# Instagram Harassing Comments and DMs: Which Tool to Use > Harassing comments or DMs on Instagram? See what Hidden Words, Limited Interactions, Restrict, Block and Report each do, and what none of them do. - URL: https://www.awarexone.com/research/instagram-hidden-words-limits-restrict-harassing-comments-dms - Author: Md Shariar Shanaz Shuvon, Founder & CEO, AwareXone - Published: 2026-10-27 - Topics: Instagram, Harassment, Safety tools - Related service: social media problem solutions: https://www.awarexone.com/all-types-of-social-media-problem-solutions ## Short answer Use the tool that fits the problem. Hidden Words filters comments and message requests, Limited Interactions limits groups of accounts, Restrict hides one person quietly, Block cuts contact, and Report sends the message or chat for review. Instagram says to report the chat, not the account, for a harassing DM. ## Summary - Instagram's bullying page says Hidden Words protect against unwanted comments and direct messages, but its Hidden Words page says the message request filter is off by default. - Limited Interactions temporarily limits comments and direct messages from people who do not follow you, or who recently followed you, in bulk. - For a harassing direct message, Instagram says to report the chat, not the account, because the profile team cannot see direct messages. - Restrict hides a person's new comments from others and moves their chat to Message Requests without telling them. - A rushed step, such as replying in anger or blocking before you save the evidence, can make things worse, so know what you are doing before you start. Someone keeps leaving nasty comments on your Instagram posts or sending you unwanted messages, and you do not know which setting to use. Instagram has several tools, and they do different jobs. Using the wrong one can leave the problem running while you think you have dealt with it. This guide follows Instagram's own help pages. It sets out what each tool does, what it does not do, and how to choose between them. We cannot promise that any tool will stop a particular person, and we do not promise that a reported account will be removed. A rushed step, such as replying in anger or blocking before you save the evidence, can make things worse, so know what you are doing before you start. Last checked: 27 October 2026. ## Which Tool Does What? Instagram's [How to combat bullying and harassment on Instagram](https://help.instagram.com/464473649316860) page describes the safety tools it offers. The pages on [hiding comments and message requests](https://help.instagram.com/700284123459336), [restricting someone](https://help.instagram.com/2638385956221960), [reporting a message or chat](https://help.instagram.com/568100683269916) and [blocking](https://help.instagram.com/447613741984126) give the detail. | Tool | What the pages say it does | What it does not do | | --- | --- | --- | | Hidden Words and Advanced Comment Filtering | Protects against unwanted comments and unwanted direct messages; comments from people you follow and who follow you are not hidden | It does not remove the person, and the pages do not say it catches every message | | Limited Interactions | An account level tool that temporarily limits comments and direct messages from specific groups of accounts | It does not impact your reach in Feed or Explore, and it is not a permanent block | | Restrict | Their new comments on your posts are visible only to that person unless you approve them; their chat moves to Message Requests | It does not report them, and their messages still arrive, in Message Requests | | Block | They cannot message you, mention you or tag you, and are not told | It does not report them | | Report | Sends the message, chat, comment or account for review under the Community Standards | It does not promise removal, and the pages give no timing | ## Hidden Words and Hiding Unwanted Comments The [Hide comments or message requests you don’t want to see on Instagram](https://help.instagram.com/700284123459336) page describes two automatic settings. Hide unwanted comments hides comments containing common offensive words, phrases or emojis that are likely to be abusive or mean, such as insults, sexual remarks or personal attacks. It says this setting is on by default. Hide unwanted message requests sends message requests that may contain scams or offensive words, phrases or emojis to your spam folder, and the page says it is off by default. It adds that Instagram cannot see your messages unless you report them. You can also build a custom list of words, phrases, numbers and emojis. The page says this is under Settings, then Hidden Words, then Manage custom words and phrases, where you separate each entry with a comma and submit the list. It says the message request option for the custom list is not currently supported on web browsers. The bullying page says custom words, emojis or phrases can be kept out of your comments or inbox. Two things to know. The page says that when a comment or message is hidden, the person who sent it will not know. It also says hidden comments are still included in your total comment count. A hidden comment is out of sight, not deleted. You can also hide a single comment by hand. The page says to open the Instagram app on iOS or Android, go to the comment and tap Hide. You can only manually hide comments under your own posts. A manually hidden comment is visible only to you and the person who made it, and you can unhide it later by tapping View hidden comments. ## Limited Interactions for Several Accounts at Once The bullying page says that if you are experiencing unwanted engagement, you can use Limited Interactions to manage interactions with people in bulk. It describes this as an account level tool that temporarily limits your comments and direct messages from specific accounts. You can choose to limit people who are not following you, or people who recently followed you within the last week. Those accounts will not be able to direct message you or comment on your content. You can also set a time limit, which you can change at any time. This is the tool for a sudden wave, such as a post that has drawn strangers. It is not aimed at one known person. This guide uses Instagram's bullying page for Limited Interactions. ## Restrict: A Quiet Way to Limit One Person The Restrict or unrestrict someone on Instagram page says that if you restrict someone, they will not be able to see when you are online or whether you have read their messages. Their new comments on your posts are visible only to that person, and you can choose to see the comment by tapping See comment. You can approve it so others can see it, delete it or ignore it. You will not get notifications for their future comments. For messages, the page says your chat with the restricted person moves from your main Direct inbox to Message Requests, and future messages from them move there automatically. You can see the message without them knowing, and then delete it, block or unrestrict the person. The page also says that if you feel you are being harassed, you can temporarily limit unwanted comments on your posts from groups of accounts. Restrict is useful when you do not want to start a confrontation by blocking. It does not report the person, and their messages still reach you in Message Requests. ## Block: When You Want Contact to Stop The What happens when you block someone on Instagram page says that you can block a profile, or block their profile and other existing profiles they may have or profiles they may create. People are not notified when you block them. Their likes and comments are removed from your photos and videos, and unblocking does not restore them. They cannot mention your username or tag you. Your messaging threads remain in your Direct inbox, but you cannot message them, and messages they send will not be delivered later if you unblock them. The page also says that if the person has multiple Instagram or Facebook profiles, you may need to block each profile. And the bullying page says that after you report, Instagram encourages you to block the account. ## Report: Messages, Chats and Comments The bullying page says to report accounts, posts and comments that go against the Community Standards, whether it is bullying, harassment, hate speech or doxxing. It says that when reporting direct messages, you should report the chat and not the account, because the team that reviews the profile does not have access to direct messages. The Report a message or chat on Instagram page gives the steps. To report a single message, open the conversation, hover over the message, click Options, click Report, choose a reason and submit. To report a whole one-on-one conversation, go to the conversation, click More information, then Report. It says you cannot report entire group chats, only messages, photos, videos and people in the group chat. It says Instagram reviews up to 30 of the most recent messages in a reported conversation, that your report is anonymous except for intellectual property reports, and that the account you reported will not see who reported them. ## A Simple Order to Follow - Save the evidence first. Take screenshots with the username, date and wording before you hide, restrict or block. - Report the message or chat, not only the account, if the harassment is in direct messages. - Use Restrict if you want quiet distance, or Block if you want contact to stop. - Turn on Hidden Words and Advanced Comment Filtering for ongoing abuse. - Use Limited Interactions if a group of accounts is involved. For how to keep a proper record, see our guide on [collecting evidence before reporting harassment](https://www.awarexone.com/research/collect-evidence-before-reporting-harassment). If the harassment is aimed at a page or an account built to target you, see [reporting a hate page targeting you on Instagram](https://www.awarexone.com/research/report-hate-page-targeting-me-instagram). The same ideas on Threads work differently, and our guide on [harassing replies on Threads](https://www.awarexone.com/research/threads-harassing-replies-restrict-hide-report) explains why Instagram settings do not carry over. If you are in fear for your safety, our guide on [making a police report for online harassment in Malaysia](https://www.awarexone.com/research/police-report-online-harassment-malaysia) covers the next step. ## What the Pages Do Not Say The pages we read do not say how long a review takes, whether a report will lead to removal, or how many reports are needed. They do not promise that filters catch every abusive word. They do not say how Instagram decides what counts as offensive. We do not know what will happen to your report, and we will not guess. ## When It Is Safer to Get Expert Help Some cases are handled with the tools above. The risks are plain. Blocking before saving the evidence can leave you with less to show. A reply in anger can make a conflict worse, and a long exchange can be used against you. Reporting a whole chat when only one message matters can include more than you meant to share. And a person who offers to remove a harasser for a payment or your login is a risk to expect. Never share a password or a code. If the harassment is serious, repeated or tied to your business, handing the case to an experienced team such as AwareXone is the safer choice. We can help you keep a record, choose the right reporting route and avoid mistakes that cost time. See our [social media problem solutions](https://www.awarexone.com/all-types-of-social-media-problem-solutions) page, and use the Apply for Case Review button at the end of this guide. ## When a Case Review Makes Sense If the abuse continues after you have used the tools, or it spreads across accounts, a review can help you decide what to try first. SocialSafe by AwareXone is a Malaysia-based service, independent of Instagram, that helps you use the official routes. We never ask for your password or login codes, and we cannot remove a person or a comment ourselves. See how we work on our [trust page](https://www.awarexone.com/trust). ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the difference between Restrict and Block on Instagram? Restrict moves their chat to Message Requests and shows their comments only to them. Block stops them messaging, mentioning or tagging you. ### Do Hidden Words delete the comments? No. Instagram's page says hidden comments are still included in your comment count, and the sender will not know. ### Should I report the chat or the account for a harassing DM? Instagram's page says to report the chat, because the team that reviews the profile does not have access to direct messages. ### Does Limited Interactions affect my reach? Instagram's page says Limited Interactions do not impact your reach in Feed or the Explore tab. ### Will the person know I reported them? Instagram says your report is anonymous, except for intellectual property reports. ## Official sources - [Official: How to combat bullying and harassment on Instagram | Instagram Help Center (read 27 October 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/464473649316860) - [Official: Hide comments or message requests you don’t want to see on Instagram | Instagram Help Center (read 27 October 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/700284123459336) - [Official: Restrict or unrestrict someone on Instagram | Instagram Help Center (read 27 October 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/2638385956221960) - [Official: Report a message or chat on Instagram | Instagram Help Center (read 27 October 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/568100683269916) - [Official: What happens when you block someone on Instagram | Instagram Help Center (read 27 October 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/447613741984126) --- AwareXone is an independent Malaysia-based provider, not affiliated with any platform. The platform makes the final decision on every account. AwareXone never asks for passwords, OTP codes, backup codes or session cookies.