Instagram has many users and businesses. But like any other social media platform, you can't always be sure if the person on the other side is honest or a legitimate business.
One way to spot a fake Instagram account is to check if it has changed its username recently. If a corporate account changes usernames on a regular basis, it is most likely not legitimate.
But how do you find the previous usernames of an account on Instagram? And why do people change Instagram usernames in the first place?
Why do people change Instagram account usernames?
There are two main reasons why people or companies decide to change usernames on their social media profiles. One of the reasons for changing an Instagram account username is to create a username that is easier to remember and easier to use.
The other reason is for malicious reasons, to make it difficult for scam victims to find the account in the future.
As an Instagram user, you can't tell what reason the intent behind every username change might be. But it's always good to check if an account has a suspicious number of changes.
How to check username change history on Instagram
Instagram offers an easy way to check if a specific account has changed their username recently.
Follow these steps to find out the old usernames of an Instagram account:
- Go to an account's profile page.
- Tap the three-dot menu at the top right.
- Select About this account dal popup.
- Toccata Previous usernames . On the next page, Instagram will show the previous account usernames.
Depending on how often your account changes your username, you may be able to see several previous usernames. Instagram will also show you the specific date a certain username was created.
The only caveat with this method is that you will only see recent usernames. If they haven't changed their username in a long time, you won't see anything on this page.
