Instagram Follow Limits Explained: Daily, Hourly & More

Last Updated on January 16, 2026 by Ethan

Instagram doesn’t publish official follow limits. Never has. But after years of testing and watching thousands of accounts get restricted, we as a community observed patterns across thousands of accounts. Push past them, and you’ll see the dreaded “Action Blocked” message. Go way over, and your account might get disabled entirely.

After years of managing personal and brand Instagram accounts, I can tell you what actually works in 2026.

The Real Numbers: Follow and Unfollow Limits

These limits aren’t set in stone. Instagram adjusts them based on your account age, activity patterns, and trust score. But these ranges hold true for most accounts.

Hourly Limits

New accounts (under 3 months): 10-15 follows per hour
Established accounts: 20-30 follows per hour
Older trusted accounts: Up to 50 follows per hour (risky)

Daily Limits

New accounts: 50-100 follows per day
Established accounts: 150-200 follows per day
Maximum safe limit: Around 200 total actions

The same limits apply to unfollows. Actually, Instagram watches unfollowing even more closely than following. Mass unfollowing looks suspicious. They know you’re probably cleaning up after a follow-for-follow strategy or using automation.

I learned this the hard way back when I managed a brand account. Unfollowed about 300 people in one afternoon. The account got action blocked for a week. Couldn’t like, comment, follow, or unfollow anything. Just had to wait it out.

Why These Limits Exist

Instagram wants real human behavior. Bots follow hundreds of accounts per hour. Real people don’t. When your activity looks automated, their system flags it.

The algorithm tracks:

• Speed of actions (how fast you’re tapping follow)
• Consistency of timing (doing exactly 30 follows every hour looks robotic)
• Ratio of follows to engagement (following without liking or commenting)
• Pattern recognition (same behavior every single day)
• Account age and history (new accounts get shorter leashes)

Instagram’s goal isn’t to punish legitimate users. They’re fighting bot farms and fake engagement services. But their detection systems sometimes catch real people who just happen to be cleaning up their accounts.

Account Age Matters More Than You Think

Brand new accounts have almost no trust. Instagram treats them like potential spam until proven otherwise.

First week: Keep follow-ups under 20 per day. Seriously. I know it feels slow. Do it anyway.

First month: Gradually increase to maybe 50-70 per day. Mix in regular posting and genuine engagement.

After 3 months: You’ve probably built enough trust for normal limits. Still wouldn’t push past 150-200 daily.

After a year with consistent legitimate activity, you get more leeway. Instagram’s system recognizes patterns of real human behavior over time.

The worst thing you can do is create a new account and immediately start aggressive following. Instant red flag. Some accounts get disabled within the first week for this.

The Difference Between Action Blocks and Bans

Not all restrictions are equal. Understanding the levels helps you know how worried to be.

Temporary Action Block

Most common. Lasts a few hours to a few days. You can still browse, just can’t perform the specific action that triggered it. Usually following or liking. Wait it out. Don’t try to bypass it.

Extended Action Block

Happens when you hit limits repeatedly. Can last 1-2 weeks. Instagram is sending a clear message. Stop whatever you’re doing.

Shadowban

Your content stops appearing in hashtag searches and explore pages. Hard to confirm since Instagram denies it exists. But it’s real. Usually tied to hashtag abuse or extreme follow/unfollow patterns.

Account Suspension

Temporary lockout requiring identity verification. Instagram thinks you might be a bot. You’ll need to verify with a phone number or selfie video.

Permanent Disable

The worst case. Account gone. Usually only happens after repeated violations or truly egregious bot behavior. Can appeal, but success rate is low.

Warning: Using third-party apps that require your password dramatically increases ban risk. Instagram detects these logins from unfamiliar servers. Even if the app itself doesn’t break limits, the suspicious login pattern can trigger restrictions.

Safe Strategies for Mass Unfollowing

Want to clean up your following list? Here’s how to do it without getting blocked.

Spread it out. If you need to unfollow 500 people, don’t do it in one day. Do 30-40 per day over two weeks. Yes, it takes longer. Your account stays safe.

Mix activities. Don’t just unfollow. Like some posts. Leave genuine comments. Watch some stories. Normal user behavior includes variety.

Take breaks. Unfollow 10 people, then stop for an hour. Come back later. The algorithm notices steady, continuous actions versus natural, sporadic usage.

Use tools that don’t require your password. Apps like UnfollowGram help you identify who doesn’t follow you back without accessing your account directly. You still do the unfollowing manually through Instagram, but you know exactly who to target.

What To Do If You Get Blocked

First, don’t panic. Temporary blocks happen to everyone eventually.

Stop all activity immediately. Continuing to try actions while blocked extends the restriction. Just use Instagram passively for a while. Browse. Watch stories. Don’t interact.

Wait at least 24 hours before trying the blocked action again. Sometimes it lifts sooner, sometimes it takes 48 hours or more.

Don’t uninstall and reinstall. Doesn’t help. The block is on your account, not the app.

Don’t create a new account to continue. Instagram tracks device IDs. They’ll connect the dots and might restrict both accounts.

After the block lifts, go slow. Much slower than before. Your account is now on Instagram’s radar. One more violation in the next few weeks, and the next block will be longer.

The Bottom Line

Instagram’s limits exist to fight bots, not punish real users. Stay within reasonable boundaries, and you’ll never have problems. The people who get banned are almost always trying to game the system somehow.

For most users doing normal cleanup, the safe approach is simple: identify who you want to unfollow using a safe tracking tool, then manually unfollow 30-40 accounts per day with breaks in between. Takes a couple of weeks to clean up a messy following list, but your account stays healthy.

Patience beats speed every time on Instagram.

No password needed. You do the unfollowing manually, at your own pace.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people can I follow per day on Instagram?

For established accounts, staying under 150-200 follows per day is generally safe. New accounts should stay under 50-100. These aren’t official limits since Instagram doesn’t publish them, but they’re based on widespread testing and community experience.

What happens if I unfollow too many people at once?

You’ll get an “Action Blocked” message preventing you from unfollowing anyone else. Block duration ranges from a few hours to several weeks, depending on severity and your account history. Repeated violations lead to longer blocks.

Can I get banned for unfollowing people?

Temporary blocks are common. Permanent bans from unfollowing alone are rare, but possible if you repeatedly ignore warnings and continue aggressive behavior. Using third-party apps that require your password significantly increases ban.

How long do Instagram action blocks last?

First offense: Usually 24-48 hours. Repeated offenses: 1-2 weeks or longer. The duration increases each time you trigger a block within a short period.

Does Instagram tell you when you’re close to the limit?

No warning before the block. You only find out when you try to perform an action and see the error message. That’s why staying well under the limits is important.