Did you recently viewed someone’s profile and got the “User not found error” on Instagram?
Maybe you’ve direct messaged someone recently but when you visit their profile, you get the error message.
Or maybe you searched for someone on Instagram but their user is not found.
Either way, there are multiple causes for the error, and it doesn’t always mean that you’re blocked.
In this article, you’ll learn 5 different reasons why you got the “User not found error” on Instagram.
By the end of the article, you should have a clear understanding of why you saw the error.
Table of Contents
- What does “User Not Found” mean on Instagram?
- How can you tell if you have been blocked on Instagram?
- Why can’t I find an Instagram user?
- Why can’t I find someone on Instagram if I’m not blocked?
What Does “User not found” Mean on Instagram?
The “User Not Found” error on Instagram either means that the user has changed their username, blocked you, deleted their account, their account is suspended, or their account is disabled.
If the user blocked you, the “User Not Found” error will show up when you try to visit their profile.
Similarly, if a user changed their username, deleted their account, or if their account is suspended/disabled, their profile will no longer exist on Instagram.
Below are the 5 reasons why you got the error message on Instagram.
1. Username has changed
The first reason why Instagram says “User not found” is because the user has changed their username.
When someone changes their username, you will be unable to find them using their old username.
Visiting someone’s profile using their previous handle may result in the “User not found” error.
This is because their old username is no longer in use.
So, you need to search for the person’s new username if you want to find them on Instagram.
If you search for their old username, you’ll not be able to find them on Instagram.
But if you happen to find them on the search results using their old username, visiting their profile may result to a “User not found” error.
In order to find the person on Instagram again, you may need to get in touch with them.
Ask them for their new username, and search it on Instagram.
Once you do, you should be able to visit their profile without receiving the error message.
2. You’re blocked
Next, if you receive the “User not found” error when you’re visiting someone’s profile, there’s a high chance that you’re blocked.
This is one of the most common reasons why you received the error.
The most common reason for the “User not found” error on Instagram is because the person has blocked you.
If someone blocks you on Instagram, you will receive the “User not found” error if you’re still able to visit their profile.
When someone blocks you on Instagram, you won’t be able to find them on Instagram.
This means that if you search for their username, their profile won’t show up on the search results.
However, this is an exception if you have direct messaged them before, or if their profile is in your recents.
For example, if the person just blocked you while you’re direct messaging them, their profile is still visible from your direct messages.
But when you visit their profile from your direct messages, you’ll receive the “User not found” error.
Additionally, if their profile is in your recent search results, you’ll still be able to visit their profile.
Similar to visiting their profile from your direct messages, visiting their profile from your recents will result in the “User not found” error as well.
All in all, there’s a high chance that the person has blocked you if you got the “User not found” error when you visit their profile.
3. Account is deleted
Thirdly, the account might be deleted by the user.
Whenever someone deletes their account, their profile will be gone, along with all of their posts.
When you visit the profile of someone who recently deleted their account, you’ll see a “User not found” error.
This means that their username no longer exists on Instagram.
So, if you were to visit their profile, you will receive the “User not found” error if they deleted their account.
If an account is deleted, it can no longer be found on Instagram.
However, if you happened to have direct messaged them before, or you have their profile in your recents, you’ll still be able to visit their profile.
But if you do visit their profile, it’ll show the “User not found” error.
4. Account is suspended
Fourthly, the account that you’re searching for might be suspended/disabled.
In other words, the account is permanently banned by Instagram.
When an account is suspended, their profile will no longer exist on Instagram.
When an account is suspended, its profile will no longer exist on Instagram.
The most common reason why an account is suspended by Instagram is that they have violated one or more of Instagram’s guidelines.
For example, they might have posted inappropriate content which resulted in a permanent ban.
Instagram gives little to no warning to accounts that violates their guidelines or terms of use.
If an account gets multiple reports for violating Instagram guidelines, or the AI detects it, the account will be suspended.
If that’s the case, visiting someone’s profile that was recently suspended will show the “User not found” error.
5. Disabled account
The final reason why you got the “User not found” error when visiting a profile is that the person has disabled their Instagram account.
Disabling an account is temporary; unlike deleting it.
If someone disabled their account, their account will be hidden from Instagram until they re-enabled it.
When someone disabled their account, their profile along with their interaction with posts will be hidden.
This means that their profile will be hidden from Instagram until they re-activate it.
So, when you visit someone’s profile that just got disabled, you will see the “User not found” error.
How can you tell if you have been blocked on Instagram?
If you have been blocked on Instagram, you will not be able to search for their profile.
However, you can still visit their profile if you’ve direct messaged them before or if they’re in your recents.
If you’ve direct messaged them before, you can still visit their profile from your direct message list.
But you’ll receive the “User not found” if you are blocked by them.
In addition, you can still visit their profile if they happen to be in your recents (in Instagram search).
Similarly, you’ll receive the error if you are blocked.
Why can’t I find an Instagram user?
You can’t find an Instagram user because they might have blocked you.
To confirm that you’re blocked on Instagram, you can utilize an alternate account.
Firstly, go to your main account and search for their username.
If you’re blocked, their account will be hidden from you.
Then, use an alternate account to find the person’s profile.
If you’re able to find it, then your main account is blocked.
Why can’t I find someone on Instagram if I’m not blocked?
If you’re not blocked, you can’t find someone on Instagram because of 4 reasons.
The user might have either changed their username or deleted their account.
Otherwise, their account might have been suspended or disabled.
Conclusion
The “User not found” error is quite common on Instagram.
In this article, you’ve learned 5 different reasons why you got the error.
To summarize, here are the reasons:
- The user has changed their username.
- You’ve been blocked.
- Their account is deleted.
- Their account is suspended by Instagram.
- The user has disabled their account.
Don’t jump into conclusions and verify the correct reason with the person first.
Further Reading
How to Introduce Your Business on Instagram: A Step-by-Step Guide
Why Am I Getting no Likes From Hashtags on Instagram?
Your Post Goes Against Our Community Guidelines Instagram (How to Fix)
Author: Lim How Wei is the founder of Followchain. Feel free to follow him on Instagram.
