for when a certain user or groups of users do not abide by the community guidelines set by Instagram and are in any way abusive, misleading, or offensive. If so, they can be reported to Instagram. If you’re experiencing bullying or some online harassment as classified by Instagram under Community Guidelines then we strictly recommend you to report it.
For a detailed comparison, we recommend you also read Instagram block vs report vs restrict, when to use them, and how.
FAQs
1. Can you hide your Instagram comments from someone without blocking them?
Yes, You can restrict the user and hide your comments on Instagram from them.
2. Can a blocked profile see my comments on Instagram?
No, a blocked person won’t be able to see your comments on Instagram.
3. How many times can I extend Limits on Instagram?
Currently, there’s no limit on the number of times you can Limit your profile on Instagram. Also, once you’re near the expiration of a set Limits timeline, you can further extend it for up to 4 weeks.
4. Do I get any notification when Limits are about to expire on my Instagram?
Yes. Instagram will notify you in the form of a notification once the Limits are about to expire.
Limit Access to Your Life
The ability to notify everyone of your new-found pet or new achievement sounds great and all but you should be prepared for and be ready to take action in scenarios like cyberbullying, abuse, stalking, etc. This is a serious matter that needs to be notified to the correct authorities if need be. However, it is good that Instagram allows users to be proactive and take remedial measures like limiting access to comments on reels, stories, and live.
Do you know what happens when you restrict someone on Instagram? Learn now.
