You have registered a profile for the first time in a social photo network and are trying to find friends from past conversations or real acquaintances. During the search, you may come across a fairly common mistake on Instagram – “User not found”, even though the page exists. The question immediately arises as to why it appeared and how to solve it.
Why doesn’t Instagram show the desired profile in search?
So, Instagram is not found, what does it mean? Why can’t you find a familiar person through the search bar? If you are sure that the page exists, then most often such an error can occur when the profile you are interested in does not fit the entered query. For example, you may have entered a different name during registration. This may be due to:
- poor internet connection;
- the nickname was entered incorrectly: with errors or typos;
- the user has added you to their blacklist.
Let’s look at how to fix each of the listed problems.
The first one:
- Measure the network speed using the online service Speedtest. If the speed is lower than promised by the mobile operator, contact the hotline and leave a complaint.
- Connect to a Wi-Fi access point.
The second one:
- Reread the nickname you are entering.
- Turn off autocorrect.
- Correct the errors.
The third one:
- Write to your friend in messengers or other social networks.
- Resolve past disputes and agree to have yourself removed from the blocked users list.
- Try to find the account again.
Note. If the user does not want to remove the ban on you, create a new page and subscribe to them without revealing your identity.
Causes and mistakes of Instagram search
In addition, there are two more reasons why an error may occur. These are:
- temporary page block;
- permanent ban from the administration.
In both cases, the desired person may disappear from the search for a long time. Let’s figure out why this happens.
Temporary profile block
If the page owner wants to temporarily leave the social network, they can use the temporary block option. This can be done in the “Settings” section through the help center. Ultimately, the Instagram search engine will not find their profile.
Useful to know. If a user does not log in within 1 month after a temporary block, their account will be permanently deleted.
There are two ways to change the situation:
- Wait for the friend to recover;
- Search for the account through global search engines like Google or Yandex.
If the first option is clear, the second one needs to be examined in more detail. To work with Yandex or Google, you will need to:
- Go to one of these websites and click on the search bar.
- Type in the query “Instagram (username)”.
- Click “Find”.
Usually, the top result displays the found account of a person you know.
If this does not help, use the following life hack: go to your feed through a web browser. Add the blocked friend’s nickname after “Instagram.com/” in the URL bar. Tap Enter.
Permanent account suspension
If an account has disappeared without a trace and the system has been reporting for more than a month that it cannot be found, it means that the account has been permanently blocked. This could be due to:
- a permanent ban for repeated violation of the user agreement;
- complete removal from the service at the owner’s discretion.
In any case, the account simply no longer exists and there is nothing that can be done about it. The only hope is that the owner may want to create a new blog.
How to find an Instagram user by their username
To find a friend by username, follow the step-by-step instructions below:
- Unlock your smartphone screen and launch the Instaseti app.
- Tap on the icon that looks like a “magnifying glass” and click on the search bar.
- Type in the username that you know.
- Select the appropriate page from the suggested ones and open it.
- Click on “Follow”.
If the social network says that the search is impossible, try to cheat and “rummage” through the subscriptions of acquaintances. To do this:
- Open any profile.
- Go to the “Subscriptions” tab.
- Scroll through the entire list manually or use the search engine.
What to do if the profile is not displayed
If none of the methods helped you find the person you need, don’t despair. Use the built-in “Interesting People” feature in the app. It allows you to see who among your contacts is registered on the social photo network. You can synchronize friends from Facebook.
The algorithm of actions in this case is as follows:
- Log in to the Instagram app using your standard login (username/email/mobile number) and password.
- Click on the functional button to open the drop-down menu. It is located in the upper right corner of the screen.
- Click on the “Interesting People” line.
- Select “Connect Contacts” or “Connect to Facebook”.
- Confirm.
Done. Now carefully study the list of recommended users. Perhaps the person you need is right there.
If the message “User not found” appears in Instagram, there may be several possible reasons. They are all described in detail above. So familiarize yourself with them more carefully and remember the ways to solve them. This will help you forget about such an error once and for all and find your friends.