Social catfishing is quite common in today’s virtual world, and platforms like Facebook, Instagram and more are filled with as many fake profiles as real. As of early 2024, Instagram had about two billion monthly active users, a bunch of which are actually alter-egos of the same person. From secret (Finsta) accounts, close friends accounts, business accounts, creator accounts and whatnot – people operate and create multiple virtual identities all at once. If you think someone you know is hiding behind a masked profile, you may have a chance at uncovering their identity. Activate your detective mode as we take you through the best ways to check if someone has multiple Instagram accounts in 2024.
Did you know that on Instagram, each user can create up to five accounts per email and easily link them together without the hassle of logging out and logging in every time? The reasons for maintaining multiple accounts can be different for different individuals. For example, a famous celebrity/ influencer might want to maintain a secret account for close pals and family, an Instagram business owner will maintain a separate handle for their personal interactions, a company might have different social accounts for each of their brands or an individual might create a fake account for their stalking escapades.
Instagram keeps its users’ confidentiality intact( thanks to its strict privacy policy). However, there are some tricks to find out if someone is operating multiple accounts. Keep reading to know more.
Six ways to check if someone has multiple Instagram accounts
1. Check the user’s followers and following
Most people who’ve created alternate accounts follow these handles via their main profile. So, your cue is probably in their followers and following list. Identifying this account might require a little scouring as you’ll have to visit multiple accounts to point out any similarities like photos, bios, and other details. If any peculiarly odd account has recently sent you a friend request or message, you can verify if anyone you know is already following this account.
2. Check Instagram friend suggestions
If any of your contacts have curated a secret fake ID, Instagram’s friend suggestions feature might give it away. If you suspect someone has recently created a fake account, head to their profile and tap on the ‘person with the + sign’ icon which is right next to the ‘Message’ option. Instagram will now display a host of profiles which are most closely connected to this user’s account. Tap ‘See all’ and you’ll get a list of similar account suggestions. Go through this list and you might find the alternate ID.
3. Sync contacts on your phone
Syncing contacts on your Android or iOS device is the easiest way to find all Instagram accounts associated with your contacts. After synchronising your phone contacts, Instagram proposes every account owned by these people and you might just spot something you’re intrigued about. To sync your phone contacts, follow these steps:
- Go to your Instagram profile and tap the three-line menu on the top right.
- Select ‘Accounts’ Centre’ and tap ‘Your information and permissions’.
- Then, select ‘Upload contacts’, choose your Instagram profile and toggle the switch next to ‘Connect contacts’.
- Finally, Instagram will start suggesting all your Instagram-using connections via the recommended friends list or notifications.
4. Run a Google search
Another simple way of identifying someone’s multiple Instagram accounts is by simply searching them on Google. Follow the ‘user name, Instagram’ format. That is, type the person’s name followed by ‘Instagram’ to narrow down results to Instagram accounts only. There’s a good chance that the person’s fake handle will be exposed via the search.
5. Do a reverse image search on their picture
Using an image search tool, like Google Image, will be beneficial for you to understand where else a particular image is available online. In this case, searching the person’s picture via Google reverse image search will help you determine whether they’re using this photo on any other platform, including another secret Instagram account.
You can easily conduct reverse image search on Instagram using Google Chrome on your desktop. Here’s how:
- Open Chrome and log into https://www.instagram.com/.
- Then, select any of the intended user’s posts or click their profile picture.
- Right-click on the picture and further select ‘Search images with Google Lens’.
- Finally, click and drag a square around the image on which you want to conduct the search. Any matching images by Google will be displayed in a panel.
6. Dig into their other social media accounts
Often, people share links to their Instagram accounts on Facebook, Twitter and more. If the person you suspect of having multiple Instagram accounts, is available on other social media platforms, check which IG account they’ve mentioned on these profiles. If there’s an unfamiliar Instagram link, you’ll have your answer.
(Hero image credit: Deeksha Pahariya/ Unsplash)
(Feature image credit: Thought Catalog/ Unsplash)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
There isn't any official way of knowing if someone has multiple Instagram accounts. However, you can try out ways like checking the user's followers and following list, check your Instagram friend suggestions, sync your contacts or run a Google search to know if someone has multiple Instagram accounts.
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Written by
Kriti Nayyar
Senior Digital Writer, Wellness, Culture, Astrology, Tech
Kriti is a stay-at-home dog mama, whose knack for telling interesting stories keeps her erstwhile monotonous life sane. A literature & journalism degree holder, you'll find her binging on Agatha Christie novels while critiquing the everyday state of affairs. On Kriti's seldom social outings, she's seen devouring coffee sangria with appetizing bread on the side.
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