Social Media has become an integral part of our lives. Today, if you want to find someone, you use Social Media before anything else. But the modern updates should make things easier for you to find someone, right?
It can be a little tricky to find someone on Instagram. Facebook is relatively easy, but new security features do pose a threat. Instagram is a little more challenging. How so?
Well, for starters, you can’t magnify and check a person’s profile picture. That’s the first thing we check out to find people we know. But, don’t you worry! This is the guide that covers every valuable piece of information for you.
If you’re wondering how you can find people on Instagram, this is the guide for you. So without further ado, let’s begin!
Methods To Find People On Instagram
Instagram has evolved significantly over the years. Today, it has made it easier for you to find people. You can search for a person’s name and see search results immediately.y
The only challenge is that people with the same name exist. In short, knowing someone’s name might not be enough for finding them on Instagram. But, there are other methods available for you.
Still, there are plenty of methods for you to use. So, let’s explore them.
1. Search Bar Is Your Friendly Media
Remember this, Instagram’s search option is your friend for finding anything. Whether you want to find an account, relevant posts, pages, or something else, you will have to use it. So, where can you find the search bar?
- Whether you have an app or open Instagram on a Web browser, it always has a search option. It is the magnifying glass icon you see. While it would depend on the app, it is usually on the top-right corner of the screen.
- There are many options for you to choose from when you search for something. But first, to search for someone, you need to know their username or actual name.
- Now, as mentioned earlier, it is easier to find someone if you know their username. The more accurate the username is, the easier it is to find the person. Even something simple as a dot would make a difference in search results.
- So, if you type G.A.R.Y_STU, you will find someone with that ID. If you type G_A_R_Y.STU can open another ID. That is if an ID by that name exists. So, you indeed have to know the correct username of the person.
Remember that searching by actual name can bring you several results. This is because many people have the same name. But there is a little filter that will automatically work.
If you have a mutual account following the person you’re searching for, you will see them higher in the results.
For example, if you and your friend are following someone named Gary. It will pop higher on the search results. But, it could or could not be the same Gary, still.,
2. Using The Filters Service
When you search for someone in the Instagram search bar, you will see a couple of filters. These filters are ‘Top, Tags, Accounts/People, Places.’
Now, these filters can either help you ease up the search process or make it equally challenging. How so?
- Top: By default, when you search for something, Top is selected. The ‘top’ option works on the algorithm of ranking the profiles. In other words, you will get results according to popularity and engagement. But, you can also get results according to how many people that you know are following them.
- Accounts: If you select this option, Instagram will filter accounts. You will only receive results from the existing accounts.
- Audio: This is an irrelevant filter. If you use this, you will only find the audio of the name. This is good for creating Instagram reels and such, but not for finding people.
- Tags: Instagram works on the model of hashtags. If you want to search for a post, you can use hashtags. This can also work for finding people if they have a unique hashtag. For example #Gary_Creates, or #I_Write could help you find the post. If that person uses unique tags on their posts, it becomes easier for you to find them.
- Places: This option works if you are using a place to find the person. For example, if you know a Cafe, Street Name, or City name where the person might be. But, this will only work if the person has used the location in any of their posts. If they have not used it on any of their posts, this option will not work.
If you find the person you’re searching for, you can check their account. But, you can only access their posts if they have an open account. If they don’t have an open account, it won’t work.
You will have to rely on their username, profile picture, and a little profile information. You can send a follow request if it is a private account. Then, check the account later to see if it is the person you were searching for.
3. Use Facebook Contacts For Network
Now that Facebook owns Instagram, it has become easier to find people. Even before that, if you connect your Facebook, you could find people.
If you connect your FB account with your IG account, you will start receiving suggestions. It will be according to the people you might know. All you need to do is sync Facebook account with Instagram:
- Open the Instagram app. Click on your Profile Icon and select the Menu (three lines or bar Icon). Then select Settings
- Now, click on Accounts Centre. There you will have the ability to sync your Facebook account.
- There used to be a ‘Discover People’ option. If that shows in your settings, you can try that. Either way, you will have to add an account and connect to Facebook.
- You might have to log into Facebook and provide credentials when you do that. But, once you do that, you can sync the two accounts.
- Once Facebook syncs the friend list, it will show you a new list to follow. You can click on the Follow All option to follow all your Friends from Facebook on IG.
- Now, you can return to your Instagram App and use it.
How To Search Someone By Phone Number On Instagram
You can’t directly type the phone number of the person on the Search Bar of Instagram. It won’t yield the results that you’re expecting. Using phone numbers directly on Instagram doesn’t work for the users.
There’s a feature known as Contacts Syncing. As the name suggests, it allows you to add and sync contacts from your phone. This feature can help you find someone on Instagram by using your phone number.
Once you go through with contacts syncing, you will start receiving recommendations. You can see the on the news feed according to the contacts you add.
This only happens if the other person has added the phone number to their IG account. If someone else has the phone number that you sync, you will find that person.
Instagram gradually syncs contacts from time to time. The more it updates, the more suggestions you will get. It will fall under the ‘people you may know’ category.
You can also delete a contact or stop syncing if you don’t want it. There’s an entirely different set of instructions available for this below. For now, let’s focus on performing the contacts syncing:
- First, make sure that you have the Instagram app on your Smartphone.
- Next, go to your profile by clicking on your profile picture Icon.
- Then select the menu button and click on ‘Discover People.
- Now click on the Connect button option. You will also find Connect To Facebook and other options here. Make sure to use connect contacts.
- Permission will prompt. Next, it will ask your phone to allow access to the contacts. Choose accordingly.
- Now go back to the Discover people option. This place will now have more people added according to your phone number.
How To Search Instagram Id Through Phone Number- Whatsapp Contacts
There is another way for you to use a phone number and find users on Instagram. If you have someone saved on your Whatsapp, this method can work. WhatsApp is also owned by Facebook now. So, it is reasonably easy for you to use this method:
- Open the Instagram application. Go to the Menu button and find ‘Follow and Invite Friends.’
- There, you will find an option to send an Email, SMS, or use the Whatsapp Facility.
- Now, select WhatsApp. It will open your WhatsApp app. But, it might ask for some permissions.
- After that, all you need to do is select the people you want to share your IG account with.
- Once they receive and read the message, they can add you. Then, you can ask your friends to do the same for you.
It is easier than the Email option to use WhatsApp. Nowadays, a lot of friends and family members are connected on WhatsApp. But, this method won’t work if you haven’t been in touch with your friend in a long time.
Can You Find Someone On Instagram Via Email?
You can’t find anyone on Instagram by using the email ID. Even if you use the complete email ID, it might not work. At least, that’s not how it works on Discover People or Search Bar option. But, you can use email to find the person on Facebook first.
When you do that, you will eventually get the same person as suggested on Instagram. The only way for you to use Email to add people is via Invite.
- Go to the Menu and Settings.
- Find the ‘Follow And Invite Friends’ option.
- Then select the Email app you use.
- Send the Email to your friend.
- If your friends check their Emails, they will find your invitation list.
So, this option can work if you know someone’s Email address. Other than this, email is useless. So, in the hope of finding a long-lost friend or inviting a person to IG, you can try this.
Tips For Instagram Phone Number Search Online
There are many ways available for you to find an Instagram User. But, remember, if they are not on Instagram, you won’t find them there. Also, if they have deactivated their ID, you won’t find them there. So, make sure of these things before you try to find someone.
Now. There can still be some problems finding people on Instagram. So, here are some tips that can help ease things out for you:
1. Try To Find The Suggested Users
Instagram works on a unique algorithm. As you keep using Instagram, the suggestions update. You will find the list of people you may know. This list usually uses information from your Contacts, Facebook, and other connections. The more you have connections, the more it will utilize this information.
You will also see the list of people that are followed by the people you already follow. That’s now the entire network of IG works for connecting people. You can also find this option in Discover people, under the ‘Suggested’ field.
2. Check Your Friend’s Following List
If you have friends on Instagram, you can check out the people they are following. For this, all you need to do is search for your friend’s profile. Then, open their profile and check the ‘Followers / Following’ options.
If you select the Followers option, you will find people that are following your friend. But, if you choose the following option, you will get a list of people that your friend follows. Both of their uses.
There is also an option that suggests the hashtags that your friend follows. You can try those out, as well.
But this is an excellent option to find people that you think might be following, or followed by, your friend.
3. Search On Google
It is interesting to see how much technology has improved. Google remains top in the game. You can type your name and see the results of your profile on Google. Go ahead and give it a try.
You might see your ID, or someone with the same name as yours, and their IDs. You can see them on the list and visit them.
So, if you know a person’s name, you can try to use the Google search option. You can use almost anything from a phone number to a username that you might know and much more. Google will show you the results wherever this information is used.
4. The Picture Option
Like Google Search, there is an option for you to search through pictures. You can go to Google’s Image search and drag and drop a photo. Furthermore, you can ask Google to search for things that are identical and find options.
But remember, if you’re trying to find a person on Instagram through Picture, it might be a bad option. This is because Instagram doesn’t maximize the profile picture view itself. Check out this article if you are getting any server error on Instagram.
Reasons Why Search Instagram By Phone Number Not Working
Can you still not find the person you’re looking for? Even after all the methods available? There can be several reasons why you can’t find someone on Instagram.
- They might not have an Instagram account. However, it is a highly likely scenario because many people still haven’t joined Instagram. More people are joining every day. You can try to use the invite method with your friend.
- They might have deactivated or deleted their account. Often, many users do this so that they can focus on other aspects of their life.
- They could’ve changed the username. There’s also a possibility that they are using an entirely different name. This will make things more challenging for you.
- Make sure that you’re writing down the correct username. This includes capitalization, symbols, punctuation, and such. Everything matters.
- If the person has blocked your account, you will not find them on Search and such.
- Maybe Instagram isn’t working correctly at the moment. You can return and try again. Give it a break. Remember that if you follow too many people, Instagram may slow down the suggestions.
- If you don’t have the saved contact number, it will be challenging to find the person. This only applies if you’re using Contact Sync. If you’re using Facebook connections, the same rule may apply there.
- Maybe the person is using another phone number. Often, people end up using a different number. Some people do it consciously. Others could do it without knowing. So, this could very well be the reason if you’re unable to find people on Instagram.
In most cases, if you’re in touch with the person and can’t find them, it is better to ask them.
Conclusion – How To Search Instagram Account By Phone Number
This wraps up everything you need to know about finding people on Instagram. While the guide focused on finding people through Phone numbers, it brought you other information as well. Thus, you can use this information to find the people.
Phone numbers are not essential for finding people today. But, it acts as a filter, and that surely helps. So, next time you want to find someone, get their email or something else because that’s the best way to find someone nowadays.