James Willis

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.

Hi! In my experience, Sunday mornings around 9–11 AM tend to perform the best. People are relaxed, scrolling in bed or over brunch, and it feels like the calm before the week begins. I run a small business page, and I tested posting at noon versus early morning. Noon was okay, but engagement really spiked when I posted before 11 AM. The logic makes sense—people are still lounging around, not rushing for work or school. That said, Sunday evenings around 7–9 PM also do surprisingly well. It’s when people settle in after their day, prepping for Monday but still online. I’d suggest experimenting between those two windows and tracking your results over a few Sundays. Also, use Instagram Insights—check when your specific audience is most active. General advice helps, but your own analytics will tell the real story.

Hi, I’ve dealt with this exact situation after blocking a friend by accident. Don’t worry—it’s easy to undo. You have two main ways:

Through Settings – Go to Settings → Phone → Blocked Contacts. You’ll see a list of all numbers you’ve blocked. Find the number, swipe left, and tap Unblock. That’s it.

Through Contacts – If the person is saved in your contacts, open their contact card, scroll to the bottom, and tap Unblock this Caller.

Once unblocked, they’ll be able to call, text, or FaceTime you again instantly. Just know: unblocking doesn’t recover anything you missed while they were blocked (calls or texts don’t magically reappear). It only works moving forward. I recommend double-checking the Blocked list in Settings to be sure the number is cleared. After that, you’re good to go.