Want to find someone on Instagram by their phone number?
There are lots of reasons why you might want to.
Maybe they’re using an odd username you can’t figure out. Or perhaps they use their business name and you aren’t sure what it is.
In 2024, Instagram has made it difficult to track down someone with their telephone number.
Let’s look at the best tricks!
What Happened to Discover People on Instagram?
If you’ve been searching in vain for the Discover People tab on Instagram, it still exists, but it’s moved.
Instead of being found under Settings as before, you will now access it directly from your profile tab.
Tap on the + person icon on the right side of your profile.
Voila, Discover People.
Now you’ll see some people “Suggested for you” to follow by Instagram.
Discover more by tapping “See all.”
This is one way to find people you may know and want to follow on Instagram.
However, no matter how many times you scroll down and tap on “See all,” you will no longer find a way to connect your contacts in 2024.
You can sync with your Facebook profile here. This helps Instagram suggest people that you know.
But it doesn’t help you find people by phone number.
Onward…
How to Really Find Someone by Phone Number
As far as I can tell, there’s now only one way to connect with someone on Instagram when you know their phone number.
1 | Go to your profile and tap the hamburger menu icon in the upper right corner.
2 | In the popup, tap Settings and privacy, which should be right at the top. Or it might just say Settings.
3 | Scroll down until you see Follow and invite friends, and tap it.
4 | If you have their mobile number in your phone contacts, tap Invite friends by SMS.
Or you can choose to invite them by WhatsApp or email!
5 | A message pops up with a link to follow you.
Start typing their name or number, and contacts that match will pop up. Choose the one you want.
If you prefer, you could edit this message to ask them them for a link to their IG account.
I know, it’s not as direct as following them right away. But it’s all Instagram offers as far as connecting with phone numbers IN the app.
I have more ideas, though! As well as the 2024 way to upload your contacts to Instagram.
Keep reading…
Find an Instagram Account via other Social Networks
The last option in Follow and invite friends is Invite friends by… This allows you to use any app you’ve connected to sharing in your device.
In my case that would add options for Messenger, X (Twitter), Facebook, Pinterest, and many more.
This gives you even more ways to invite friends to follow you on Instagram. Just send them the link to your IG account from here (see image below).
Don’t want to ask them to follow you? You can message them for a link to their IG account.
Or add them as a friend on Facebook and Instagram will likely send you a notification that “someone you may know is on Instagram”!
Use Third Party Tools to Find Someone by Phone Number
Another way to find someone by phone number on Instagram is to use third party tools.
There are a few, and you should always check into what information you’re providing when signing up for one. You will most likely need the full name, including the last name, of the person you want to find on Instagram.
Three examples that many Instagram users recommend are:
1. BeenVerified: this provides a detailed report of verified information about users, and includes the ability to search by a phone number.
2. PeopleLooker: add information you have such as email address, phone number, or name, and see what other information is on social media.
3. Spokeo: phone number tracking tool that works to show what social media profiles are connected to what phone numbers.
Typically, reports include a person’s social media profiles, but it’s not guaranteed.
Note that there will likely be a cost associated with getting a report on the person who owns that phone number.
Discover People or Invite Friends Not Found
Don’t see Discover People or Invite Friends options I’ve described above?
You may not have given IG the necessary permissions.
The first thing to do is to go to your phone Settings and change Privacy to allow this on your device. Your method may depend on the type of phone you have.
On my iPhone, I went into the Settings app and scrolled down to the section that listed all my apps.
From that list, I tapped Instagram, then turned on Contacts.
How to Upload Contacts to Instagram
Once you’ve given Instagram permission, you may still need to sync your contacts. This will allow the app to suggest IGers from your contacts.
From the hamburger menu on your profile, tap Settings and privacy.
Now open the Accounts center.
Next, tap Your information and permissions.
The next step is to tap Upload contacts.
Select the account to which you wish to upload contacts.
Look for the Instagram one! Tapping Facebook or Messenger will open those apps.
Connect contacts: turn this on if it isn’t already.
This will allow Instagram to make suggestions on who you might wish to follow.
Again, it’s not direct or instant, but IG can find people from your phone contacts that have accounts, and add them to Suggested for you under Discover people. Check it frequently.
Of course, you can also disconnect contacts here if you want to disable Contacts syncing.
Why Can’t I Find Someone by Phone Number on Instagram?
Unfortunately, in Instagram, there’s no direct search feature for finding someone by phone number.
You can search Facebook by phone number using the search bar. But Instagram profiles aren’t searchable by this easy process.
Instagram is a username-based platform. If you know someone’s username, it’s easy to find them.
Try a phone number, and you’ll find profiles with those numbers in their usernames.
Search by location, and it’s the same story. Though you’ll also surface accounts with the location in their description. Probably not your friend though!
The effectiveness of searching their name will depend on how common that is.
Finding an Instagram Account by Phone Number
Finding a person’s phone number on Instagram isn’t as straightforward as with other platforms.
If they’re on your contact list, you can message them via Instagram.
If not, third party tools might help.
But the other option sometimes is just to reach out to them in another way – maybe through another social network, or mutual friends – and connect that way.
Let us know in a comment if you have more tips to find people on Instagram!
Leave a Reply