Picture this, a new person sparks your interest!! You are now friends with them on Instagram. Late night phone calls, meme sharing have become a part of daily routine.
Few days pass, just when you thought all was well; you notice they have stopped looking at your stories. Are they alright? You visit their profile only to realize it shows nothing.
“Have they blocked you? Deactivated Instagram?”, you wonder!!? Or did you unknowingly do something? So many things run into our head the moment we are detached from someone we admire or talk to.
If this seems familiar, then how to know if someone has deleted their Instagram account, deactivated, or blocked you? Our detailed guide will surely help you overcome that dilemma.
Also Read –How To Allow Instagram Access To Photos
How to know if you’re blocked or they deleted their Instagram account?
Deleted Vs Blocked Account
After someone clicks/taps on permanently delete my account button on Instagram, they will not be able to log in to their Instagram account anymore.
In a more simpler term, the deleted Instagram account is the equivalent of digital demise. According to Instagram, all the photos, videos, chats you once shared become unavailable forever.
Blocking means the respective profile is visible to every one of their followers but you. If their messages, likes, comments are no longer visible, then it is possible they have blocked your profile from further accessing their Instagram account.
What Does a Deactivated Instagram Look Like?
Deactivation simply means taking some break off from the online world. This also means, everything goes back to normal(with all the data restored) once the user logs in to their Instagram account.
Here are few things to note-
- Your profile becomes completely invisible to others
- Your comments, likes, and postings become inaccessible
- Nobody will be able to look up your profile.
- No one can go through your profile to unfollow the account, thus your followers count will not change
- The messages and comments, you shared & sent, would still be visible.
How To Know If Someone Has Deleted Their Instagram Account
Thankfully, it is relatively not hard to find a blocked or deactivated account. Or it’s possible they have simply changed their username. Let us share some insights on how to find out if someone has blocked their Instagram account.
1. Visit Their Page Using Web Browser
This is the easiest and fastest way to know if someone is active on Instagram. If you remember their username, try looking it up on your web browser. Follow these instructions-
- Open Chrome or any other browser
- Insert their username on the search bar
- Make sure it doesn’t direct you to your Instagram account
Here’s a tip– Search for a profile in private browsing (so cookies and past searches don’t affect your result). Or you can also try making an alternate account.
What’s next? If it shows ‘Sorry this page isn’t available’- Then it’s possible they have deleted their account. However, if their page is still visible, you were blocked by the respective user.
There is also one more possibility, that they just changed their username. Since Instagram doesn’t direct you to their new profile, I suggest you look at other ways in the list.
2. Visit Your Follower And Following List
The game is afoot, Watson!! It’s time to wear your detective hats and look for clues in your current followers and following list.
Remember, you still don’t know their new username, so pay keen attention to similar names and profile pictures.
Unfamiliar with Sherlock? Then just look for their name in a mutual friends’ profile. Instagram shows every person in your profile who follows the same person, influencer etc. All their past engagement will automatically appear with a new username.
So, take a breather if you still see their profile; as they still have not deactivated their profile or blocked you.
There is still one more way left to explore!! So if you still have doubts!! Let’s explore further to find more about their account.
3. Search For Past Interactions With Them
If you are here, you didn’t manage to find their profile or name. The last thing to do is look for their past impressions on your profile.
For instance, look for direct messages that they have sent you or comments they left on your profile.
Check your DMs, if it simply states ‘Instagram User’ rather than their name, then they have either deleted their account or blocked you.
If it shows with a different name, then they must have changed their username without informing you.
In case there is no username, simply return to the first step or make an alternate account to check their profile.
A Secret Sneaky Way- Check Their Tagged Photos
This only works if you are friends with the person. If you think someone close to you is no longer visible. Go to your account and look for their name tag. If it’s not there, then unfortunately, the account was deactivated.
In this case, all you can do is wait for them to reactivate their profile.
Should You Use Third Party Apps To Check A Deleted Instagram Account?
The answer, in simple terms, is no. Do not entrust a third party site with your personal information like Instagram ID and password.
Third party apps, available online, rarely provide any useful information and constantly run under the risk of stealing your personal information while running malware through your personal device.
In any case, only use the app under the Umbrella of Play Protect Or App Store verified.
Conclusion
It is not unusual for someone to delete/deactivate their Instagram account for some time. It might be because of some personal reason or maybe them looking for a little break from social media.
Typically, Instagram doesn’t notify the followers of someone who has deleted their Instagram account. However, if you feel something is wrong and they have been away for a little while, you can also follow the steps above to know for sure if someone has deleted their Instagram account or not.
Try to avoid taking help of any third party app, as they pose severe privacy risks. Do ask around and take help from your mutual friends, before committing yourself to anything.
To conclude, we have laid out all the necessary steps required to see if someone has deleted their Instagram account or not. Do not fall for any phishing attempts online. And steer clear of anyone asking for money in return for showing someone’s profile.
