How to tell if someone deleted their Instagram account?
Written by: Hrishikesh Pardeshi, Founder at Flexiple, buildd & Remote Tools.
Last updated: Sep 03, 2024
How to tell if someone deleted their Instagram? Or are you looking for a deactivated account of an Instagram user? Want to check if a person has deleted their account on Instagram? Your search ends with this article.
TL;DR & Summary
If you are unable to find someone on Instagram, either they have blocked you on Instagram or might have changed their username. To know if someone has deleted their Instagram account, search for their username or profile name. Look for the profile picture in the search results. The person you're looking for might have created multiple Instagram accounts with different names.
Table of Contents
Why would someone block you on Instagram?
People usually block other Instagram users for various reasons, including but not limited to: privacy concerns, spam, harassment, or simply because they no longer wish to see the content of that person. In some cases, blocking someone on Instagram may be necessary to protect oneself from online bullying or other forms of unwanted interactions.
Here are some reasons why someone might have blocked you on Instagram:
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You frequently post content that the person finds annoying, offensive, or irrelevant
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You repeatedly like, comment, or tag the person in posts that they don’t appreciate
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You have engaged in negative or inappropriate comments or behavior toward the person
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The person is trying to avoid seeing your posts in their feed or stories
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The person wants to cut ties with you or limit your access to their content
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The person has privacy concerns and doesn’t want you to see their posts or profile information
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The person has decided to take a break from social media and has blocked you along with other accounts
It's important to remember that blocking someone on Instagram is a personal decision and reflects the blocked person's preferences and priorities. If you have been blocked on Instagram, it’s best to respect the person's decision and not try to find ways around the block or contact the person through other means or even on other social media platforms.
How to find out if someone deactivated or deleted an Instagram account?
There are several means to determine if someone has deactivated or deleted their Instagram account.
By searching for their username, checking your messages and their activity on the platform, or checking from another Instagram account or a web browser, you may be able to get some indication of whether the person has left the platform or simply made their account private.
Additionally, checking other social media platforms and looking for signs such as a lack of profile pictures or saved posts, or a "user not found" message when attempting to access their profile can also provide some clues as to whether the person has deactivated or deleted their account.
Let's explore each of these symptoms in detail.
Search for the username
When you search for someone by their username and don't find them, there's a fair chance that they might have changed their actual username. In the Instagram search bar, look for their profile by searching for all the names you can think of.
If you can't find that person's profile, there's also a chance that that person deactivated the account. One thing to note is that deleted accounts don't show up in search results.
Check your messages
If you've ever had an exchange of direct messages with that person, you can check that conversation to see if you still can send messages to them. If they've deactivated or deleted their Instagram account, your message won't be sent.
If you ever used third-party apps to chat with them, check that as well. If they were a part of any group messages, check that as well.
If you're aware of any other account, try to get in touch with that account. Unless the new account is private now, you should be able to send messages to that new Instagram account.
Check their activity on Instagram
Instagram removes the activities of an Instagram account if that account is deactivated or deleted. Check your public posts on Instagram that had any form of activity (likes & old comments) from your friend's account.
Check a couple of posts to be double-sure. If you don't see those interactions, this confirms that they have deactivated or deleted their Instagram account.
If you use any third-party apps to track your Instagram accounts, search for their exact username to look for activity from them.
Related: How to Delete a Comment on Instagram - Updated Guide!
Check from another Instagram account
This is in case you suspect that they have blocked you on Instagram. You won't be able to view their account if they have blocked you. Try to search for their username in the search bar from a different account (either your friend's account or a new account)
You can also try to search for their profile on a mobile browser, just in case the Instagram app is underperforming.
If they have blocked your profile, you will not be able to view their posts from your profile, but the post count will be visible. Even their display picture will not be visible. You will not be able to send new messages, let alone access the old conversations.
Check from a web browser
In some cases, the app might be faulty and might not help you. Even if you know their username. This is the first method you should try when you aren't able to find them on the app.
Very few people use the web version of this social media platform, so there's no chance of a heavy load on the servers which can cause their profile page not to show up in search results on the app. If you don't find their profile on the web version as well, that means they have chosen to temporarily disable their account or they might have deleted their account.
Check other social media platforms
This is least likely to help, but if you're in dire need to get in touch with someone irrespective of the platform, then this should help. If you know their full name, search for them on other platforms. Chances are, you might find them with little to no effort.
You can even Google search their name followed by a social platform. This might help you bypass the faulty search bar on Instagram.
See if they have created a new Instagram account
In case that person has blocked you on Instagram or that person has deactivated their account, you should look for a new Instagram account. This requires you to know the username/profile name of their new account.
See if they have restricted you on Instagram
This feature is very unique in so many ways. Instagram introduced a feature to restrict an Instagram user to protect the whole ambiance from negative and abusive content.
However, people have started using this as an alternative to blocking. When someone restricts you on Instagram, you can't comment directly, all the messages you send land in the message requests section.
To check if an Instagram user has restricted you, check their activity status from one of your friend's accounts. If you can see that from a friend's account and not yours, this means that they have restricted your account.
Related: Explore top 10 Instagram stalker apps
No profile picture
The profile shows user not found
If you see a "User not found" error message, this means that the profile is deleted and not you can not message them. This is what the profile that has been deleted looks like
No saved posts
If you have saved posts from the profile you're looking for, those posts will no more be visible if they have deactivated or deleted their Instagram account.
Related: Does Instagram Notify When you Screenshot a Story or Post?
How to know if someone blocked you on Instagram?
Check out their profile without logging in
If you want to confirm whether a particular Instagram user has blocked you or not, then try to access their profile without logging in to your account on the web browser.
If you can see their profile without logging in, it's clear that they have blocked you. You can also use third-party apps to see their account activity.
Related: Does Instagram delete inactive accounts?- Unused Instagram accounts
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if someone has deactivated their Instagram account?
You can check if the account is still active by searching for the user's name or username on Instagram. If the account no longer exists, the user may have deactivated their account. Other signs that the account may have been deactivated are, no profile picture, a "user not found" error message, or the inability to send messages to the account.
If someone deactivated their account on Instagram, will I lose a follower?
Yes, if someone deactivates their account on Instagram, they will no longer be counted as one of your followers and you will lose access to their content and updates.
What happens when someone deleted their account Instagram?
When someone deletes their Instagram account, their profile, photos, videos, comments, likes, and followers will no longer be visible on the platform.
How can you tell if someone deleted their Instagram account?
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You can search for the username and if it returns "user not found" or "no profile found", it may indicate that the account has been deleted.
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You can also check your messages and see if you can still send messages to that person.
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If you see no activity from their account or if you are unable to see any saved posts, it may also indicate that the account has been deleted.
What happens when someone deactivates their Instagram?
When someone deactivates their Instagram account, their profile, photos, videos, comments, likes, and followers will no longer be visible on the platform, but their information will be saved and the account can be reactivated later.
What is the difference between being blocked and an account deactivated?
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Being blocked means that a person has restricted your access to their profile and you are no longer able to see their posts, send messages, or interact with them.
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An account deactivation means that the person has temporarily disabled their account and their information will be saved, but their profile, photos, and activity will not be visible.
What does it look like when someone deactivates Instagram?
When someone deactivates their Instagram account, their profile, photos, videos, comments, likes, and followers will no longer be visible on the platform, but their information will be saved and the account can be reactivated later.
Can a deactivated Instagram account be blocked?
No, a deactivated Instagram account cannot be blocked as it is not active on the platform.
How do you unblock a deactivated Instagram account?
To unblock a deactivated Instagram account, the person must first reactivate their account and then you can send them a follow request.
Is my Instagram account blocked or deleted?
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You can check if your account has been blocked by searching for the username and checking if the account shows that you have been restricted.
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If the account returns "user not found" or "no profile found", it may indicate that the account has been deleted.
What does being blocked on Instagram look like?
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When you are blocked on Instagram, you will not be able to see the person's posts, send messages, or interact with them.
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The profile will also show that you have been restricted.
Can you still see a blocked Instagram account?
No, when you are blocked on Instagram, you will not be able to see the person's posts, send messages or interact with them.