What does ‘user not found’ mean on Instagram?

One of the biggest problems with modern social media is that each platform has unique names for functions. This means that whenever you try a new platform, you must learn a new collection of words and jargon to make the most of your experience. Nowhere is this truer than error messages, as each social media platform words its errors slightly differently. 

And this is very much true on Instagram. One error that users of the platform may encounter is the “User Not Found” error. But what does this error actually mean in practice? 

What causes the User Not Found error?

The User Not Found error always means the account you are trying to look at has issues. In many cases, this means that the profile you’re looking for no longer exists for one of several reasons. 

You might be getting this error due to a typo. Before looking further, check you have entered the account name correctly and have not accidentally added or forgotten a character while typing in the account’s name. 

One of the most common reasons for this error is that the user has changed their username to something else. As Instagram uses your username to form your profile’s URL, a username change also means your URL changes, leading to a User Not Found error when someone attempts to go to the old username, as that URL is no longer claimed. 

Another option is that the user has disabled or deleted their account. Instagram allows users to temporarily disable their account or permanently delete it. Anyone who goes to the profile while it is disabled or after it is deleted will get the User Not Found error. In the case of a temporary disabling, the error will stop when the user reactivates their account. 

Alternatively, Instagram may have suspended or banned the user’s account for breaking one of Instagram’s rules. Like a disabled account, a suspended account will return in a few days. However, a banned account will continue to throw up the User Not Found error. 

You will also get this error if the profile you are trying to view has blocked you. If you try to view an account that has blocked you, Instagram will show you the User Not Found error, as if the page was deleted or disabled, meaning that you won’t be able to tell which accounts have blocked you. In this case, you won’t be able to view the profile until the owner unblocks you.