Instagram has become the social networking platform that everyone prefers because of its wide range of features. It is also a great way of connecting and reconnecting with people. You can easily find people on Instagram by searching their names or username on the platform. However, it sometimes happens that an Instagram profile will open saying “User not found”. In this blog, we are going to discuss ‘What Does “User not found” Mean on Instagram?’.
Also read: Instagram Private Stories Downloader
What Does “User not found” Mean on Instagram?
There are various reasons behind this error and some of them are as follows:
- Firstly, the username must have been changed by the Instagram user and you are searching for the wrong username.
- Secondly, the account may not exist anymore. So, when a user has deleted or deactivated their Instagram account, you will encounter this error.
- Thirdly, when Instagram suspends the account of any person then also this message will be displayed.
- Lastly, when you are blocked by that person on Instagram then you will not be able to find their profile.
Now that we know the reason behind this error. Let’s discuss them in detail and look at the solutions for them.
Solutions
1. Different username
Everyone is allowed to change their Instagram handle anytime they want and if you search for someone by using their old username then you won’t be able to find them. You can find out if this is the apt reason by looking for their profile on Facebook or other social networking websites. Another way is finding them through mutual friends on Instagram. Lastly, you can find them by exploring your DM if you have chatted with them in the past. When you click on their profile picture, Instagram will direct you to their new profile.
2. Account doesn’t exist anymore
This situation occurs rarely but is not impossible. You may be looking for an account that doesn’t exist anymore because the Instagram user has deleted or deactivated their account. Everything related to that account is eradicated from Instagram completely including their comments. All you can do in such a situation is look up the username from another account. In this way, you will be able to confirm that the account doesn’t exist for everyone. In the case of deactivation, the result is the same as deleting the account. However, it is of temporary nature and Instagram users can choose to reactivate their account.
3. Suspension of account
Instagram contains a list of rules and regulations that needs to be followed. If a user violates it then Instagram has all the power to suspend the account of that user. In such a case, you will not be able to find that account on Instagram and you will see the error “User not found”. This suspension can be appealed but you cannot find this account unless Instagram removes the suspension.
4. Block
The last reason for “User not found” on Instagram is the most common one. You may be able to spot them in your search list and DMs but when you open it, you will encounter the above-mentioned error. The easiest way to check out if you have been blocked or not if searching that username from some other profile. This will confirm the suspicion you have.
You will face a different type of conclusion if you search for the username from a web browser instead of the Instagram app. You can see the result in the image above. So, don’t confuse it with some other issue and follow the same steps mentioned in the blog.
Conclusion
We hope that our blog ‘What Does “User not found” Mean on Instagram?’, helps you in understanding the error in a better way. This is a very common issue that people face on Instagram and most of the time it is because they misspell the username. So, you should check that part first and then get into the lengthy solutions mentioned above. Thank you for reading our blog!