How to see past instagram usernames

How to See Someone’s Instagram Username Change History

By Alvin Wanjala

Updated Aug 8, 2022

There are a few reasons to check an Instagram account's username changes, including spotting suspicious businesses. Here's how you can...

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 can 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 the number of times someone has changed their username 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. 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.

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.

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:

3 Images

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 will tell you the account has never done so, which might be true or false.

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.

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 accounts' username change history plays an important role in discovering the legitimacy of an account. Follow the steps above to see any Instagram account's username change history.

How to See Your Old Usernames On Instagram 2022

Most people create Instagram accounts with usernames they feel like changing after some point of time.

People change their Instagram usernames for various reasons. For example, they want to make their usernames more memorable or their previous one is not relatable or suitable for them.

Fortunately, Instagram allows its users to see the record of their former usernames.

If you too have changed your Instagram username and want to see your past usernames, continue reading the article to find out how you can see your username history.

How to See Your Former Usernames On Instagram App

New Update 2022: In the latest update, Instagram has changed the way to access your former usernames. Here’s the latest guide that will help you to look at your old usernames.

Step 1: Open the Instagram app on your mobile device.

Step 2: Access your Instagram profile page by tapping your profile picture in the bottom-right corner of the app.

Step 3: Tap the three-line icon (≡) located at the top-right corner of the screen.

Step 4: Select the Your activity option in the menu.

Step 5: Tap Account history.

You can now see all the previous usernames you had in the past.

How to See Your Former Usernames On Instagram Web

Using Mobile Browser

Step 1: Visit instagram.com on your browser and log in to your account.

Step 2: Tap your profile icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.

Step 3: Tap the Settings icon in the upper left corner.

Step 4: Select Privacy and Security.

Step 5: Scroll down to locate Account Data, then tap View Account Data.

Step 6: Navigate to Profile Info and tap View All under Former usernames.

You can see all your previous usernames here.

Using Desktop/PC

Follow the below-outlined steps to see your former usernames on Instagram desktop.

Step 1: Click your profile icon that appears in the top-right corner of the computer screen. Then, select Settings.

Step 2: Click the Privacy and Security option.

Step 3: Click the blue link View Account Data under the section Account Data.

Step 4: Click the View All option under the text Former Usernames.

How to See Someone’s Former Usernames On Instagram

Step 1: Go to the Instagram profile page of the person whose old usernames you want to view.

Step 2: Tap the three-dot menu located at the top-right of the screen, then select the About This Account option in the menu.

Step 3: Select Former Usernames.

Now, a new page will appear showing you all the former usernames of that Instagram account.

By following the above steps, you can see the recent changes in the Usernames of any Instagram account. It will show you past Instagram usernames with details like when it was changed.

Note: You can’t see the old usernames of every Instagram user. The “About This Account” option is available only for accounts with a huge following.

Also, remember that most people change their usernames for malicious intentions. Many scammers change their usernames to prevent scam victims from finding their Instagram accounts. If you see too many changes in usernames over a short span, this is a sign of warning. The account you are dealing with is likely a fake account.

Related:
How to see your old bios on Instagram
How to know how old is your Instagram account

how to see? — LiveDune Blog

If you are looking for accounts for advertising, but are afraid to drain your budget and fall into the hands of scammers, then collect as much information as possible about someone else's account. Instagram allows you to do this in the application itself. The data will also be useful in the analysis of competitors.

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How to find out information about your Instagram account

dots in the upper right corner. Then select "Account Information". Unfortunately, Instagram allows you to view data only for accounts with a large reach or that advertise on Instagram. The social network positions this as protecting accounts from falsification and fighting spam. nine0004

What information is visible on Instagram about the account

Date of registration of the Instagram account. This will allow you to indirectly verify the reliability of the account, because. many newly registered profiles are created to spam or scam.

Match the registration date with the number of subscriptions. For example, an account created a week ago is unlikely to have more than 1000 subscriptions, i.e. the possibility of cheating is not excluded.

Check accounts

Check your account for likes and followers before buying ads

Country. Specified based on its actual location. For example, the user lives in Italy, but in the publications indicates the geolocation of Moscow. In the "Account Information" section, Italy will be indicated.

Active announcements. Previously, in this tab, you could immediately see active account ads in the feed and in stories. Now Instagram has moved this feature to Facebook. In the article "How to see ads of competitors on Instagram" there is a step-by-step instruction on how to do this. nine0004

This information is very useful before launching your own ads - to see what creative and format competitors are using, as it is highly likely that they have already tested different options and use the ones that are most successful in terms of audience response.

Previous Instagram usernames. With this information, you can draw conclusions whether the real account is in front of you or not (compare with the date of registration). Instagram has been analyzing data history since September 2017. If the name has changed, there will be an arrow on the left opposite the parameter, click and the history of changes will be available to you: date and previous name. Theoretically, using this information, you can understand whether the account was bought for the sake of subscribers and subsequently renamed. nine0004

Some even change their name after scandalous situations in order to get lost. For example, company N produced a low-quality product. Customers began to write negative reviews, indicating the name of the company (in the marks). In order not to spoil its reputation, the company simply changed its name on Instagram. Thus, the name of the account in the reviews becomes invalid, and it will be difficult to find this unscrupulous company. It is thanks to information on previous names that such companies can be brought to clean water. nine0003

Accounts with common followers. Previously, in this tab, you could find accounts that have many common followers with the account you are viewing. This information was useful for commercial purposes - for mutual PR or advertising. For example, using this information, it was possible to replace one blogger with another, while retaining the audience to which the advertisement would be broadcast.

At the moment, this method is very rare: bloggers have seen this trick and began to hide "Account Information", or there are no public accounts that have enough common followers with the desired account. nine0004

Therefore, it is better to find accounts with a similar audience - through "Recommended to you". To do this, go to the account of interest and click on the arrow next to the contacts. You will be presented with other accounts with a similar audience by interests.

Try for free

Post statistics, subscriber dynamics, engagement rate and much more on other people's accounts can be viewed in LiveDune.

Conclusion

In order for Instagram to be attractive to advertisers and less likely to encounter fraud, the social network is gradually making its platform transparent and information publicly available. But from these data, unfortunately, only indirect conclusions can be drawn. Therefore, finding out information about the Instagram page from the application is only the first step. And in order to analyze the profiles of interest in more detail, at least for cheats, engagement and dynamics of subscribers, we recommend using LiveDune tools. nine0004

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How can I see previous nicknames on another person's Instagram?

Previous Instagram usernames. If the name has changed, there will be an arrow on the left opposite the parameter, click and the history of changes will be available to you: date and previous name. Theoretically, using this information, you can understand whether the account was bought for the sake of subscribers and subsequently renamed.

How to view previous nicknames on Instagram 2021 on iPhone? nine0023

Instagram app for Android and iPhone Tap the or icon on your profile picture in the bottom right corner of the screen to go to your profile. Tap in the top right, then tap Your activity. Select Account history to view account changes.

How to view Instagram through VPN?

To open Instagram * via VPN, you need to establish a connection in the anonymizer, then open the social network. To disable VPN, you need to turn off the function in the application or close the program on the PC. nine0004

How to find out when was the last time you were on Instagram?

Open your Instagram feed and tap the airplane icon in the top right corner or swipe from the right edge to the left. The Direct messenger will open, in which, under the user's login, the time of the last stay online on Instagram will be indicated.

Why can't I see my friend's Instagram following?

On March 4, Instagram began to hide user subscriptions. “To protect you and others in your region, we have temporarily hidden the lists of followings and followers in personal accounts. Only you can see how you follow and who follows you," the social network's warning reads. nine0004

How to find out hidden followers on Instagram?

One of the recommendations for viewing hidden followers on the social network Instagram is to create a second account. From it, the user sends a request for the desired subscription. The owner of the hidden page sees the request, goes to the profile and opens access to his account.

How does Insta Spy work?

Adding a target for surveillance Here, in the provided field, you need to write the login of your target, after which Instaspy will automatically show the search result for all Instagram users *. You only need to select the desired account and click on it. As a result, the target's account will be added to the service. nine0004

How can I find out who is watching my stories anonymously?

If ‘someone’ watches your Instagram stories anonymously through a special service, you will not be able to find out who is doing it, since this ‘someone’ does not use his Instagram account and therefore cannot leave his traces on your Instagram.

How to find out the phone number by nickname on Instagram?

How to see previous names on Instagram

After that, click on his name to go directly to his profile. Find the Call / Message button, which should be on the right (under the profile bio), and click on it. Thus, the Call menu will appear below, containing the user's phone number: when you click on it, dialing will begin. nine0004

What vpn is free to download for instagram?

- Free VPN

Service	Mobile app	PC
Proton VPN	iOS, Android	Windows, Linux, macOS
1. 1.1.1	iOS, Android	Windows, Linux, macOS
SecureVPN	Android	No
Opera VPN	Opera Browser	Opera Browser

What vpn works in Russia for instagram?

TOP 9: Best VPNs for Instagram – Ranking 2022

nine0201 Atlas NordVPN

Place	Title	Website
1.	PureVPN	https://www.purevpn.com/en/
2.	Surfshark	https://surfshark.com/ru
3.	https://atlasvpn.com/
4.		https://nordvpn.com/

How to find an old story on Instagram?

To view archived stories, tap the archive icon in your profile. Here you can switch between the post archive and the new story archive. The stories in the archive are displayed in a grid (the latest ones are at the bottom).