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If you know the name of an account you want to follow on Instagram, you can easily search for it using the search tool. You can also use the Discovery feature to find suggestions for people to follow, including people from your Facebook account and personal contact list. This wikiHow teaches you how to find people to follow on Instagram using your iPhone, iPad, or Android.
Quick Steps
- Open the Instagram app.
- Tap the magnifying glass icon at the bottom.
- Enter a display name or username in the search field.
- Tap the Accounts tab.
- Tap a user.
Steps
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Open the Instagram app. This looks like a camera with a multicolored background. Log into your account if you aren't already.[1]
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Tap the magnifying glass icon. It's the second icon at the bottom of the screen.Advertisement
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Tap the search bar. This is the grey field at the top of the screen with "Search" written in it. Your phone's keyboard should pop up.
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Type in a name or account name and tap search. As you type, results will appear below the search bar.
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Tap Accounts. This is the tab at the top, and it will filter your results to only include users.
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Tap the account you want to see. This opens that user's profile. If the page is public, you'll see a grid of their posts. If not, you'll just see their profile image and bio.
- If you don't see the account you want to follow, scroll down to view more options. You can also add more words or try a different spelling.
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Tap Follow. This is the blue button underneath the user's bio. This will follow the account; you'll be able to find this account in your profile's Following section from now on.
- If the account is private, tapping Follow will send a request to the account owner. If they approve the request, you'll start following the account.
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Open the Instagram app. This looks like a camera with a multicolored background.
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Tap your profile picture. This is in the bottom-right corner.
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Tap Following. You can find this to the right of your profile picture, next to followers.
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Scroll down and tap Find people to follow. This is the blue button at the very bottom of the page.
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Tap Follow next to a user. You'll see a list of all recommended users. This includes users followed by your Instagram friends.
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Open the Instagram app. This looks like a camera with a multicolored background.
- You can use this method to sync your phone's contact list or your Facebook's friend list.
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Tap your profile picture. This is in the bottom-right corner.
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Tap Following. You can find this to the right of your profile picture, next to followers.
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Scroll down and tap Find people to follow. This is the blue button at the very bottom of the page.
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Tap Connect. You'll see two buttons: one for Facebook and one for your contacts. Select the one you want to sync.
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Sync your contacts. If you're syncing your Facebook contacts, you'll need to log into your account with the pop-up menu and allow access to your friend list.
- If you're syncing your phone contacts, you'll need to allow access to your contact list.
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow can I find someone's Instagram account if all I have is a photo of them?
Community AnswerUse reverse image searchers like Google Image, TinEye, etc. You will only find the picture if it is on their account and their account is public. -
QuestionCan I find a person on Instagram without having an account?
Community AnswerYes. But if you're not logged in, you can't search unless you're already on an Instagram page. You can search for a profile within a search engine, and from there you can use the search bar at the top and search for any profile or tag. You can see the posts if they're not private, but can't click them or view comments unless you're logged in. -
QuestionHow can I find an account using only photos?
Community AnswerYou can search by tags if they're unique enough, such as if the posts are tagged with the user's unique screen name.
wikiHow Video: How to Find People on Instagram
Tips
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You can make your account private if you have information on it that you don't want to be public.Thanks
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Syncing your contact list to Instagram may make it possible for your friends, family, and business contacts to find your personal Instagram account.Thanks
References
About This Article
The best way to find people on Instagram is to search for them by their usernames. If you know the username of a person you want to follow, tap the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of Instagram to open the Explore page. At the top, tap the search bar, and then the outline of a person—this tells Instagram to search for accounts, not hashtags or locations. Type the account name into the search bar, and then tap an account in the results. If the profile is public, tap Follow to immediately follow the account. If it's private, tap Follow to send a follow request, which the account owner will need to approve manually. To find someone new to follow, tap the profile icon at the bottom-right of Instagram to open your profile. Tap the menu at the top-right and select Discover People toward the bottom. Scroll through the suggestions, and then tap an account name to view the profile. If the profile is public, tapping Follow immediately follows the account. If it's private, the account owner will need to approve your request before you can see their posts.
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