Why Does Instagram Say “User Not Found”?

Are you trying to reach someone’s Instagram profile only to be greeted with a “User Not Found” error? There are various reasons Instagram displays this error message. Some reasons have to do with you, while others have to do with that user account. Here’s an explanation of various situations where you may get this error.

The most common reasons you can’t access someone’s profile are that there’s a typo in the entered username, the user has changed their username, the account you’re trying to access is disabled or deleted, Instagram has banned the account, or the account holder has blocked you.

There’s a Typo in the Entered Instagram Account Username

One reason you can’t access someone’s profile is that you’ve made a spelling error while typing the user’s username. Typos are pretty common, and including even one different character can lead you to an error page.

Check the username you’ve entered in the Instagram app and ensure it’s correct. If you aren’t sure of the username, it’s a good idea to contact the account owner via other mediums, like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, and ask for the correct username.

The Instagram User Has Changed Their Username

Another reason you get a “User Not Found” error is that the owner of the account has changed their username. This makes the old username (that you’re currently using) invalid, leading you to an error page.

In this case, you’ll have to ask the account holder to provide you with their new username. If you can’t contact the account owner for some reason, you can try searching for their name in the search bar to see if their profile appears in the search results.

The Instagram Account Has Been Deactivated

If you’ve verified that your entered username is correct and the user hasn’t changed their username, then a possible reason you get a “User Not Found” error is that you’re accessing a disabled account.

Instagram allows you to take a break from your social media life by deactivating your account. Disabling the account doesn’t delete the account or the account data; instead, it only pauses your account for a short period of time.

You can’t access a disabled Instagram account, and this is exactly what may have happened in your case. You can try to reach the account holder via other apps or social media platforms and ask if they’ve disabled their account. Usually, there’s a reason someone disabled their account, and the user may not want to share the reason why they’ve done so.

The Account Has Been Deleted

Instagram also displays the “User Not Found” error when you try to access a deleted user’s profile. The account holder may have removed their account for good, causing their account page to display an error message.

Like with many other situations, the only way to find out if the user has deleted their account is by contacting the user and asking them the question.

Instagram Has Banned the Account

One possible reason you get the above error while accessing someone’s account is that Instagram has banned that user account. Many actions, like inappropriate posts and breaches of community guidelines, can cause the company to suspend your account.

That account holder may have engaged themselves in activities that are against Instagram’s terms and conditions, forcing the company to put a ban on their account.

In this case, the account isn’t available to anyone on the platform.

The Account Holder Has Blocked You

Lastly, you get a “User Not Found” error if the account you’re trying to access has blocked you. When someone blocks your profile, you can’t access their Instagram posts, Stories, Reels, and any other content.

The good news is you can check if someone has indeed blocked your account. You can do this by using a secondary account to access the user’s account. For example, you can use your own secondary account or your friend’s account to see if they can access the profile page that you can’t.

If other users can access that profile page and you can’t, you’re blocked by that user.

There’s usually a reason someone blocks you. If you think you’re on good terms with that person, and they may have accidentally blocked you, you can reach out to them on other platforms and ask them to unblock your account.

Instagram Says “User Not Found” for Many Reasons

Instagram can’t find a user account for you for several reasons. The guide above describes various situations where Instagram may display the above error message. You should now have a better idea as to why you can’t access someone’s profile page on Instagram.

We hope the guide helps you.