Unlike a public account, a private account has many restrictions to maintain the privacy of the account. Therefore, messaging a private account on Instagram Restricted. As the name suggests, you can only interact with a private account when it accepts your follow request.
However, don't get discouraged. There are still a few ways to send a direct message to a private Instagram account. In this guide, we'll show you all the possible methods, whether you follow them or not. Let's get started.
Things to Consider When Messaging a Private Instagram Account
Before getting started, there are a few basic things to remember. Messaging a private Instagram account comes with a set of etiquette and considerations. Such as:
- Respect for privacy: Remember why private account users restrict their content to a specific audience. It's because they don't want to be bothered by others. So, respect their choice. Avoid sending follow requests or messages repeatedly if they don't accept them. Opportunistic behavior can be perceived as aggressive.
- Customize your message: State why you're sending them the message request. Take a moment to craft a personalized message. Generic or unsolicited messages are unlikely to be well received.
- Respect response time: Not everyone checks their message requests often. Be patient and give the user time to respond to your message request.
- Avoid unwanted content: Never send unwanted photos, videos, or links to anyone without their consent.
With that out of the way, let's move on to the methods.
3 Ways to Message a Private Account on Instagram
There are three ways to message a private account on Instagram, whether you follow them or not. Let's go through each of them.
Note: The steps are similar for both iPhone and Android users, so regardless of your device, follow along.
1. Use the messages page
This may be a feature that many people don't know about. You can use the Messages page to message a private Instagram account without following them. Here are the steps to follow.
Step 1: Open Instagram Click on the icon Messages in the upper right corner.
Step 2: Click on User name To the person you want to message in the search bar.
Step 3: Write and send your message.
2. Send a message to a private account on Instagram without following them
Users can also send a direct message to a private account by visiting their profile. Here's how:
Step 1: Open Instagram Open the profile you want to send a message to.
Step 2: Click on The three points in the upper right corner.
Step 3: After that, tap Send a message.
Step 4: Type your message and click on send.
3. Follow the account and message.
If you see the text You can only message this account if it follows you. When trying to message someone, the last option is to follow them and then send a message.
Step 1: Open Instagram > go to Account who you want to send a message to and click tracking.
Step 2: Once Accept follow request Yours, message them from their profile or messages page.
How to view message requests on Instagram
Wondering what happens when you send a message to a private account on Instagram? When you receive messages from unknown people, Instagram prompts them to message requests. The same applies to public and personal accounts. Therefore, the following steps will help you find them:
on the computer
Step 1: Open Instagram Click on the icon Messages.
Step 2: Click Requests.
Step 3: Open Mission that you want to view.
Step 4: From here, choose between: Block, delete, accept.
on mobile
Step 1: Open an app Instagram > Click on the icon DM And choose Requests.
Step 2: Open Mission that you want to view.
Step 3: From here, choose between: Block, delete, accept.
How to block DMS from unknown people
Instagram is a social media platform where you can meet different users. However, if you don't want to be bothered by messages from unknown people, follow these steps:
on the computer
Step 1: Open a site Instagram > Click More and choose Settings.
Step 2: Choose “How others can interact with you” and click “Manage message settings”.
Step 3: Locate "Not receiving requests."
Step 4: Choose Update settings.
Tip: Continue the same way for the other options and select “Do not receive requests” wherever you see it.
Step 5: Finally, within Who can advertise?
On smartphone
Step 1: Open an app Instagram > Click on profile and choose menu hamburger in the upper right corner.
Step 2: Click on "Settings and Privacy".
Step 3: Choose Letters and responses to the story.
Step 4: Click on Message controls.
Step 5: Choose “Your Instagram followers” and select “Do not receive requests.”
Tip: Do the same with “People on Facebook” and “Others on Instagram.”
common questions:
Q1. How to follow a private account on Instagram without request?
The answer: There's no option to follow a private account without asking. You have to ask the person, and they must accept. Only then can you view their posts and other updates.
Q2. Can someone see that I viewed their Instagram story if I don't follow them?
The answer: Yes, a user can see who viewed their Instagram story. There is no official way to hide this from the user. However, you can View Instagram stories without an account To prevent your name from appearing.
Be polite to the people you message.
As we've mentioned several times in this guide, when sending a message to a private Instagram account, be sure to be respectful and polite to them. We hope these steps are helpful. If you still have any doubts or questions, let us know in the comments below.