One way to spot a fake Instagram account is by checking if it has frequently changed its username recently. If someone regularly changes Instagram usernames, there’s a high chance the account is not legitimate.
In this article, we investigate why people change Instagram usernames, whether you can find the former Instagram usernames of an account, and how to see the number of times someone has changed their username on Instagram.
Can You Check Someone’s Former Usernames on Instagram?
In the past, you would see an account’s Instagram username history and the specific date when a certain username was created. Depending on how frequently the account changes its username, you would see several former usernames. However, not anymore.
Instagram now only displays the number of times an account has changed its usernames in the past. There are also no unofficial solutions for finding out someone’s old Instagram username.
How to Check Username Change History on Instagram
Instagram offers an easy way for you to check if a specific account has changed its username recently.
Follow these steps to uncover the number of times an Instagram account has changed its usernames:
- Navigate to an account’s profile page.
- Tap the three-dot menu in the top right.
- Select About This Account from the pop-up.
- Tap Former Usernames. On the next page, Instagram will display the number of times the account has changed its usernames in the past.
One downside of the feature is it’s not available on all Instagram accounts. If you don’t see the About This Account option, the account may not have this additional information available.
Another caveat with this method is you will only see username changes that have happened recently. If they have not changed usernames for a long time, Instagram doesn’t display the Former Usernames option under About This Account.
Not seeing a recent username change is positive, and that’s one of the first things you should always look out for to avoid Instagram scams. One recent Instagram username change isn’t bad as it may have happened due to a legitimate reason. But frequent changes can be a red flag and can be one of the many signs that an Instagram account is fake.
Why Do People Change Instagram Account Usernames?
There are two main reasons someone might decide to change usernames on their social media profiles. One reason to change an account username on Instagram is to create a more memorable or user-friendly username.
However, someone wouldn’t change their names frequently since businesses and individuals alike often give significant thought before choosing a business name or username. And if they decide to change the brand name or username, it will stay that way for an extended period.
The other reason for changing an Instagram username may be for malicious motivations—to make it hard for scam victims to find the account in the future. This is important because scammers know victims will find their Instagram account details by username.
As an Instagram user, you can’t tell which reason may be the intent behind every username change. But it’s always useful to check to see if an account has a suspicious number of changes. As more of our lives becomes integrated with technology, knowing how to detect fake information online has become increasingly important in the current era.
For this reason, Instagram added a way to check the number of times an account changed its username in the recent past, where an account is located, and when it was created. These features enable you to avoid even sophisticated social media scams.
Check Before You Trust
Instagram continues to push into e-commerce, and there are many businesses selling products and services on the platform. Influencers also sell their merch on the photo and video-sharing app.
As the platform leans further into online shopping, it’s important to know how to differentiate fake Instagram profiles from legitimate ones. Instagram accounts’ username change history plays an important role in discovering the legitimacy of an account.
