Instagram User Not Found Message? This Is Why

Profile photo of Karen Lin, author

Karen Lin

Uncategorized | Jul 09, 2023

Want More Real Instagram Followers?

Are you attempting to locate the Instagram profile of a specific individual? Do you keep getting the Instagram “User not found” message? Don’t worry. You’re not the only one who feels this way. This annoying message pops up rather frequently on Instagram. There could be any number of explanations for its appearance.

It is a common misconception that receiving the notice “User not found” indicates the person in question has blocked you. However, this is not necessarily the case. Any number of different things may have caused this warning. 

You’re not alone. You presumably attempted to look up someone’s profile by searching for their username. Maybe you tried to send them a direct message but could not connect with them. Many factors could have contributed to Instagram showing this message.

Instagram does not provide a more in-depth explanation. You may have to speculate when it shows the “user not found” notice. The following scenarios are among the most frequent causes of this problem message. You will be responsible for conducting your own investigation into the matter. We hope that this post can assist you in learning why the user not found on IG message can display on your Instagram account.

Close-up of a smartphone showing the Instagram app.

Instagram User Not Found: Some Technical Explanations

There could be technical explanations for the Instagram “user not found” message. It may have nothing to do with the other Instagram user. It may not even have anything to do with Instagram. Here are some things you could do on your end. However, if this problem continues to occur, you will need to contact Instagram’s customer care. Maybe they can assist you in resolving this problem.

  1. Did you update the IG app?

Consider using the most recent update of the Instagram app. You will have access to a newer version, of course. It will have the majority of the issues that were present in earlier versions resolved. This would give you a better user experience. In addition, you will have the opportunity to try out all of the incredible new features in the most recent version of the app.

  1. Are you sure you’re connected to the internet?

You won’t be able to successfully log in to your Instagram account if you have a spotty internet connection. Therefore, you should verify the capacity of your internet as well as how quickly it runs. You can determine the speed of your internet connection by using various test websites.

Additionally, check that you are subscribed to a Wi-Fi service and have a reliable data connection. Check once more to ensure that you have completed this step correctly. Then attempt to log in again to determine whether the “user not found error” appears this time.

Now you know. These are some potential remedies that could assist in quickly resolving the Instagram “user not found” error. 

Barbed wires behind a concrete wall.

What Do When You Get the Instagram User Not Found Message at Login

These are tips for when this message comes up, but not for the reason you think. You weren’t trying to find a specific account on Instagram. You didn’t even get that far. You were trying to log in, and IG stopped you in your tracks. When you try to sign in to your account, and a user login error notice pops up on the screen, it can be really aggravating. You could wonder, “How do I fix the Instagram user not found error when I try to log in?”

You may have forgotten your login info. You can fix the IG user not found error effectively using the “forgot password” feature. This allows you to retrieve or alter your current password. The user mistake most frequently occurs when the user’s password and username are incompatible. However, that is only one of the many potential solutions to the problem of logging in.

Simply restart your device. Restarting your smartphone is one of the most common and straightforward solutions to device problems. This is effective on multiple occasions since it resets your phone and fixes any faults that it may have. It also assists files that were unable to load in the past by providing them with a new beginning to work from.

To restart your phone, press and hold the power button for several seconds, then select the restart option from the menu. After you have finished restarting your phone, try to log in once more. If this does not fix the problem that says the user could not be discovered, you will need to move on to the next option. These tips will help the login process.

Unseen person using a smartphone’s home screen with social media apps.

Instagram User Not Found: Why Does It Say User Not Found on IG All of a Sudden

So you’re asking,” ‘Why does it say user not found’ on IG?” Don’t assume the worst. There are several broad reasons you’re seeing “Instagram user not found.”

  1. You’re trying to access a disabled account. The social media platform Instagram is a lot of fun to use. Still, it’s not uncommon to run into users who occasionally feel the need to step away from it for a little while. It’s enough for some individuals to simply log out of their Instagram accounts. Some delete the app from their mobile device. Others find it more convenient to deactivate and reactivate their accounts entirely. 
  1. Incorrect username. Instagram users frequently swap their handles for many different reasons. Some people do it to reflect a shift in their brand identity. Do you say you’re receiving the “user not found” response? You may be trying to access the profile of a user who has changed their handle.  

This may result in you receiving a message with the term “user not found” when you try to access the profile. This also happens when you forget a letter or character in the person’s username. You can solve this problem by obtaining the most recent version of your username.

  1. It is a non-existent profile. The user may have deleted their account. This could explain why you received the IG “user not found” notice. There are a few possible explanations for this. The user may have grown tired of Instagram. They may think other social media accounts are more their speed. Maybe they just no longer need its services. When you attempt to view the profile pages of deleted Instagram accounts, you are met with an “Instagram user not found” error message.

Unseen person holding midnight black Samsung Galaxy S8 near a Macbook Pro looking at an image library.

Does User Not Found Mean Blocked: The Truth About  Instagram User Not Found

The Instagram “user not found” notification can come as a shock. You don’t get a warning before. Naturally, you ask, “Does user not found mean blocked?” It is imperative that you show proper courtesy to the individual whose decision it is to block you. This is regardless of whether or not you agree with their choice. You will continue to receive the Instagram “user not found” error message until they decide otherwise.

You must understand that receiving such a notice does not signify that the user blocked you. We will explain why you observed such a mistake in the first place in case the matter concerns you.

If another user on Instagram chooses to block you, you can no longer view that user’s profile. You can find their profile in recent searches. However, clicking on it will bring up an error notice saying that the user cannot be located on Instagram.

How To Unblock on Instagram When User Not Found  Shows up for Someone Else

Now, before drawing any hasty judgments, we strongly recommend carrying out a few simple checks. You might be wondering how to unblock on Instagram when user not found shows up for someone else. There are ways to check if someone blocked you on Instagram. The profile of the appropriate person should still be available to other people.

Ask a friend or two to try to reach the account. If it is available to your friends, then you know they have blocked you because they can see it. Then again, they may have blocked your friends too. Who knows if the person knows you all in person? Maybe they have transferred their real-life beef to Instagram. Do you have a burner or second account? Try accessing the page this way.

These tips are practical only where the page is not a private one. Hopefully, they’ve been helpful nonetheless.

Using Settings To Unblock Someone: Instagram User Not Found

Does someone get the Instagram user not found message when they search your name? You are free to unblock them if you want. Finding the account that you blocked may be difficult. Luckily there is a way around this. Instead of finding the individual account, you can go to Settings.

Unblocking a profile from the settings section of your Instagram account is a straightforward process. People with mobile devices running either iOS or Android can follow the step-by-step guide below.

  1. Launch the Instagram app on the mobile device you’re using.
  1. To view your profile, select your photo from the menu in the bottom-right corner.
  1. Tap the three lines in the top-right corner of the screen.
  1. Choose ‘Privacy’ under the ‘Settings’ menu option.
  1. Tap the ‘Blocked accounts’ option that you’ll find after scrolling down to the ‘Connections’ submenu.
  1. Find the profile of the user whose access you want to restore, and then press the “unblock” button.

These six steps should remedy the IG user not found issue easily.

Empty subway train with bright yellow seats.

How To Fix User Not Found Instagram When You Know You Aren’t Blocked

You say you’re absolutely certain that this person would never block you. In fact, you just spoke to them, and they don’t recall doing that. Yet, you can only see their profile picture. This is frustrating, of course. Now you need to know how to fix user not found Instagram message. Verify that you’re not seeing the Instagram user not found message in error.

You can verify that this is the issue in the following ways:

  1. Examine presence on various social media networks. Check the individual’s profile on social media platforms. Look at TikTok or Twitter to see if they’ve updated any of their information. You may find that they’ve changed their handles overall. Check on the links there. The user may have edited their Instagram URL link.
  1. Examine the list of people you are following or the list of people who are following you. Are you looking for a person with whom you share followers? You can go to the profile of one of the mutual followers and search for the person’s name. You’ll likely identify the person based on their name or profile picture.
  1. Check your chat history. Have you previously communicated with the individual in question? Go to your Instagram inbox to see if the conversation is there. From there, you will be able to visit their profile.

Sadly, if the reasons mentioned above reveal that they did block you, there is little you can do. 

White brick wall in daylight.

Instagram User Not Found Shouldn’t Keep You Back From Growth

Our group is well-versed in organic growth. Path Social has invested ten years in building an internal platform for our clients. The  AI targeting algorithm and Instagram influencer resources will increase followers. Query our customers. They will vouch for us. An Instagram user not found message won’t hold you down.
Amass a devoted following. We can assist you in creating a specialized Instagram community. Do you want to increase your Instagram following? With Path Social, increase your Instagram following right away.