Instagram often lets you see if someone’s username has changed, and the process is identical on the smartphone and web apps. Looking at this information is a great way to determine whether an account is genuine. Besides being able to see former usernames, you can also find out how many times someone has changed their handle in the past.
Check if Someone’s Username Has Changed
Start by entering the user’s Instagram handle, navigating to their profile, and selecting the three-dot icon. Then, tap About this account.
At the bottom of the next window is a Former usernames section. Instagram will tell you how many times someone’s username has been changed in the past. If you want to see their previous names, tap the > icon.
The number of times a user has changed their handle will be shown again, and on some accounts, you’ll also see the most recent usernames. Depending on the account, you may also be able to view the profile’s most recent search history.
See the Instagram Username History for All Accounts
You’ll often see this information on your own account and for others that you follow. However, if you do not follow a user, and their profile is set to private, you may struggle to view their history.
In some instances, a user will already be flagged as having a possible spam account. When this happens, you may not have the option to see their username/account history.
While some users have struggled to access this information on non-business accounts, I had no issues when looking at personal and creator accounts. If you can’t see the feature, the user may not have been on Instagram for a very long time.
Why Can’t I See Former Usernames on Someone’s Account?
While you can see the total number of username changes on many accounts, you won’t see how their handles have changed unless they made recent adjustments. For example, the account that I checked hadn’t changed its username in almost seven months. (It’s one of mine, so I could easily verify this.) While I could see the account’s overall number of changes, the actual username history wasn’t available.
If you don’t see recent username changes, it’s more likely that the account is legitimate. I often use this feature to check pending follow requests on my account and determine whether I want them to follow me.
What Else Can You See in the “About This Account” Section on Instagram
While you won’t see extensive details about an Instagram profile, the About this account section will at least give you a bit of background information about the user. You can see when they joined Instagram, for example; this feature is also available on X (Twitter) and YouTube.
Seeing the date joined can help you determine whether an Instagram account is spam or not, making it a particularly powerful tool.
It’s also possible to see where the user is based via this section. However, you should use this as a rough guideline; my old account still said that I was based in the UK, even after I moved abroad.
Checking an account’s Instagram username changes is very straightforward and will only require a couple of clicks. However, you can’t always see the specific username changes. Read on to learn about the various ways to access and post to Instagram on your computer.
Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Danny Maiorca.
