Instagram is a social platform where you can find 500 million daily active users. On Instagram, you can post pictures or videos, send messages, share stories, and IGTV videos, and search for new people. But sometimes you see ‘User not found’ whom you already know that they are on Instagram. So, here is a guide on how to fix Instagram users not found and what are its causes.
Why does the message ‘User Not Found’ when you try to find someone on Instagram? It is not a big problem but it can be annoying when it happens to you. You can either check the username and search again, ask friends or send a message to the user through other social media. The key here is to know whether the user is on Instagram or not and if this issue can be fixed from there.
What Does Instagram User Not Found Mean?
When you try to find someone or stalk on Instagram then the user not found issue occurs. There are certain things to look at and there may be various reasons for it. Like username has been changed, the account is either deleted, disabled, suspended, or blocked. These are the reasons for ‘user not found’ error on Instagram. So, below we have explained the reasons to you in detail.
User Has Deleted Their Instagram Account
If you cannot find the user on Instagram, the main reason could be the user has deleted their account. When someone deletes his/her account you will get a user not found message. So, the easiest way to find out if someone deletes their Instagram account is to search them with their username.
Also, you can go to your Followers or Following section to find out if they are on the list. If you could not find them on the list, they have deleted their account. When you go through the older post where the user has been tagged or you have messaged them before. Then you will see a ‘User Not Found’ error if you try to visit their Profile from the link.
Username Has Been Changed On Instagram
While signing up for an Instagram account you have to give a username that should be unique. But you can change your username on Instagram at any time later. You are searched on Instagram with your username. So, when you make a slight change to your username then nobody could find you with your old username.
For example, if you have a username ‘sandy’ before and you have changed it into ‘sandy_me’ then people could not find you with the username ‘sandy’ on Instagram. It works similarly to an account password as you cannot access your account if you have changed your password.
User Has Been Blocked On Instagram
When you try to visit someone’s profile on Instagram who has blocked you then you can’t view their profile. However, if you have been talking to that person on DM then you can visit their profile but you cannot access their content. You cannot see any of their posts, followers, following, or anything under their account.
Then if the user is in your recent section, it will show a ‘User not found’ error message. After that, you cannot view their profile until he or she unblocks you.
User Has Deactivated The Instagram Account
The other reason for the ‘User not found’ message is that a user has deactivated his/her account on Instagram. You can deactivate or disable your Instagram like you can on Facebook. If you do not want to use Instagram for a while you can deactivate your account. And your profile will be hidden on Instagram though your account will still be there.
But the error message occurs as ‘User not found’ when somebody tries to search your account on Instagram. Later on, you can re-activate your same Instagram account again when you want to.
Instagram Account Has Been Suspended
When somebody violates the community guidelines and policy of Instagram, his/her account will be suspended by Instagram. It is permanently banned from Instagram and cannot be acquired again. So, you will see a ‘User not found’ message if you are searching for the profile of a suspended account.
When someone posts inappropriate content, bully someone, spread violence, terrorist act, harmful content, etc. then you will get banned on Instagram. That means your Instagram account will be suspended forever. You will not get any notifications or warnings from Instagram about suspension if it records multiple reports of breaking policy.
How To Fix User Not Found Issue On Instagram?
If you come across a ‘User not found’ issue on Instagram due to various reasons. Then you can try these options to make sure that you find the correct profile you are looking for. So, these are the possible things to fix the issue.
Search For A Valid Username
The main thing is to know whether you are searching for the correct username of a user or not. If you are searching for a wrong profile or your spelling is mistaken then you cannot find the profile on Instagram. When you search for a profile on Instagram, it shows you the list of accounts that matches your keyword but may not show you all.
So, you have to use a full username correctly to find the exact profile of a user. For that you have to know the right spelling of a user and whether they have changed their username or not.
Ask For Your Friend
The other option which you could do when you cannot find the user on Instagram is to ask for your friend. You may have a mutual friend who knows the user whom you are searching for on Instagram. So, if your friend is already following that account, you can ask them for a username. Even if the user has changed their username your friend could know it. Then the ‘User not found’ error message can be fixed.
Search Through Other Social Media
If you could not find a user on Instagram you can go through other social media accounts. The user may have an account on Facebook, Twitter, or others with the same username. So, you can find out their Instagram account on other social media accounts. If they have updated the username of their Instagram account it may be updated on other social media accounts too. This way your ‘User not found’ issue can be solved. The issue can be with Instagram not loading itself so checking other social media is a good alternative.
Send A New Message
If you have chatted with someone on Instagram then you can find the chat history on the DM section. And when you try to visit their profile, you will see the ‘User not found’ message. Usually, this occurs when a user has changed their username or blocked you on Instagram. So, you can send a new message to let them know that you are searching their profile on Instagram. But you never know whether the message is reached to that person or not.
How To Unblock When an Instagram User Is Not Found?
When you can visit a profile on Instagram but could not find any of their content. Then definitely you have been blocked from their Instagram account. You have not visited the wrong profile but you are blocked so you do not have access to the content.
If someone has blocked you on Instagram then you cannot unblock it by yourself. But if you have blocked someone then you can see their content and unblock them. Here are the steps to unblock someone on Instagram.
Step 1: Launch An Instagram Account
Launch an Instagram account on your device.
Step 2: Search For An Account
Search for an account that you have blocked from the search bar.
Step 3: Tap On The Profile
Once you find them, tap on their profile and it will take you to the user profile.
Step 4: Unblock An Account
Click on the ‘Unblock’ option from the menu.
Why Instagram ‘User Not Found’ But Can Message Them?
If you cannot find the user on Instagram but can send a message to them then they have blocked you. You could not see their posts, stories, and other content but can message them. If you have been chatting with them previously you can continue it. But you cannot find their profile on Instagram.
Likewise, if the account has been deleted or suspended then you can neither visit their profile nor can you message them.
Why Does Instagram ‘User Not Found’ Appear But I Can See Profile Picture?
If you are facing a problem of ‘User not found’ but can see their profile picture then they may have changed the username, and the account is disabled or suspended. But you cannot even see a profile picture if the account is deleted.
What Does It Mean If Instagram ‘Users Not Found’ With ‘No Posts Yet’ Appears
If there is a message ‘No Posts Yet’ along with ‘User not found’ then the user has blocked you on Instagram. You cannot view any of their content if someone blocks you. But if you can see the ‘Followers’ or ‘Following’ in the bio with ‘No posts yet’ then the user has not posted anything yet.
What Does It Mean User Not Found While Logging In?
While logging in to your Instagram account, if it shows ‘User not found’ then you have entered the wrong credentials. You cannot successfully log in to your Instagram account unless your username and password match your account. So, Instagram will not recognize your account and show the error message. Therefore, it is necessary to remember your username and password while logging in to your Instagram account.
Frequently Asked Questions
There may be some queries regarding how to fix Instagram users not found the issue on Instagram. So, here you can find some answers to your queries regarding the issue.
Does It Mean You Are Blocked On Instagram If You See ‘User Not Found’ Message?
It could be anything along with being blocked on Instagram like the account has been deleted or disabled, changed the username, the account is suspended, etc. So, it does specifically mean that you are blocked on Instagram.
Can A User Still See My Profile After Blocking?
Yes, they can see your profile or bio even if they have blocked you on Instagram. But they will not be able to find your posts.
How Do You Know If You Have Been Blocked On Instagram?
You will not be able to see any of their posts, ‘followers’ or ‘following’ on their account if they block you on Instagram.
Conclusion
Thus, you don’t have to feel irritated if you see the ‘User not found’ message on Instagram. The reason could be anything so you have to find out why this is happening and try to solve the issue. But if you could not fix them then the account may be deleted, disabled, or suspended.
