Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

Instagram experience solely focuses on the content and accounts we view and unfortunately, sometimes they make us uncomfortable.

Fortunately, the app allows users to report posts and other content, and here is how they can do it!

Content

• Reasons to report an Instagram account
• How to do an Instagram report?
• How long does it take Instagram to take action for a reported account?
• Does a reported account get a notification?

Reasons to report an Instagram account

There are varied reasons for a person to report a post, photo, comment, or profile.

While they might have personal reasons, most of the time it’s because the user is violating Instagram’s Terms and Conditions or Community Guidelines.

Violating community guidelines

Instagram has strict terms and community guidelines to ensure user safety on the platform.

In a short example, it encourages people to post their own photo or videos, avoid content-stealing by respecting copyright infringement, and avoid spamming others on the posts.

Any content and account that abuses those terms can be reported.

There are two options while reporting an Instagram account:

It’s spam

Excessive interaction, such as posting and commenting multiple times, is considered spam on Instagram, especially if the comments are irrelevant.

When you select “It’s spam” when reporting an account on the Instagram app, the app automatically blocks the profile.

This means neither you nor the other person will be able to see each other’s posts and cannot comment.

Spam doesn’t mean that they are fake or they know how to get more Instagram followers! It’s different.

Inappropriate Content

The inappropriate contents that can be reported on Instagram are:

• Nudity or sexual activity,
• Suicide or self-injury,
• Bullying, harassment or hate speech,
• Violence or dangerous organizations,
• False information or scams,
• Intellectual property violation,

The second option, “It’s inappropriate“, covers more options. Hence, it leads the user to another page or form to receive additional information.

Through these reports, people can inform Instagram about a fake account that uses a similar username of a business or celebrity to spread false information. Or they buy Instagram likes app and pretend to be influencers.

How to do an Instagram Report?

You can report a post, account, comment, direct message, or a story on the Instagram app on a browser or mobile device.

The layout might be slightly different on Android and iOS but the overall options of the report are the same.

How to Report an Instagram Account?

You can easily report an account on Instagram on a mobile device or browser.

• Open Instagram and go to the account you want to report,
• Tap on the three dots at the top right corner,
• Select Report and “It’s spam” or “It’s inappropriate” from the menu to add details.

On browser:

• Open Instagram and go to the profile of the person you want to report,
• Click on the three dots beside username,
• Select Report User and select the reason for the report.

How to Report a Post on Instagram?

To report a post on Instagram:

• Open the Instagram post,
• Tap on the three horizontal dots at the top right corner of the screen,
• Select Report and “It’s spam” or “It’s inappropriate”.

How to Report a Comment on Instagram?

Instead of reporting a post or account, you can report comments that trigger you or others on Instagram.

To report a comment:

• Open Instagram and locate the comment you want to report,
• Swipe left on the comment and tap on the exclamation point icon to view details,
• From the options, if you believe it’s an abusive comment or includes hate speech, select “Abusive content”,
• Or select “Spam or Scam” to report the comment.

How to Report a Direct Message on Instagram?

If you receive an unwanted direct message from a profile on Instagram, you can block or report the account.

If you would like to report the message directly to Instagram, you can:

• Open the DM,
• Long press on the message for options to appear,
• Select Report and follow the steps.

How to Report an Instagram Story?

To report an Instagram story:

• Open the Instagram story and tap on three dots at the right bottom of the screen,
• Tap Report,
• Select either “It’s spam” or “It’s inappropriate” and follow the steps.

How to Report Ads on Instagram?

Instagram offers two options for the ads that you believe are inappropriate or misleading.

To report an ad:

• Tap on the dots (appears vertical on Android) at the top right corner of the sponsored post,
• Select Report Ad,
• To inform Instagram, below Why are you reporting this ad?, select options from the menu.

You can also report “It violates my intellectual property rights.” if you think ad posts violate your intellectual property right by using the Instagram form.

Instead of reporting ads, you can also hide them:

• Tap on the dots at the top right corner of the sponsored post,
• Select Hide Ad,
• To improve content services, below Why are you hiding this ad?, you can select options from the menu.

How Long Does Instagram Take to Action for a Reported Account?

Mind that your report can be viewed on Instagram in a few minutes or days as they receive many reports daily.

They go through the account or content to know if someone accidentally reported or if the person is indeed abusing the community guidelines.

Unfortunately, Instagram doesn’t inform you all the time once they review your report.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as Instagram takes a variety of factors into account when determining how to handle a reported account. However, the company is typically quick to action, with most reports being addressed within 24 hours. In some cases, insta views may be available if the reported content is deemed to be in violation of Instagram’s community guidelines.

Especially if you reported an account, instead of deleting it, Instagram might suspend them. However, if more people reported the same account, it’s possible for Instagram to delete it.

Does a Reported Account Get a Notification?

Yes, the account you reported receives notification but your information is anonymous.

For legal reasons, your report is anonymous except if you’re reporting an intellectual property infringement on Instagram.

In case the content poster wants to inquire about your ownership of the content, Instagram may include your name and email on the notification.

Conclusion

Facebook-owned, Instagram has strict rules to provide a safe environment for its users.

So, if a post, photo, or any other content violates safety, it offers easy options for users to report the content.