Find Instagram Account By Phone Number: Methods & Tips

Have you ever tried to find 🔎 someone on Instagram but couldn’t because you don’t know their username?

We all know that people often use a nickname or a different name for their social media accounts. For this reason, even if we know someone, we couldn’t find them on Instagram.

What if there were a way to find Instagram account by phone number? If you could look for an Instagram account using their phone number 📲, it would be easy to find your close ones even if you don’t know their username.

By using this method, we can find someone close to us whose phone number we have, but don’t know their Instagram username.

If you are curious to know if you can find someone’s Instagram account using their phone number, you are in the right place. In the blog, we will learn whether we can use the phone number to find Instagram account.

So let’s dive in!

Can You Find Someone’s Instagram by Phone Number?

Finding Instagram profiles through phone numbers is possible, although the process may depend on specific conditions.

You can easily find an Instagram account using the phone number they have linked their phone number to the Instagram account. Instagram’s feature of syncing contacts helps you discover people in your contacts through the platform.

However, this method only works if their privacy settings allow it. If they’ve disabled the option to be found through their phone number, it won’t work. Respecting privacy is essential when using this feature.

How to Find an Instagram Account by Phone Number?

Finding an Instagram account by phone number is possible if the account is linked to that number.

Find the best methods to locate someone on Instagram through their phone number in the list below.

1. Using Instagram’s Contact Syncing Feature

Using Instagram’s contact syncing feature is a straightforward and secure method to find Instagram accounts using phone numbers. The contact syncing feature allows Instagram to match your contacts with existing accounts and suggest them in the Discover People section.

Following this method both upholds Instagram’s privacy policies while protecting you from potential dangers that may emerge from working with third-party solutions.

Follow the steps below to find the Instagram account:

• Open the Instagram App and log in to your account.
• Go to Your Profile by tapping the profile icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
• Tap the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner.
• Tap Account Center under your account settings.
• Scroll down and select Your information and permissions.
• Tap on Upload Contacts.
• If you have connected your Instagram with Facebook and Messenger the you will see three options.
• Select Instagram from the options.
• Toggle on Connect Contacts or Sync Contacts to enable Contact Sync. You may receive a prompt asking for permission to allow Instagram to access your phone’s contacts; grant this permission.
• Wait for Instagram to sync your contacts and match phone numbers with Instagram accounts.
• After synchronization, find the Discover People icon (person with a plus sign) under your profile, or access it by following Settings > Follow and Invite Friends > Discover People. Instagram will suggest accounts from your synced contacts for you to follow.

What Happens When You Sync Contacts?

• Your Instagram account transfers your contact list to secure servers for matching personal information across Instagram profiles.
• You can remove synced contacts on Instagram through its settings whenever you decide to stop sharing your contacts.
• The sync feature allows you to locate friends, family members, and professional colleagues whose numbers and profiles are linked to Instagram.

2. Using Third-Party Reverse Lookup Tools

Third-party reverse lookup tools are services designed to find information linked to a phone number. These tools claim to find social media accounts by phone number. These tools retrieve information from databases containing public resources shared by users or found in publicly available sources.

How Third-Party Reverse Lookup Tools Work

• The tool conducts a database search using the phone number you have provided.
• If the number is associated with an Instagram account, it may retrieve profile details.
• Some tools also display linked accounts on other platforms, depending on their database.

How to Use Them

1. Open the trustworthy reverse phone lookup tool through their website or app.
2. Enter the phone number into the search bar provided.
3. Complete any required verification or payment if it’s a premium service.
4. Allow the tool to analyze the data and present potential matching results.

Risks and Concerns

• Security Risks: Third-party tools demand access to multiple sensitive intel, including personal phone numbers and additional specific user information. Users encounter vulnerability to hacking incidents, combined with data breaches and unauthorized access. Account suspension and bans are potential risks for Instagram users who violate the platform’s terms of service through the utilization of such tools.
• Privacy Violations: Such tools function outside of Instagram’s approved API framework to exploit collected data or resell it without the user’s authorization. Such unauthorized data collection results in privacy breaches and identity theft incidents that occur without user permission.
• Malware and Scams: Several third-party applications distribute malware by exploiting deceptive commands to obtain funds and information from users. Users encounter both obtrusive advertisements and hidden service costs for unreliable services through these third-party applications.
• Inaccuracy and Unreliability: The lack of direct phone number lookup APIs on Instagram forces these tools to use alternative methods for their functions. Results delivered by these tools often show wrong or unreliable information. This results in the waste of users’ time and effort.
• Violation of Instagram Policies: Using external tools does not align with Instagram’s policies and terms of service. Account penalties from Instagram for violating this policy might lead to suspension and could result in a permanent ban.

Reasons You Might Not Find Instagram Account by Phone Number

So you have followed above mention tips step-by-step, but still couldn’t find the Instagram account. Since Instagram does not provide a phone number search feature, it is normal to fail to find the IG account.

You may not find an Instagram account using a phone number for several reasons:

1. Privacy Settings

The account owner may have turned off the discoverability by phone number option in their privacy settings. This prevents their profile from appearing in the Discover People section. Even if the phone number is linked to the account, if their account is private, it will not appear in suggestions.

2. Phone Number is Not Linked

The user may not have linked their phone number to their Instagram account. Without this connection, finding the account through a phone number is impossible.

3. Outdated or Incorrect Information

The user may have changed the phone number linked to their account. You have used the incorrect number. You must possess the correct phone number that the user uses primarily.

4. Account Restrictions

The account will not be found if it is inactive, has been deleted, or has been banned by Instagram.

Alternatives to Find The Instagram Account

You have tried to find the Instagram account using the phone number, but were unable to find it. There is no need to panic. You can use other methods to find an Instagram account.

Here are some common methods to find Instagram accounts:

1. Search by Username

Using the username for a search is one of the easiest ways to find someone on Instagram.

Use the given process to use this method:

• Open the Instagram app and tap the search bar at the bottom of the screen.
• Search for the person by entering their full name or nicknames, along with potential usernames that are in use.
• Examine the search results with special attention to profile images and bio descriptions to locate the correct profile.

This method works well if the user’s username includes recognizable details like their name or interests. However, it may not work if the username is unrelated to their identity or set to private.

2. Discover People Feature

Discovery People on Instagram creates profile suggestions through a combination of your phone contacts, mutual connections, and user interests.

• Go to your profile page.
• Tap the hamburger menu in the top-right corner.
• Select Discover People from the menu options.
• Instagram will show profiles of the people based on your interests.

Using this function, you can find friends you know or discover others having matching interests. However, it depends on whether the other person has enabled discoverability settings.

3. Search via Facebook

If the person you’re looking for has a Facebook account, you can check their profile to find their Instagram account.

Use these steps:

• Log in to your Facebook account.
• Visit the profile of the person you want to find on Instagram.
• Look under their bio or the About section to find the link to their Instagram profile.
• Check for Instagram content shared across their Facebook timeline. These may include their handle or a direct link to their account.
• Click on the link to open their Instagram profile.

4. Search via Twitter

Users can locate Instagram profiles through X (formerly Twitter) by following this method:

• Log in to your Twitter account using the app or a web browser.
• Go to the person’s Twitter profile.
• Check their bio for a direct link to Instagram, as many users include it there.
• Scroll through their tweets to see if they have shared Instagram posts or handles.
• Use any Instagram handle or links you find to access their profile.

Ethical and Privacy Considerations

It is essential to value privacy boundaries together with ethical principles while attempting to find someone’s Instagram account through their phone number.

The following list includes privacy and ethical considerations that you need to maintain:

1. Consent and Respect

Searching for an Instagram account through a phone number violates an individual’s privacy when done so without consent. Request explicit permission from the person before you attempt to locate their Instagram profile with their phone number.

Each person has the right to protect their profile. You should honor their decision to keep their information private.

2. Avoid Unauthorized Tools

Tools that use phone numbers to find Instagram accounts function beyond the official platform rules established by Instagram. Such tools often violate privacy by misusing personal data while also conducting unauthorized sales of user information, together with exposing users to malware and scams.

The use of these tools poses both ethical and safety risks to searchers as well as persons who are searched.

3. Legal and Policy Compliance

The terms of service of Instagram explicitly ban unauthorized access to user data. The practice of using unauthorized methods and tools to search for accounts will lead to account suspension or ban.

The laws of multiple nations incorporate data protection clauses that punish any unauthorized access to personal information or its misuse.

4. Privacy Settings

Instagram does not allow direct phone number searches in its search bar due to privacy reasons. The primary official way to find accounts by phone number is through syncing your contacts.

This method only works if the person has linked their phone number to their Instagram account and has not restricted this feature. Private accounts or those that do not sync contacts will not appear, protecting user privacy.

5. Personal Responsibility

The process of finding other Instagram accounts requires individuals to demonstrate responsibility in their actions. The techniques should never be utilized to either stalk or invade someone’s privacy or to harass them. Serious ethical and legal repercussions follow such behavior.

🚨Warning: Maintain respect for privacy laws when you search for Instagram accounts through ethical methods. Unauthorized methods or unauthorized access will result in account suspension and possible legal penalties.

How to Remove Your Phone Number From Instagram?

By removing your phone number from Instagram, you achieve better privacy protection and prevent others from finding your account through your phone number.

Follow these steps to remove your phone number from Instagram:

• Start Instagram on your phone device and sign in to your existing account.
• Tap the profile icon at the bottom-right corner to access your profile.
• Tap the hamburger menu in the top-right corner of your profile.
• Select Settings and Privacy from the menu options.
• Under the Your Account section, select Account Center or Account Information.
• Tap on Personal Information to access your email address and phone number details.
• Tap on the phone number field and delete the phone number displayed.
• Your account must have an active email address associated with it to recover access if necessary.
• If you previously enabled contact syncing, turn it off.
• Log out of your account and log back in to verify the phone number has been removed successfully.

Conclusion

If you lack the username of someone on Instagram, then looking up their account through their phone number can serve as an effective search method. The contact syncing feature on Instagram offers a safe and convenient way to find people. However, users must uphold ethical standards and respect privacy boundaries.

Alternative methods, such as username searches or Discover People, will help if contact syncing fails to work. Use of third-party tools to search for Instagram accounts should be avoided because they represent privacy and security risks and break Instagram’s platform rules.

You should always obtain consent first and follow both ethical rules and Instagram’s privacy options to locate someone’s account. Following these steps guarantees users a protected and secure social media journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Instagram notify users if their account is found through contact syncing?

No, Instagram does not notify users when their profile is suggested to others through the contact syncing feature.

Does Instagram reveal my phone number?

No, Instagram does not reveal your phone number to others unless you choose to display it publicly, such as in your bio or for business accounts. It is used privately for verification or syncing contacts, and others may see your account in suggestions if you’ve synced contacts.

However, your actual phone number remains hidden. You can manage or remove it in Instagram’s settings for better privacy.

What are the risks of using third-party tools to find Instagram accounts?

Third-party tools can lead to security risks, privacy violations, inaccurate results, and potential account bans due to policy violations.

How often should I update my privacy settings to ensure account safety?

It’s a good idea to review your privacy settings every few months or after any major Instagram updates to ensure your preferences are still aligned with your privacy needs.