Is there a specific account that you have been searching for but can no longer find?
Perhaps it’s the account of a friend, or a business or brand account that you follow but can no longer find on your ‘Following’ list.
Whatever it is, when an account that you expect to see seemingly disappears, it can be easy for your mind to jump to conclusions.
Have they deleted their account completely? Have they blocked you? Is Instagram playing up for some reason?
In this blog, we share how to know if someone has deleted their account on Instagram.
3 Ways to Tell If Someone Has Deleted Their Account
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Search for the user using the search bar on the Explore page of Instagram.
It is important when searching for a user directly that you try searching both their username and the personal name that they have attached to their account. This is because users can sometimes change their username and handle, or their personal account name – which will mean that searching for the outdated name draws up no results.
Identifying the difference between an account that has been deleted, and one which is simply active under a new username or handle, is a matter or trial and error.
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If you have a DM history with them, search for your message stream
This is the best way to tell if an account has been deleted or if the username has simply been changed to one that you don’t recognise.
Head to the Direct Message inbox of your Instagram account and scroll down your messages until you find one with the account that you’re looking for. If the profile picture has been replaced by a grey figure, and their name has been replaced by a simple “Instagram User” title, then the account has been deleted.
NOTE: You need to have an existing chat history with the user in order for this particular technique to prove valuable. You cannot start a new chat with a deleted or deactivated profile.
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Head to a post that they have previously commented on or liked
If you have a post that you know the user previously commented on or interacted with, then you can check to see if the activity is still listed. If the interaction has gone, then you will know that they have deleted their account – as all existing activity from deleted accounts disappears along with their profile.
Has The Account Been Deleted or Have You Been Blocked?
Finally, it’s worth noting that many of the above symptoms of a deleted account will also be true of accounts that have blocked you as a user.
In order to confirm whether you have been blocked, or an account has been deleted, try accessing the profile that you are searching for from an alternative login. This could be through a friend’s Instagram, or through a second account that you manage.
If the profile is visible via another device or login, then you have been blocked.
If the profile remains unfindable, then you can be fairly certain that the user has deleted their account.
There are many reasons why someone might choose to delete, or temporarily deactivate their account. We hope this helps you to confirm whether an account has disappeared intentionally or just become hidden behind a new username!
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