Lots of Instagram folks have run into that annoying warning that pops up saying, “We’ve detected automated behavior on your account, ” right when trying to log in. It’s like, suddenly you’re blocked from accessing your own stuff, and the account gets restricted or even disabled without much warning. If you’ve been using third-party apps or automation tools — even unknowingly — this warning is their way of saying “Yep, you broke the rules.” Sometimes, it’s just a glitch, but other times, your account really gets flagged because of suspicious activity.
Hitting this warning can be super frustrating, especially if you rely on Instagram for business, your friends, or just for fun. Luckily, there are some tricks to fix it or at least figure out what’s causing the problem. The goal here is to get your account back to normal, prevent further restrictions, and maybe avoid getting flagged again. Here’s a rundown of what you can try — and yes, it involves some changing settings, updating apps, and possibly cleaning up linked accounts.
How to Fix ‘Suspected Automated Behaviour’ on Instagram
Update the Instagram App
This sounds obvious, but on some setups, an outdated app can cause weird bugs, including false alarms about automation. If Instagram’s warning popped up out of nowhere, maybe your app is old enough that it’s missing critical updates or bug fixes. Head over to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and check for an update. Sometimes, simply updating the app clears out the false positives and stops the warning from popping up again.
Keep in mind, an outdated app might also have security flaws or bugs that could trigger false suspicion. On my part, sometimes the update process doesn’t go smoothly — on one device, it took a couple of tries before the app fully updated without crashing. But once it’s updated, it’s smoother sailing.
Remove Access to Third-Party Apps
Most of these warnings are linked to third-party tools that have access to your account. You probably already know if you’ve used apps that auto-liker, follow/unfollow, or schedule posts — those are big red flags for Instagram’s security team. If you want a quick fix, you need to undo those permissions.
Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Instagram app and go to your Profile (bottom right).
- Tap the hamburger menu icon (top left) then go to Settings and Privacy.
- Scroll to Website Permissions and tap on it.
- Select Apps and Websites — this is where linked services live. You’ll see a list of third-party apps that have been authorized to access your account.
- Remove or revoke access for any suspicious or unnecessary third-party apps. Confirm removal.
On some accounts, if you’ve unlinked everything, the restriction might lift after a few days or when you re-login. Don’t forget: once you revoke third-party access, it’s a good idea to stay away from shady bot services in the future.
Stop Fake Engagement and Follow the Rules
This one’s crucial — if your account has been used to buy fake followers, likes, or engagement via sketchy sites, Instagram’s algorithms will catch on fast. They really don’t like those shady practices, and it’s one of the main reasons accounts get flagged or banned.
If you used any third-party services to boost your stats artificially, stop immediately. Focus on genuine growth — engage with real people, post quality content, and be patient. Also, think back for a second: did you give your account info to any weird sites? That could also be a root cause, so it’s worth reviewing where your info has gone.
Limit Your Activities Temporarily
While waiting for the dust to settle, cut back on activity a bit. Avoid liking, commenting, following, or DMs for a few days. This “quiet period” can help your account recover if it’s been flagged as suspicious but hasn’t been disabled because you’re basically telling Instagram you’re not a bot right now.
This worked for some users who found their restrictions lifted after a week of light activity. Not sure why it works, but maybe Instagram’s system relaxes if it doesn’t see suspicious signals for a bit.
Force Stop the Instagram App
Another quick thing — sometimes the app just glitches out. When that happens, force-closing it can solve some weird bugs. To do this:
- On Android, tap and hold the Instagram icon, then select App info.
- Hit Force Stop.
On iOS, double-tap the home button or swipe up to access the app switcher, find Instagram, and swipe it away. Then, reopen the app and check if the warning’s gone. Worked for a few people, especially on Android, since the app sometimes keeps crashing or freezing in the background.
Change Your Password & Remove Unknown Devices
If you suspect someone else access your account — especially if it’s been logged into devices you don’t own anymore — it’s a smart move to change your password and remove all connected devices. You can do this seamlessly:
- Go to Settings & Privacy > Security > Password to change your password.
- To see what devices are logged in, go to Settings & Privacy > Security > Login Activity. Review the devices and log out of any unfamiliar ones.
Sometimes, accounts get flagged because of unauthorized access, so making sure only you have control helps prevent future alerts.
Reach Out to Instagram Support
If all else fails, reporting the problem directly to Instagram’s support team is the final resort. Use the in-app help feature:
- Open Instagram and go to Settings and Privacy.
- Scroll to Help, then tap Report a problem.
- Choose Report problem without shaking and briefly describe what’s happening.
They might request some verification, and it could take a few days to get a response, but if you’ve vetted your account and removed third-party access, they’ll likely lift the restriction. Just keep an eye on your email for updates.
Bottom line: these warnings are annoying, but most of the time, it’s just a matter of cleaning up what you’ve linked or changing a few settings. Sometimes, a mix of updating apps and giving your account a break can make the restriction vanish. Fingers crossed this helps — worked for quite a few users, so maybe it’ll do the job for you too. Good luck!
Summary
- Update the Instagram app to the latest version.
- Remove third-party app access in Settings > Website Permissions.
- Stop using bots or fake engagement services.
- Limit your activity for a few days—no likes, follows, or DMs.
- Force stop or restart the app to clear bugs.
- Change your password and review device login activity.
- If needed, contact Instagram support directly.
Wrap-up
Overall, these issues tend to resolve once you scrub away suspicious tools or give the system some breathing room. Sometimes, just updating the app or revoking third-party access is enough. Don’t forget to keep things legit moving forward—Instagram’s system is pretty good at catching shady stuff once you know what to look out for. If this gets one update moving, mission accomplished. Fingers crossed this helps!