What Does “User Not Found” Mean On Instagram?

You might have encountered the phrase user not found while searching for your old friend. There are multiple reasons why you have run into this, but before knowing the reasons, you must understand what it means.

The user not found interface occurs when the person you are trying to find is not available or unreachable on Instagram. If you have had a word with the person lately, it would be surprising to see such issues. So, we have listed the causes of the user not found Instagram below.

Why Do I See “User Not Found” On Instagram?

Usually, the ‘User Not Found” error appears when the particular user you’re looking for has deleted their account or deactivated it for whatsoever reason. Here we’ve listed all the possible reasons you can’t find a user on Instagram.

1. The User Has Deleted Their Account.

When an Instagram user deletes their account, they can no longer view their IG account. An IG user can temporarily disable the account, but it can also permanently delete the account. Deleting an account removes it from Instagram and may require someone else to request your account username. If you can’t connect with a particular user, their account may have been deleted. And that’s why you are facing a user not found Instagram issue.

2. The User Has Changed Their Username.

Unlike most social media platforms, Instagram makes it easy to change your account’s username from your mobile app or desktop at any given time. The username forms the basis for the URL in your Instagram profile. Therefore, if the username is changed, the location on Instagram will change. Also, Instagram usually redirects users to new destinations, but this is not always the case. This means if someone changes their username, you won’t be able to find their old account.

The simple solution is to look for the user’s new user ID and face the Instagram user not found the problem.

3. The Users Not Found Because Their Account Has Been Banned.

If the user you’re looking for is posting irrelevant or inappropriate content on their IG account, then there’s a high chance that you’re getting the “User Not Found” prompt because of this. However, there are ways you can easily unshadowban an Instagram account, but to be on the safer side, make sure you or anyone violate Instagram’s community guidelines.

4. The User Has Blocked Your IG Handle.

This one’s the other most common reason you might not be able to reach a particular account on Instagram: You might be blocked by that user. If you’re blocked, you won’t be able to see that account or its stories and posts, and the experience will be the same as if the IG account has been disabled, deleted, or banned.

5. You’re Searching For The Wrong Username.

You might think this one’s not as necessary, but trust me, it is. Most of the time, people fluster between the number of underscores, full stops, or sometimes even the username that could be incorrect. So it’s always better to cross-check and ensure you’re typing the correct username.

6. The User Has Temporarily Disabled Their Account

People are often disabled when they want to practice social detox or enjoy a break from the online world. You must ask the person if they have disabled it to cross-check. If the above reasons don’t resolve the Instagram user not found problem, it might be a glitch or your account is not updated. 

7. Instagram Has User Not Found Glitch

As we discussed that the reason behind the Instagram user not found can be just a technical glitch. You can resolve this issue by restarting your device or re-installing Instagram. You must also see if the application is updated.

By the end of this article, you must have gotten all the answers about what user not found means on Instagram. It can either mean that the person you’re looking for has blocked you or has deleted their account.

Sometimes, Instagram can get a little overwhelming, and you might feel like getting rid of it. You shouldn’t directly delete your IG handle in such cases. Instead, you can disable your account for the time being.