Instagram has many users and businesses. But like any other social media platform, you can’t always be certain if the person on the other side is honest or a legitimate business.
One way to spot a fake Instagram account is by checking if it has changed its username recently. If a business account regularly changes usernames, there’s a high chance it’s not legitimate.
But how do you find the former usernames of an account on Instagram? And why do people change Instagram usernames in the first place? Here’s what you need to know and how to see someone’s old usernames on Instagram…
Why Do People Change Instagram Account Usernames?
There are two main reasons people or businesses 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, these profiles 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.
If someone changes their username and has blocked your account, you won’t be able to see their account in the future. Even worse, Instagram also provides an option to block a single account and any new accounts that a blocked user might create.
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.
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 old usernames of an Instagram account:
- 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 account’s former usernames.
If you don’t see the About This Account option, the account may not have this additional information available.
Depending on how frequently the account changes its username, you might have a chance to see several former usernames. Instagram will also show you the specific date when a certain username was created.
The only caveat with this method is you will only see recent usernames. If they have not changed usernames for a long time, you won’t see anything on this page.
Not seeing a recent username change is positive, and that’s what you should always look out for. 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.
Check Before You Spend
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 profiles from legitimate ones.
Instagram username change history plays an important role in discovering the legitimacy of an account. Follow the steps above to see any Instagram account’s past usernames.
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