Complete Guide to Searching for Someone on Instagram (2024)

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Discover new friends using search, your contacts list, or Facebook

Co-authored by Rain Kengly Reviewed by Anyah Le Gilmore-Jones

Last Updated: October 17, 2024 Fact Checked

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Searching by Username

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Using the Discovery Feature

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Syncing Contacts

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

ARTICLE

VIDEO

If you know the name of an account you want to follow on Instagram, you can easily search for it using the search tool. You can also use the Discovery feature to find suggestions for people to follow, including people from your Facebook account and personal contact list. This wikiHow teaches you how to find people to follow on Instagram using your iPhone, iPad, or Android.

Quick Steps

Open the Instagram app.
Tap the magnifying glass icon at the bottom.
Enter a display name or username in the search field.
Tap the Accounts tab.
Tap a user.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Searching by Username

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This looks like a camera with a multicolored background. Log into your account if you aren't already.^{[1]
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It's the second icon at the bottom of the screen.

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This is the grey field at the top of the screen with "Search" written in it. Your phone's keyboard should pop up.
As you type, results will appear below the search bar.
This is the tab at the top, and it will filter your results to only include users.
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Tap the account you want to see. This opens that user's profile. If the page is public, you'll see a grid of their posts. If not, you'll just see their profile image and bio.
- If you don't see the account you want to follow, scroll down to view more options. You can also add more words or try a different spelling.
7
Tap Follow. This is the blue button underneath the user's bio. This will follow the account; you'll be able to find this account in your profile's Following section from now on.
- If the account is private, tapping Follow will send a request to the account owner. If they approve the request, you'll start following the account.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using the Discovery Feature

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This looks like a camera with a multicolored background.
This is in the bottom-right corner.
You can find this to the right of your profile picture, next to followers.
This is the blue button at the very bottom of the page.
You'll see a list of all recommended users. This includes users followed by your Instagram friends.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Syncing Contacts

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1
Open the Instagram app. This looks like a camera with a multicolored background.
- You can use this method to sync your phone's contact list or your Facebook's friend list.
This is in the bottom-right corner.
You can find this to the right of your profile picture, next to followers.
This is the blue button at the very bottom of the page.
You'll see two buttons: one for Facebook and one for your contacts. Select the one you want to sync.
6
Sync your contacts. If you're syncing your Facebook contacts, you'll need to log into your account with the pop-up menu and allow access to your friend list.
- If you're syncing your phone contacts, you'll need to allow access to your contact list.

Community Q&A

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Question

How can I find someone's Instagram account if all I have is a photo of them?

Community Answer

Use reverse image searchers like Google Image, TinEye, etc. You will only find the picture if it is on their account and their account is public.

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Question

Can I find a person on Instagram without having an account?

Community Answer

Yes. But if you're not logged in, you can't search unless you're already on an Instagram page. You can search for a profile within a search engine, and from there you can use the search bar at the top and search for any profile or tag. You can see the posts if they're not private, but can't click them or view comments unless you're logged in.

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Question

How can I find an account using only photos?

Community Answer

You can search by tags if they're unique enough, such as if the posts are tagged with the user's unique screen name.

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If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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wikiHow Video: How To Find People Near You On Instagram

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Tips

You can make your account private if you have information on it that you don't want to be public.

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Syncing your contact list to Instagram may make it possible for your friends, family, and business contacts to find your personal Instagram account.

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