A dark cloud hangs over Instagram, making innocent profiles seem invisible. Engagement disappears overnight. Hashtags become useless. Followers leave in large numbers. These are signs that you might be a victim of the infamous Instagram shadowban.
This ban lets you still use your account, but your content is hidden. Your page is still there, but it’s hard to get people to see your posts, interact with them, or gain new followers because of the algorithm.
The reasons for shadowbanning are unknown. Maybe you used too many hashtags, promoted yourself too much, or got in trouble for having fake followers. Regardless, once you’re in this social media blackout, your posts go unnoticed, hashtags lose their power, and your growth stops.
But if your account is in this dark place, there are ways to fix it. Review and improve your hashtags, stop doing spammy things, and focus on making valuable content without too many ads or automation. Basically, be a real and active member of the Instagram community, and the algorithm will reward you instead of hiding you.
What Is The Shadowban?
Instagram likes to hide when it punishes people. This has led to rumors of the “shadowban” – a secret suspension where the platform quietly hides your content without telling you. This sneaky move ensures that only your most dedicated followers see your posts in their feed. Hashtags and locations lose their ability to bring in search traffic overnight.
Even though you still have access to Instagram, this secret quarantine effectively banishes you from the social media world. Your reach drops significantly, new followers can’t find you, and your notifications are empty.
Instagram denies any knowledge of shadowbanning. However, the decrease in likes, comments, shares, followers, and visibility of hashtags and locations suggest that these secret attacks are real.
If your stats suddenly drop, check if you’ve been promoting too much, spamming, using fake followers, or using other tactics that break the rules. Fixing these issues could convince Instagram to release your account from social media isolation. Stay within the rules so you don’t have to worry about shadows and sneaky algorithms affecting your feed’s future.
Am I Shadowbanned?
If you think you’ve been shadowbanned on Instagram, watch for these signs. Instagram won’t tell you if you’re banned, so it’s up to you to look for unusual activity on your account. Here are some signs that may indicate a shadowban:
1. Engagement decrease: If you see a big drop in likes, comments, or overall interaction on your posts, it could signal a shadowban.
2. Less visibility in hashtags: Shadowbanned accounts often show up less in hashtag searches. If your posts aren’t appearing in hashtag feeds or reaching new audiences through hashtags, there may be a problem.
3. Sudden loss of followers: A sudden, unexplained drop in your follower count could be related to a shadowban.
4. Limited reach to new users: If your posts are only reaching your current followers and not new users, it might be a sign of a shadowban.
These are some signs that could indicate a shadowban on Instagram. If you notice any of these issues, it’s a good idea to investigate further to see if your account has been affected.
Instagram Hashtags Not Working
If you use hashtags in your Instagram posts, you expect them to show up on hashtag pages. But if your account is shadowbanned, your posts won’t appear there, even if you tagged them correctly. To check for shadowbanning, look at the hashtag page and see if your post is in “Recent Posts.” It might not be at the top, but it should show up if you just posted it.
Hashtags are crucial for expanding your Instagram audience. If you can’t use them due to shadowbanning, your engagement will suffer. Your posts won’t be visible to new people searching hashtags, only to your current followers.
Instagram Won’t Let Me Follow Anyone
If you can’t follow new accounts on Instagram, you may have a shadowban. This ban happens when you follow many accounts quickly. It shows Instagram that you might be breaking the rules by using outside services. If Instagram makes it hard to follow others, your account may be blocked.
Instagram Blocked Me From Liking
If you can’t like posts on Instagram, you might be blocked. This happens if your account has high activity, like quickly liking many posts. For example, if your account likes 300 posts per hour, it’s probably not done manually. If Instagram tells you that you’re blocked from liking posts or if you can’t like any pictures, you’re likely banned from this feature.
Why Did I Get Shadowbanned On Instagram?
If you think your Instagram account is shadowbanned, you might be wondering why this restriction is happening. Instagram may have banned your account for breaking their rules. This could happen if you’ve violated their Terms and Conditions or Community Guidelines. If you’ve done certain actions, you may have caused a shadowban on Instagram.
Buying Fake Followers
Buying fake followers goes against Instagram’s rules. Instagram is working harder to stop fake followers and is deleting fake or inactive accounts. If you bought fake followers, your account might be flagged.
Using Banned Hashtags
Instagram banned some hashtags due to users posting inappropriate content or spamming. When you check these hashtags on Instagram, recent posts may not show up.
If you use a banned hashtag, Instagram may block your post from appearing under other hashtags you used. This could lead to your post being banned or your account facing restrictions.
If you’re not sure which hashtags to avoid, you can find a list of banned hashtags here.
You Were Reported
If your Instagram account gets reported, particularly multiple times, Instagram might decide to block it. In more severe instances, a reported account could be completely shut down. However, in less extreme cases, Instagram might opt to impose a shadowban instead.
It’s crucial to avoid posting anything inappropriate or offensive, but it’s especially important to be cautious if you suspect that you’ve been reported for any reason. Dealing with a shadowban is already tough, so having your entire account shut down would be even worse.
Surpassing Instagram’s Daily or Hourly Limits
If you follow too many accounts or like too many pictures quickly on Instagram, you might get a shadowban. Instagram limits how much you can follow, like, and comment to encourage genuine interactions. To stay safe, keep likes under 150-200, comments under 60, and follows/unfollows under 60 in an hour.
Shadowban Test
To find out if you’re shadowbanned on Instagram, you can try a couple of methods. One way is to see if your post shows up on the hashtag page. Ask a friend who doesn’t follow you to check if they can view your post under that hashtag. If they can’t, it’s likely Instagram is restricting non-followers from seeing your content, which means you’re shadowbanned.
Another option is to use a tool like Triberr. Triberr looks at your last 10 posts to see if they’re being shown effectively to others. It mainly focuses on hashtags, so if you don’t use them, this tool may not give you accurate results.
How To Remove The Instagram Shadowban
If you suspect your account is shadowbanned on Instagram, don’t lose hope just yet. Instagram can lift the ban, provided your account stops engaging in the suspicious behavior that led to the ban initially. Here are some tips recommended by accounts that have successfully recovered from shadowbans:
- Report your issues to Instagram: Although Instagram’s support response time can be slow, it’s worth reporting your problem. You can do this by navigating to Settings > Help > Report a Problem.
- Avoid purchasing fake followers: If you’ve bought fake followers, refrain from doing so again. Consider removing any fake bot accounts from your follower list, although this isn’t guaranteed to fix the issue.
- Remove broken or banned hashtags: If you’ve used a banned hashtag, delete the post containing it, or at the very least, remove the hashtag from your caption.
- Take a break from Instagram: Sometimes, stepping away from Instagram for a couple of days can help restore your account. Many users and social media experts suggest taking at least a 48-hour break from any activity on the app.
