It’s a fine morning, and you have opened your Instagram app only to see a message saying, “Try again later. We limit how often you can do certain things on Instagram, like following people, to protect our community. Tell us if you think we made a mistake.”
Sounds frustrating, doesn’t it? You are sitting there with your smartphone, wondering what you did wrong. In most cases, it is a temporary glitch fixed within a day. However, in some cases, the limit can last longer.
If you are new to Instagram and want to get out of this debacle, we have you. This article will walk you through all the limitations Instagram imposes and how to fix them.
Table of Contents
Understanding the limitations of Instagram
Irrespective of what you think, Instagram limitations can happen at any point in time. It doesn’t matter if your account is one-day old or one-year-old; if you don’t follow the community guidelines, you will receive this message.
When exploring the limitations, be assured that the list is fairly extensive. There’s a lot at stake. So, to get yourself out of these limitations, you first need to understand what these limitations are.
Following are the limitations you are likely going to experience on Instagram:
Causes of Frequency Limits
1. Posting Content
Like all the other social media platforms, even Instagram is particular about the content it hosts. So, if you post anything that violates their community guidelines, be assured that you will be taken down, and your actions on Instagram will become limited.
You can find a list of all the “forbidden” content that Instagram flags and deletes. If posting content along those lines, you should stop before Instagram limits your content posting.
2. Following/Unfollowing
Another limitation of Instagram is the people you can follow and unfollow. The daily limit for following/unfollowing on Instagram is 200.
So, if you end up following or unfollowing more than 200 people daily, Instagram will flag your account as spam or a robot and limit your activity. This issue is common with newer Instagram accounts, so keep that in check.
Also read: How To Hide Followers On Instagram
3. Liking Posts and Commenting
If you mindlessly scroll through Instagram and like and comment on posts, you must be careful about the frequency. On average, the daily limit for likes is 1000, and for comments is 200.
If you are chronically on Instagram liking every post, you might hit the limit and get your account flagged by Instagram.
Also read: How to See Posts You’ve Liked on Instagram (2022)
4. Captions and Comments Character
Instagram is more about pictures and videos. So, if you are focusing on writing long paragraphs on your Instagram, be assured there’s a limit to that.
Instagram captions can fit 2200 characters, which is more than enough for a longer text-based caption. Try to avoid overdoing things with each post.
5. Direct Messages
Limitations are imposed on the number of direct messages you can send to people. The reason behind this restriction is to detect spam accounts. At present, users can send a maximum of 80 DMs per day.
If you cross that limit frequently, Instagram will flag your account, limit the activities on your account, and might permanently close it too.
6. Hashtags
We all know that adding relatable hashtags is a great way to promote your post. However, how much is too much? Adding too many unrelatable hashtags to your post can get you in trouble on Instagram.
If you want to organically reach people, limit the hashtag usage to a maximum of five. Always use relevant hashtags instead of the ones that are “popular.”
Types of Frequency Limits
Many people believe that Instagram deletes people’s accounts randomly and without warning.
That’s not true at all. If you violate their community guidelines and do not work within the mentioned limits, Instagram starts with a warning. During this period, your activities are generally limited temporarily.
Failing to fix your ways and continuing the same issues consistently on Instagram will permanently remove your account.
To be fair, several ways exist to detect whether Instagram has limited your actions on the platform. Firstly, you’d be notified about the same when you open the account. Secondly, you will find that your user experience on the platform is affected drastically.
Tips To Fix Frequency Limitations on Instagram
Several factors contribute to why your account activity could be improved on Instagram. So, if you wish to fix the error and limitation, identifying the “WHY” is crucial.
Once you know why your Instagram account is limited, you can follow through with one of the following fixes:
1. Check your Account Behavior
We listed down some of the potential causes that lead to account limitation on Instagram. If your account is currently limited, identifying where you violated the community guidelines is the first step.
Was it the uncontrolled likes and comments or the unrelatable hashtags you used? Whatever it is, cross-checking the account behavior is essential. It gives you a glimpse into the issue and helps you avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.
Start by checking the type of content you are posting or your interactions with other Instagram accounts.
2. Change the Password
This might seem ineffective, but it does help out in multiple ways. Changing the password resets the Instagram account, enabling you to fix the limitations you were experiencing beforehand.
If you habitually chronically like people’s posts and cross 1000 likes in a day, this hack works. When you change your password, it resets the account and saves you from the 24-hour limitation.
Visit Settings > Security > Login Security > Password to change your Instagram account password.
3. Wait things Out
Sometimes, there’s nothing you can do but wait. Most of the time, the limitation lasts for 24-48 hours, which isn’t too bad.
If you aren’t using Instagram too much or have a separate burner account you can use, switch to using that for the time being until your primary account is back in business.
4. Report to Instagram Support
If the limitation isn’t due to something you have done, you can report the same to Instagram, and they will review the issue and resolve the problem.
However, we’d recommend that you only consider this fix if you are 100% sure the error isn’t on your part.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Open Settings on your Instagram profile
- Navigate to Help.
- Tap on Report a Problem.
- From the list of options, click on the last one.
- You will be redirected where you need to explain the issue.
- Once done, click Submit.
From there, it is a waiting game. Instagram is fast with its resolutions, so your limitation should be revoked if you haven’t done anything wrong.
5. Opt for Third-Party Apps
If you want to distance yourself from Instagram but don’t want to compromise your posting schedule, we recommend relying on third-party tools.
There are several scheduling and automation tools available online. These will help you schedule your posts and automatically post them without being online on the platform.
When you aren’t chronically scrolling through Instagram, it allows you to abide by Instagram’s rules and not get your account limited.
How Long Does the Instagram Limit Last?
The temporary block on Instagram, which is the most common issue, lasts for up to 24 hours. This means that if you violate any of the standard guidelines by Instagram, your account will be locked for 24 hours.
You can switch to a backup account or not use Instagram during that period. Also, temporary blocks are a warning. If you keep repeating the mistakes, the temporary block will turn permanent, thereby removing your account from the platform for good.
Conclusion
Need help figuring out how to get yourself out of the Instagram block and limitations? We hope this article answers all your questions in detail. Situations like these can result from spending most of your day on Instagram. So, consider taking a break, re-evaluating the content you are posting, and getting a digital detox.
