Searching for your long-lost friends on Instagram can be challenging, especially with the limited number of search filters on the platform. While there’s no direct method to search for an individual on Instagram using their phone number, there are a few workarounds which you can use. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can find an Instagram account by phone number. Let’s have a look.
Sync Contacts With Your Instagram Account
Before searching for someone on Instagram with a phone number, we need to sync our phone contacts with the platform. Here’s how to do that.
Step 1: Open the official Instagram app on your Android or iOS smartphone. Go to your profile section.
Step 2: Select the three-bar menu from the top-right corner, and locate Accounts Centre.
Step 3: Navigate to Your information and permissions centre, and select Upload contacts.
Step 4: If you see multiple Meta accounts, choose your Instagram profile from the list.
Step 5: Toggle the Connect contacts button. Provide access to contact permissions to the Instagram app if your device prompts for it.
Your phone contacts are now synced with your Instagram account.
Search on Instagram by Phone Number
Here’s a trick using which you can search your saved contacts on Instagram.
Step 1: Open the Instagram app, and navigate to your Profile.
Step 2: Now select the Discover people option below your profile details.
Step 3: Tap on the See All hyperlink.
Step 4: The Instagram app will now show you the most relevant suggestions based on your saved contacts.
Note – that this method will only work if the person whom you are searching for has added their phone number to their Instagram account. Also, Instagram does NOT support searching for profiles manually by entering the phone number in the search bar.
There are multiple third-party tools available on the internet that claim to search for Instagram and other social media profiles using phone numbers, email IDs, and other personal details. While some of them could be legit, it is important to know that such services may violate the privacy rules of specific platforms.
Such tools also pose a risk to the private data which you provide for the search. Hence, it is recommended to avoid using external services to search for someone on Instagram or other apps.
But what should you do if the Discover People option does not help? Although there’s no direct solution to this problem, you can try alternatives like searching for the person using their phone number on Facebook.
Search for Someone on Facebook using the Phone Number
Facebook officially allows users to search for individuals using phone numbers and email IDs. Here’s how you can do that:.
Step 1: Open the Facebook app or website. Navigate to the search bar.
Step 2: Enter the phone number directly in the search bar, and start the search.
Step 3: Select the People option from the search filters.
Facebook will now show you all the relevant accounts to that particular phone number. However, the accuracy of the results will depend on the privacy settings of that specific user.
Searching for your old friends on social media platforms can be an uphill task, but the results are worth it when you find the person. As Instagram and Facebook continue to flourish, it becomes easier to stay connected with your friends online.
FAQs
1. Why can’t I find the user on Instagram with their phone number?
This could happen due to reasons. Either the user has not connected their account with their phone number, or you may not have the latest number of that individual. In both cases, you won’t be able to search for that person on Instagram using their phone number.
2. Are there any alternative methods to search for users on Instagram using phone numbers?
There is no official method to search for profiles on Instagram using numbers. The best alternative is to dial the number and make a phone call, which could sound like a far-fetched solution. Facebook is your best option as it officially provides an option for searching using contact numbers.
3. Can I get banned on Instagram for searching for people using contact information?
It is highly unlikely for someone to get banned on Instagram just for searching profiles using phone numbers or email IDs. However, if the platform detects any suspicious behaviour on your account due to any reason which violates Meta’s policies, you could get blocked on Instagram or even Facebook.
