How to find someone's Instagram username
Short answer
Search their name followed by “Instagram” on Google or another search engine, check their other social profiles and website for a link, or look through a mutual friend's following list. Once you have the username, you can open the profile here.
1. Use a search engine
Search engines index public Instagram profiles. Search for the name followed by the word Instagram, for example Jane Park Instagram. To see only Instagram results, add site:instagram.com before the name. Add a city, school, job or team if the name is common.
2. Check their other profiles
People and brands often link their accounts to each other. TikTok, YouTube, X, Threads and LinkedIn profiles frequently include an Instagram link or mention the handle in the bio. Threads profiles use the same username as Instagram.
3. Look at their website or link page
Personal sites, shop pages and link-in-bio pages usually carry social icons in the header or footer. The Instagram icon links straight to the profile, and the handle is the part of the address after instagram.com/.
4. Go through a mutual friend
If you know someone they're likely to follow or be followed by, their follower and following lists are a good place to look. This needs an Instagram account, and the friend's account has to be public or follow-approved.
5. Search inside Instagram
With an account, Instagram's search matches names as well as usernames. Syncing your phone contacts suggests the accounts of people whose number you have, if they allow it.
6. Look for tags and places
Photos from events, workplaces and venues often tag the people in them. Opening a location or a hashtag used for an event can turn up the account you're after.
Once you have the username
A username is the handle after the @, made of letters, numbers, periods and underscores. Paste it into the search box of the Instagram story viewer, or paste the whole profile link. In the Instagram app you can copy that link from the profile's menu with Share, then Copy link.
If the account is public, its stories, highlights and posts open without an Instagram account.