If you want to keep your Instagram feed relevant, you should follow your friends, family, and every account with enjoyable content. But how can you do that if you tap Follow and nothing happens?
If you’re having trouble following someone on Instagram, we’ve put together a list of possible reasons and how to fix it.
1. Your Network Connection Is Faulty
There’s a chance that Instagram is working as usual, but you’re dealing with an unstable internet connection. In this case, you’ll notice more problems such as the inability to reload the feed, send messages, or add new posts.
Until you fix your connectivity issues, there’s not much you can do to follow new accounts. You could try to reset your router or switch to a different network.
2. You’ve Reached the Follow Limit on Instagram
In an attempt to fight bots and spam messages, Instagram has set a limit on how many people you can follow.
According to Instagram's Help Center, you can’t follow more than 7,500 people. If you try to follow one more account, Instagram will show you an error message. So, you’ll have to unfollow someone on Instagram before you can follow a new account.
Even if you haven’t reached the limit of 7,500 followed accounts, there’s one more limitation you have to pay attention to. You can’t perform more than 60 actions (follow or unfollow) per hour.
So, taking a break from Instagram should fix the problem.
3. The Person You Want to Follow Blocked You
Did the person you want to follow block you on Instagram? You can try following a different account to check if the problem persists. If everything works as usual, the other person might’ve blocked you on Instagram.
Even if the app doesn’t send a notification when this happens, you can still find ways to check if someone blocked you on Instagram.
4. You Need to Re-Authenticate Your Account
There’s a chance you can’t follow new accounts on Instagram due to an authentication error. Fortunately, you can fix the issue by logging out and logging back in. Head to your profile and tap the menu in the top-right corner. Then, head to Settings > Log out.
Sign back in and check if the problem is now fixed.
5. The Instagram App Is Glitchy
A temporary glitch might be the reason why you can’t follow new accounts on Instagram. In this case, restart the app and check for any updates available. Additionally, head to Google Play Store or App Store and check if there’s a new version available.
Also, you should delete the app’s cache data. If the data exceeds the storage limit or gets corrupted, it will impact the app’s functionality. You can clear an app's cache on an Android device, but if you own an iOS device, you’ll have to reinstall the Instagram app.
6. Instagram Blocked Your Account
As we’ve mentioned, Instagram is doing its best to keep away bots. If you’ve followed and unfollowed multiple accounts to gain followers, your account may be flagged for suspicious activity by the Instagram algorithm.
The same goes if you’ve used third-party apps to speed up boring tasks such as following and unfollowing accounts, liking or saving other people’s posts, or commenting on them.
So, if you’ve used this type of app, Instagram might block or even ban your account. If you suspect you’re already in trouble for suspicious activity, you can check if you have broken Instagram’s rules.
In addition to this, Instagram might block your account if you’re logged into your account on multiple devices from different locations. While it’s normal to use the same account on your phone, computer, or tablet, Instagram might red-flag your activity due to multiple locations.
7. You’re Using a VPN
If you’ve set up a VPN connection, Instagram might notice different IP addresses and flag your account for unusual activity. This will restrict several features on your account, including the ability to follow other Instagram accounts.
The same goes for using Instagram at the same time on mobile and desktop.
8. Instagram Servers Are Down
Maybe you can’t follow people on Instagram because the servers are down. Go to Downdetector and check if other users have reported the same issue. In this case, there’s nothing you can do except wait.
Enjoy Your Favorite Instagram Content
Sometimes, it isn’t that easy to figure out why you can’t follow new accounts on Instagram. The worst-case scenario is the other person already blocked you, so there’s nothing you can do until they unblock you.
But if Instagram servers are down, you should make the most out of it and take a break from social media.