How to Tell if Someone Has Deactivated or Deleted Their Instagram Account

We’ve all had that moment when we realize someone hasn’t been posting on Instagram as often as they usually do. You search for their account, only to find it’s nowhere to be seen. Soon enough, you’re left wondering: have you been blocked, or did they deactivate or delete their account?

1Check “Deactivated Accounts” in Your Followers List

Thankfully, Instagram lets you check if any of your followers or someone you follow hasdeactivated their Instagram account. So, if you either follow or are followed by the account in question, this method is a foolproof way to confirm. Here’s what you need to do:

Keep in mind that this method won’t work if the account doesn’t follow you and isn’t followed by you, or has been deleted instead of deactivated. If you’re able to’t find their name on the list, don’t be quick to think you’ve been blocked. Try one of the other methods below.

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2Search for the User

If an Instagram account that you don’t follow and that doesn’t follow you has disappeared, the best way to figure out if they’ve deactivated is by searching them up.

you may do so by tapping thesearch iconin the menu at the bottom of the screen. Then, tap thesearch bar, and type in theirNameorUsername. If the account doesn’t appear in the search results, it could mean they’ve deactivated, deleted, or blocked you.

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The best way to rule out being blocked is to search for their profile from another Instagram account. When someone deactivates or deletes their account, it becomes inaccessible to everyone on the app.

So, if the account doesn’t show up even when you search it up from another Instagram account either, they’ve likely deactivated or deleted their account. However, if the account does show up on another profile, you’ve unfortunately been blocked.

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3Go Through Your Messages

Instagram Direct Messages can be a lifesaver when you’re trying to figure out if someone has deactivated or deleted their account. This method will only work, however, if you’ve previously DMed the account in question and haven’t deleted the conversation.

You can check for a deactivated or deleted account by tapping thehomeicon at the bottom of the screen, and then tapping theMessagesicon in the top right corner of your screen. Begin by tapping theSearchbar and typing theirNameorUsername. If that doesn’t help, try searching for keywords you might have used in your conversations.

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For instance, if you remember talking about cats, try searching “cats.” Once you find the relevant conversation, tap the profile that seems to match. If their account has been deactivated, their profile picture will often be strangely replaced with yours, which can help you spot a deactivated account.

In most cases, a deactivated account will show up as “Instagram User.”

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Sometimes, their username might still appear, but when you tap their profile, none of their account information, like posts, followers, or following, will load, as shown in the images below.

On the other hand, a deleted account won’t show up in your search results. Instead, you’ll need to manually browse through your messages to find it. From what I’ve noticed in my DMs, deleted accounts appear as “deleted“followed by a string of random letters.

To figure out if the deleted account belongs to the person you’re thinking of, simply tap the conversation and see if you may recall having it with them.

4Search From a Web Browser

Since Instagram can be used on web browsers as well, you can try to find a deactivated account using your web browser. If you’re logged into your Instagram on a web browser, I’d recommend logging out or opening an Incognito orPrivate window.

This way, you won’t be left with the doubt that you’re blocked. Now, type “instagram.com/username” into the address bar. Make sure to replace “username” with the exact username of the person. If the person blocked your account, their account will appear, and you’ll be prompted to Sign Up or Log In.

However, if the person deactivated or deleted their account, a “Sorry, this page isn’t available” message will appear. This means they’ve either deactivated their account or you’ve typed their username incorrectly.

Thankfully, it’s fairly easy to determine whether you’ve beenblocked by someone on Instagramor if the account in question has been deactivated or deleted. If the methods above don’t help, your next best option is to simply ask the person if they’ve deactivated or deleted their account before jumping to any conclusions.

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Great article — it’s often tricky to tell if someone has deactivated their Instagram or just blocked you, but these steps make it much easier to figure out. Suppose you’re looking for a way to enhance your Instagram experience, especially if you want to avoid missing out on media or privacy issues. In that case, you might consider using an alternative like Instander. This privacy-focused mod lets you download Instagram stories, photos, and videos without needing third-party tools, and you can browse Instagram without interruptions from ads. So if you find someone’s account missing and want to save what you’ve shared, iinstanderapk dot com. offers an easy solution.

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