Ever searched for someone’s Instagram profile, only to be greeted with the ‘user not found’ error? Confusing, right? While the first thought that comes to anyone’s mind after seeing this sinister pop-up is ‘Have I been blocked?’, there can be other reasons. So, let’s take you through all the possible reasons behind the Instagram ‘user not found’ error and how you can try to solve it.
The ‘user not found’ error is displayed when an Instagram profile/username is either non-existent, banned or temporarily deactivated. There are a variety of reasons why this might happen, other than you being blocked. Please note that not all of these potential reasons have a straight-cut solution, however, we’ve listed all the possible ways to remedy such an occurrence. Keep reading to know more.
Reasons behind Instagram ‘user not found’ issue and how to fix it
1. The user has temporarily disabled their Instagram account
Instagram gets too overwhelming at times, nudging many people towards social media detox. If the user has stepped away from Instagram and disabled their account, due to any personal reason, their profile will cease to exist. This is why when you try to access such profiles, Instagram displays the ‘user not found’ message.
Solution: Instagram doesn’t notify when a user disables their profile or when they come back. The only fix in this situation is to keep tabs on the profile and see when it’s active again. If you’re extremely curious, you can ask any mutual friends to verify if they can see this particular profile. If it displays the same ‘user not found’ prompt for them, the user has likely disabled their account.
2. The person has altered their username
It’s normal for people to update their usernames for many reasons: for better growth of their business/brand or to express a change in their identity. If you’re not aware and are trying to access such a profile with their outdated username, you will see the ‘user not found’ prompt.
Solution: If you have spoken to this person over DMs, just scroll to their chat and click on their profile. You’ll see the updated username. You can also scroll through your mutual friends’ followers list to find this person.
3. You might have typed the wrong username
Typo? Yes. With over two billion active Instagram users, it’s difficult to find an easy-to-spell, simple username and many have to resort to complicated ones with weird character combinations. As a result, if you try to search such profiles, the chances of forgetting the exact username or misspelling it are common. And when you land on a different profile than intended, something that might not even exist, Instagram shows you the ‘user not found’ message.
Solution: Simply ask this person to type out and message their username to you. Or, try searching for their real name instead.
4. The account has been permanently removed
When someone deletes their account and doesn’t restore it within the grace period of 30 days, Instagram removes their profile permanently. Upon trying to visit such profiles, you’ll get a ‘user not found’ message.
Solution: Since there’s no way to find out if the account has been temporarily deactivated or permanently deleted, you’ll have to wait and keep tabs.
5. Instagram has banned the user
While some people choose to leave Instagram, others are banished from the app for violating the community guidelines. From posting hate speech and harassing others to inappropriate behaviour as well as spamming others – there are several reasons why Instagram may decide to ban users. Once banned, their profile is reduced to ‘user not found’.
Solution: Since Instagram doesn’t notify if the ban is temporary or permanent, all you can do is wait until this person gets access to their account. Bans usually last around 48 hours, so check post that to see if the person is active.
6. The user has blocked you
None of the aforementioned reasons fit the ‘user nor found’ prompt you see on someone’s profile? The user has probably blocked you. The best way to verify this is by asking a friend to search for this particular user on their Instagram. If the person’s profile shows up, you have definitely been blocked. In such cases, always respect the other person’s privacy and don’t nudge them further.
(Hero image credit: Pixabay)
(Feature image credit: dlxmedia.hu/ Pexels)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
'User not found' on Instagram doesn't necessarily mean you're blocked. There can be a host of other reasons behind it like the account has been banned, deactivated and more.
Instagram doesn't notify if any user has deactivated or deleted their profile. To verify if a user has deactivated their account, you can ask a mutual friend to check this user's profile. If they can't view it either, it is likely that this profile has been deactivated.
Yes, you can reactivate your Instagram account anytime by logging in with your credentials.
Tags
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.
Most Popular
