Instagram is the biggest photo-sharing social media platform on the Internet. If you’re new to Instagram, connecting with your friends can be tricky if you aren’t familiar with the app’s interface. Although Instagram does a good job of suggesting people you know, you can’t rely on this method alone to find everyone in your circle. In this article, we bring you the 5 best ways to find someone on Instagram even if you don’t know their username.
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Can’t find someone on Instagram? Try these alternative methods
Before we get to the methods of finding someone on Instagram by using the tools provided by the platform, let’s take a look at what you can do outside the platform to find their profile.
Google search: A cursory Google search of the person’s name can yield great results. You can obtain the person’s Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other socials simply by feeding their name into Google.
Google image search: If there are multiple profiles by the same name, head over to Google Images and perform the same search. It is much easier to recognise someone’s face than browsing individual profiles.
Reverse image search: If you have the user’s image but can’t find them on Instagram, perform a reverse image search. You can use Google Images or tools like TinEye for this task. The search engine will scan the image and look for its duplicates across the web. The search results will let you know where else the image is posted on the Internet. This can lead you to the user’s Instagram profile.
Enter their full name as a search query
If you don’t know the person’s username on Instagram, you can find them using their full name. Follow these steps.
Step 1: Launch the Instagram app on your phone.
Step 2: Switch to the Explore tab by tapping the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the screen.
Step 3: Tap the search bar.
Step 4: Enter the full name of the person you are trying to find.
Step 5: Switch to the Accounts tab and go through the search results.
If the person doesn’t go by their full name on Instagram, move on to the next method.
Look up your common friends’ following/following list
If you have common friends with the person, finding them on Instagram will not take much time. Go through your contacts on Instagram and visit the profile of any mutual friend you may have with the person you are trying to find. Now, browse their follower and following list to find the person’s Instagram account. To make your search easier, use the search bar at the top of the screen. If they do not use their full name on Instagram, type their first name instead. To be thorough, manually go through the lists.
Find someone on Instagram using your phone contacts
If you have the person’s number in your phone’s contacts, it can help you in finding them on Instagram. For this method to work, you will need to sync all your contacts with Instagram, here’s how.
Step 1: Launch the Instagram app on your phone.
Step 2: Tap the profile icon at the bottom of the screen.
Step 3: Tap the hamburger menu at the top right corner of the screen.
Step 4: Select Settings and privacy.
Step 5: Tap on Follow and invite friends.
Step 6: Select Follow contacts.
Step 7: Allow Instagram access to your phone’s contacts.
Step 8: Tap on Follow contacts again.
Step 9: Go through the ‘Discover People’ list and check if the person you are searching for shows up there.
Note: For this method to work, the person should have their phone number linked to their Instagram profile.
Search by places
If the person you’re trying to find visited a town, cafe, restaurant, or bar recently, you can look up the place on Instagram and sort through the posts. The user tagged the place, their post will show up in the feed. Go to the search tab and enter the place’s name in the text bar at the top of the screen. Switch to the places tab and select the exact location from the list. Go through the posts to find the person you’re looking for.
Find a Threads contact on Instagram
Step 1: Go to the person’s Threads profile.
Step 2: Hit the Instagram icon at the top right section of the screen.
You will be redirected to their Instagram page.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I find someone on Instagram if I don’t know their username?
You can search for a person on Instagram using their full name. Switch to the ‘Accounts’ tab to get better results. However, if the person does not go by their full name on Instagram, you will need to resort to other methods.
Can I find someone on Instagram using their phone number?
You can sync your phone’s contacts with Instagram to refine your search further and get better suggestions. However, if the person you are looking for does not have their phone number linked to their Instagram profile, their effort will be futile.
How do I visit someone’s Instagram profile from their Threads profile?
Hit the Instagram icon at the top right section of the Threads profile to view the corresponding Instagram account.
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Conclusion
These are the top 5 ways to find someone on Instagram even if you don’t know their username. If you can’t find the person using these methods, chances are they aren’t on Instagram. Try searching for them on Facebook instead. If you found this article helpful, let us know in the comments!
