Instagram Username Checker
Type a handle to see if it is free. Names that break Instagram's rules are caught before any lookup.
How it works
- Type the username you want, with or without @.
- We check it against Instagram's username rules, then look for an account with that name.
- See whether it is taken (and by whom) or appears available.
What you see and why
First we apply Instagram's rules: at most 30 characters, only letters, numbers, periods and underscores, no leading or trailing period and no two periods in a row. Then we look up the name. If a public or private account answers, it is taken. If nothing does, the name appears available.
"Appears" matters: Instagram also holds names from deactivated, banned and recently renamed accounts, and reserves some names outright. Those look free from the outside but Instagram may still refuse them. The only final check is trying the name in the Instagram app.
Questions
Why does Instagram say a name is unavailable when this tool says it is free?
The name probably belongs to a deactivated or banned account, was changed away from recently (Instagram holds old names for about 14 days), or is reserved. None of those show up as an account from outside.
What characters can an Instagram username have?
Letters, numbers, periods and underscores, up to 30 characters. It cannot start or end with a period or have two periods in a row.
Is Instagram username checking case-sensitive?
No. Instagram usernames are stored in lowercase, so NatGeo and natgeo are the same name.
Can I check many names at once?
The GramScraper API can: a profile lookup that returns 404 means no account has the name. Each lookup costs 1 credit.