Have you ever tried to DM someone on Instagram and received the message, Not everyone can message this account? It can be frustrating, right? But do you know what it actually means?
If you’re confused, you’re not alone. This article will explain the meaning in simple terms and the real reasons behind it. Plus, we’ll give you tips on how to message the account and control your message settings.
Let’s dive and explore more about the pop-up “Not Everyone can message this account on Instagram”.
What Does the Pop-Up Mean In Simple Words?
When your Instagram shows not everyone can message this account, it basically means that the person whom you are trying to message has put up a virtual do not disturb me sign. They have made their privacy settings to control who can send messages.
In simple words, it is like having the bouncer at the club who lets certain people inside after checking a few things and not letting a few people inside for some reason. Here it doesn’t mean that person has blocked you in specific but they have made some kind of rules to get through their inbox and message them.
Instagram has given this future because of some reasons. Let’s be honest DMs are always full, but a random DM telling hi, how are you? So usually people keep this kind of filter not to get messages from accounts.
Most likely, the person you’re trying to message has gone into their settings and flipped some switches. Instagram lets people control their inbox by going to Settings → Privacy → Messages.
I found all these options when I was messing around with my own account settings. You can choose exactly who gets direct access to your inbox:
My cousin who runs a small business account showed me how she set hers to only allow messages from followers after getting bombarded with random requests that were eating up her time.
Another super common reason is that you’re simply not in their “approved” circle yet. If someone sets their account to only accept messages from followers, and you’re not following them – bam, you’ll hit that messaging wall.
Or maybe they’ve chosen to only get messages from accounts they follow back. I have a friend who does this to keep her inbox manageable since she follows less than 200 people but has over 2,000 followers.
I actually tested this myself by trying to message a popular fitness account from both my main profile (which they don’t follow) and my photography account (which they do follow). Sure enough, I could only send a message from the account they followed back.
Lots of businesses, influencers, and creators use special account types that give them extra messaging controls.
My sister runs a small jewelry business on Instagram, and she showed me how she filters her messages:
She told me she had to do this because answering every single message was becoming a full-time job! Now she prioritizes existing customers and organized inquiries.
Instagram automatically limits messaging options for users under certain ages. If you’re trying to message someone who’s a teenager with a supervised account, their parents might have restricted who can message them.
My teenage cousin can only receive messages from people in his contact list because my aunt set it up that way for safety reasons. Makes total sense, but it meant I couldn’t message him until he added my number to his phone contacts!
Occasionally, this message can show up if someone has restricted you but not fully blocked you. Being restricted is like being put in time-out rather than being kicked out completely.
When my roommate and I had that fight last year, she restricted me on Instagram. I could still see her profile, but couldn’t message her for a while. Once we made up, she removed the restriction, and I could message her again.
So what can you actually do about this situation? Here are some approaches that have worked for me and my friends:
The easiest fix is often just hitting that follow button! So many people set their messaging preferences to “followers only.”
Last week, I wanted to ask a local photographer about their rates. When I tried messaging, I got the “not everyone can message” notice. After following them and waiting about 20 minutes, I tried again and got through! Sometimes it’s really that simple.
If you’re already following them, be patient – they might need to follow you back if their settings require mutual following.
Instead of jumping straight to messaging, try engaging with their content first:
I was trying to connect with a graphic designer for weeks with no luck messaging them. Then I started genuinely commenting on their work. After about two weeks of regular interaction, they followed me back, and suddenly I could message them directly!
Sometimes some clues can help you figure out if you’re being specifically filtered:
When my coworker couldn’t message our company’s official Instagram, we discovered it was because the social media manager had accidentally set the account to restrict messages from non-followers. It wasn’t personal – just an oversight!
If direct messaging isn’t working, look for other contact options:
When I couldn’t message a small business about a product question, I noticed they had a Linktree in their bio with a contact form. Problem solved! Many creators and businesses actually prefer being contacted through these channels anyway.
Sometimes timing is everything. People often temporarily restrict messages when:
My friend who’s a makeup artist temporarily limits her messages whenever she posts a new tutorial because she gets hundreds of questions all at once. She usually opens them back up after a few days when things calm down.
Now that you understand why others might limit messages, you might want to adjust your own settings too! Here’s how I set mine up:
From there, you can customize exactly who can message you directly, who needs approval first, and who can add you to group chats.
I personally set mine to allow messages from followers but require approval from everyone else. This cut down on random spam messages by about 90%! My inbox is so much more manageable now.
So next time you hit that “Not everyone can message this account” wall, take a deep breath, try some of these workarounds, and remember – it’s probably nothing personal! Instagram has simply given people tools to manage their communications, and these people are using them to keep their digital lives in order.
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