Instagram has over 1 billion users. 1.386 billion users, to be exact (as of the time of writing this post). So, finding someone on this popular app will prove to be a task if you do not know their username — akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Difficult but not impossible, though.
Read on to know how you can find someone on Instagram without knowing their username.
Method #1: Use Instagram Search to Find Them (Without Username)
This is the easiest method, which will work if the person you are looking for has used their real name on the app. Instagram has an efficient search feature that will give you a list of everyone around the world with the name you type in. It may take a lot of scrolling to find the right person, but it is worth it if the person has used their real name. If they have used their photo as their profile picture, then your search becomes easier. However, if they do not have a profile picture or have used a picture of something other than themselves, you will need to guess.
But it is worth the effort if you’re desperate to find someone on Instagram. Here’s how you do it.
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1. Go to the search option on Instagram
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2. Type in the person’s full name
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3. Instagram will show you the results of users with the name you keyed in
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4. Scroll till you find the right person
Method #2: Find Them on Google
This is another easy method to find someone’s Instagram name. All you need to do is open Google on your browser and type in their full name within double quotes (“person’s name”).
If you are lucky, the social media and other contact details of the person you are looking for may appear, including their Instagram account. Like with any other search, you will also find contact information for other people with the same name.
You could also just try typing their full name + Instagram on Google. This will give you the Instagram accounts of people with that name or similar names.
Method #3: Use Their Phone Number
One of the ways to find someone on Instagram despite not knowing their username is by using their phone number. You could then message them and ask them for it directly. If that’s not an option, you can try the less-direct way given below.
Most Instagram accounts are linked to the user’s phone number. You will need to link your Instagram account with your phone number. Once you do, all contacts on your phone with an Instagram account will show up on your account. If you’ve saved the number of the person whose username you’re looking for, you will find them on the app, provided they’ve linked their number to their Instagram account too.
Here’s how you can do it.
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1. Open your profile on Instagram
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2. Tap on See all near the Discover People title
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3. Tap on Connect next to Connect contacts
You will then see the accounts of your contacts if they use Instagram. Search for the person you are seeking there.
Method #4: Search Through Followers of Mutual Friends
If you do not have this person’s number but have a mutual friend or a common friend circle, this method could work. If you follow this mutual friend on Instagram, go to their profile. You will have to scroll through their follower list to see if you can find the person you are looking for. All you need to do is:
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1. Go to your mutual friend’s Instagram profile
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2. Tap on Followers
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3. Scroll through their Instagram followers to see if you can spot the person you are seeking
Method #5: Search Through the List of People Your Mutual Friend Follows
If you do not find the person you are looking for on your mutual friend’s follower list, the next alternative is to try the list of people they follow.
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1. Go to your mutual friend’s Instagram profile
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2. Tap on Following
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3. Now go through the list of people they follow to see if you can find the person you are looking up.
Method #6: See if They Have Liked the Posts of Your Mutual Friend
None of the previous methods worked? All hope’s not lost yet. Keep trying with other mutual friends. You might just strike gold.
However, if this still does not yield results, the person you are looking for may have deactivated their account. If you are sure they are on Instagram, you will need to do some more snooping around.
Go through the posts of mutual friends and see who has liked them.
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1. Go to your mutual friend’s profile
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2. Open their last post
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3. Tap on the number of likes under the photo
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4. Scroll through the list of people who have liked it and see if you can find the person you are looking for
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5. Keep repeating for other posts and the posts of other mutual friends
You may find that the person you are looking for has liked their posts. Effort intensive, we know, but then again, Rome was not built in a day.
No Face, No Name, No Number. What Do You Do Next?
If you’ve done all of the above, and are still unable to find the person, they most likely have not used their real name and picture. Not everyone on Instagram uses their photo as their profile picture or uses their real name as their username. This affords them anonymity and security on the app. If they also have a private account on top of not having their photo and name, you have quite a task ahead of you.
Scroll through the accounts of mutual friends until you find a common follower or friend without a real name. Once you find a few such usernames common among mutual friends, go through the Instagram likes on the posts of these mutual friends. If you find this user there, go with your intuition. You will have to figure out if the person you are looking for would like such a post.
You can also scroll through the comments under the posts of mutual friends. If the user you suspect to be the person you’re looking for has left comments, you may be able to tell if it’s them — especially if the comments sound like something they would say.
Finally, analyze if the username is something the person you are looking for would use. Consider if you can relate the picture used on the profile with the person in question. You can choose to follow these users at your discretion.
Method #7: Find Them Using Facebook
Many people use the same email to log into both Facebook and Instagram, and these accounts are usually linked. If you are seeking a Facebook friend, use the following steps to find them on Instagram.
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1. Open your Instagram profile
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2. Tap on See All near the Discover people title
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3. Under Discover people, you will find the Connect to Facebook option
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4. Tap on Connect
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5. If you are already logged in to your Facebook account, you will be asked if you are willing to allow the app to share information about you. Tap continue to allow access.
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6. You will then find the Instagram accounts of your friends on Facebook
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7. Scroll through the list to see if you can find the person you are looking for
How to Find Someone’s Instagram Account if They Have Blocked You
If none of the methods above have worked, either the person does not have an account on Instagram, or they have blocked you. If you think it is the latter, you could consider creating a new account to try to find them on Instagram. Use the methods mentioned in this guide to find them using your new account.
Method #8: Using Their Snapchat
If the person you are looking for has a Snapchat account and you happen to know it, you can try this method. However, it is only effective if you have their correct Snapchat handle.
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1. Open Google.com on your phone.
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2. Copy and paste the ghost emoji from WhatsApp onto your Google search
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3. Now, next to the ghost emoji, type in the person’s Snapchat username within double quotes
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4. Press Enter
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5. If they have an Instagram account, it should pop up in the results
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Another option if you do follow them on Snapchat is going to their Snapchat stories. Some people add links to their Snapchat stories. These may be links to their website, Facebook, or, if you are lucky, even their Instagram account.
Finding Someone’s Snapchat Account Using Instagram
Alternatively, if you want to find someone’s Snapchat handle and you only have their Instagram username, you should go through their posts on Instagram. Some Instagram users add their Snapchat URLs to their Instagram bio.
Some users import content from their Snapchat account to their Instagram account, and when they do this, they usually add their Snapchat username below the post, as is seen in the image below.
Conclusion
Instagram is a great platform to stay connected to the people you care about. Not only is it an app for sharing photos, but it is also a medium of self-expression where you get to see a different side to the people you know in real life.
We hope this guide helps you find the person you are looking for and that it helps you get to know them better.
