Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with over 1 billion monthly active users. It allows you to share photos, videos, stories, reels, and more with your followers and friends. However, sometimes you may encounter a problem that prevents you from accessing or using your Instagram account. One of the most common issues is getting your account suspended by Instagram.
If you have ever received a message saying “We suspended your account” or “Your account has been disabled” on Instagram, you may wonder why this happened and how to fix it. In this article, we will explain why your Instagram account may have been suspended, how to check your account status, how to appeal the decision, and how to prevent it from happening again.
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Why did my Instagram account get suspended?

Your Instagram account may have been suspended for one of the following reasons:
- You violated Instagram’s Terms of Use or Community Guidelines, for instance by posting copyrighted, inappropriate, or misleading content.
- Instagram thought you violated their guidelines but it was a mistake.
- You were targeted by a shady Instagram banning scheme.
- Violating Instagram’s Terms of Use or Community Guidelines
Instagram has a set of rules and policies that every user must follow in order to use the platform. These rules are called the Terms of Use and the Community Guidelines. They cover topics such as:
- Respect for other users’ rights and privacy
- Prohibited content and behavior
- Intellectual property and trademark rights
- Account security and integrity
- Data collection and usage
- Advertising and commerce
If you violate any of these rules, Instagram may take action against your account, such as:
- Removing your content
- Sending you a warning
- Limiting your account’s functionality
- Suspending your account temporarily or permanently
The severity of the action depends on the nature and frequency of the violation. For example, if you post a single photo that contains nudity or violence, Instagram may remove it and send you a warning. However, if you repeatedly post such content or engage in abusive or fraudulent behavior, Instagram may suspend your account without warning.
Mistakenly violating Instagram’s guidelines

Sometimes, Instagram may suspend your account by mistake. This can happen due to various reasons, such as:
- A technical glitch or bug in the system
- A false report or complaint from another user
- A human error or oversight by the staff
- A change or update in the rules or algorithms
For example, in October 2022, thousands of Instagram users reported that their accounts were suspended for no reason. They received a message saying “We suspended your account” and “There are 30 days remaining to disagree with the decision”. It turned out that this was caused by a global outage that affected Instagram’s servershttps://www.get-notch.com/blog/what-to-do-if-your-instagram-account-gets-suspended. The issue was resolved within a few days and the accounts were restored.
Being targeted by a shady Instagram banning scheme
Another possible reason why your account may have been suspended is that you were targeted by a shady Instagram banning scheme. This is a malicious practice where someone tries to get your account banned by reporting it falsely or hacking it.
There are different motives behind this scheme, such as:
- Revenge or personal grudge
- Competition or jealousy
- Blackmail or extortion
- Scam or fraud
For example, someone may report your account for posting inappropriate content or impersonating someone else, even if you didn’t do anything wrong. Or someone may hack your account and post spam or offensive content on your behalf. Or someone may contact you and offer to restore your account for a fee.
How to check your account status
If you suspect that your account has been suspended by Instagram, you can check your account status by following these steps:

- Open the Instagram app on your device or go to instagram.com on your browser.
- Try to log in with your username and password.
- Look for a message that says “Your account has been temporarily suspended” or “Your account has been disabled”. If you see this message, it means that your account has been flagged for violating Instagram’s community guidelines, and you will need to follow the instructions provided to get your account back in good standing.
- If you don’t see any message, it means that your account is not suspended and you can use it normally.
How to appeal the decision
If you believe that your account has been suspended by mistake, you can appeal the decision by following these steps:

Disagree with the decision
On the “We suspended your account” page, tap on “Disagree with the decision”. Select “I’m not a robot”, complete the CAPTCHA, and tap on “Next”. Enter your phone number/email address and tap on “Send Confirmation”. Enter the code that you’ve received via SMS or email. Your Instagram account has been successfully unsuspended!
Submit the “My Instagram account was deactivated” form
Enter your full name, email, Instagram username, and phone number. Describe that you’ve been suspended by mistake and submit the form. Wait for Instagram’s response via email. They might ask you to send a selfie of yourself holding a code to verify your identity. Wait for Instagram’s response via email again. If successful, you’ll receive an email saying that your account has been unsuspended.

How to prevent your account from being suspended
To prevent your account from being suspended by Instagram, you should follow these tips:
- Read and follow Instagram’s Terms of Use and Community Guidelines.
- Don’t post any content that is illegal, harmful, hateful, violent, pornographic, or misleading.
- Don’t impersonate anyone or use someone else’s intellectual property without permission.
- Don’t spam, scam, or harass other users or accounts.
- Don’t use any bots, automation tools, or third-party apps that violate Instagram’s rules.
- Don’t buy or sell followers, likes, comments, or views.
- Keep your account secure and protect it from hackers.
- Report any suspicious or abusive activity on Instagram.
FAQ
A suspended account is an account that has been temporarily blocked from accessing or using Instagram due to violating the platform’s rules or policies. A disabled account is an account that has been permanently deleted from Instagram due to repeated or severe violations of the platform’s rules or policies.
It depends on the reason and severity of the suspension. Some accounts may be unsuspended within a few hours or days, while others may take weeks or months. In some cases, Instagram may not unsuspend an account at all.
You can tell if someone is trying to get your account suspended by reporting it falsely or hacking it by looking for signs such as:
• Receiving a lot of reports or complaints from other users or accounts
• Noticing unusual activity or changes on your account, such as posts, comments, messages, followers, or settings that you did not make or authorize
• Receiving messages or emails from unknown or suspicious sources that claim to offer you help or services related to your account
• Being asked to provide your personal information, password, verification code, or payment details to anyone
Conclusion
In this article, we have explained why your Instagram account may have been suspended, how to check your account status, how to appeal the decision, and how to prevent it from happening again. We hope this article has been helpful and informative for you. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading!
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