How can I tell if someone deactivated their Instagram account?

When someone deactivates, their username is unsearchable, and their comments or likes vanish too. If you suspect blocking, ask a friend to search their profile. If it shows up for your friend but not you, then you were blocked. If no one can find them, then they deactivated. I’ve tested this with a friend who deactivated for two weeks—his account was gone completely, and only reappeared once he logged back in.

Hi! I’ve dealt with this situation before, so I can explain it in simple terms. If someone deactivates their Instagram, their profile, photos, followers, and comments all temporarily vanish. It’s like their account doesn’t exist, but it’s not deleted. If they come back and log in again, everything reappears. On the other hand, if you’re blocked, you won’t see their profile or posts, but a mutual friend might still see their account. The easiest way to check is by searching their username from another account or browser. If it doesn’t show up anywhere, it’s probably deactivated. If it shows for others but not you, then unfortunately, you’re blocked. It can feel frustrating not knowing, but remember that people deactivate for many reasons—mental health breaks, exams, or just wanting some peace. Try not to take it personally, because most of the time it has nothing to do with you.

Instagram’s system is a bit vague. A deactivated account vanishes platform-wide. Blocked accounts vanish only for you. Ask a trusted friend to check. If they also can’t see it, you can be confident it’s deactivation and not blocking.

I once thought a friend blocked me, but it turned out she’d deactivated during exams. Her account disappeared for weeks, then came back with everything intact. So don’t assume the worst—it might just be a break.