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    Home » Tech » Instagram

    Why an Instagram Username Says It's Not Available (When It Really Is)

    Published: Oct 6, 2019 · Modified: Jan 24, 2022 by Kelsey Smith

    • Facebook
    • Email

    Okay, so you're trying to register an Instagram username, but it says it's unavailable.

    I know how frustrated you are because I was in the same boat. But, I knew the username was, in fact, available...

    So what gives?

    Jump to:
    • My story
    • On Hold
    • Deleted Username
    • Banned Username
    • It's In Use
    • Your Stories
    • Check Out My Instagram Tutorials
    • 💬 Comments
    Instagram Username Not Available

    My story

    I had two Instagram usernames registered (@bykelseysmith and @modernmartha). I wanted to swap the two usernames.

    I changed @bykelseysmith to something different to free it up. I planned to quickly change @modernmartha to @bykelseysmith, but Instagram said the username was unavailable.

    Skip ahead to find out why...

    The long version

    My blog name changed from Modern Martha to Kelsey Smith this summer. I knew for more than a year that I wanted to make this transition, so I reserved my new username on Instagram (@bykelseysmith) in advance with a dummy account.

    I've done this previously in my professional career, so I knew this was possible.

    I planned to change the username on the dummy account right before the swap so @bykelseysmith would become available, and then quickly change my main profile.

    Unfortunately, it told me the Instagram username was not available, even though it clearly was.

    I panicked. Did a bot still my username? The answer it seemed was no.

    When I searched @bykelseysmith, no one had the username.

    So what gives?

    Here are a few possible reasons you can't register a username that appears available:

    On Hold

    When you change your username, Instagram reserves your old username for 14 days. This is just in case you decide to switch it back.

    When you go to "Edit Profile" and tap into the username field, a message reads, "In most cases, you'll be able to change your username back to (blank) for another 14 days."

    Instagram Username Change

    I previously reserved usernames in the same method I mentioned above and didn't have any issues, but Instagram implemented this 14 day hold early-to-mid 2019.

    A commenter suggested that bots can quickly register usernames after they're abandoned. This is actually why Instagram implemented the 14-day hold rule.

    According to WeRSM, there was indeed an issue with bots registering usernames immediately after they become available. This 14-day hold feature, though annoying to username swappers, gives users more security with their usernames.

    That means though, if you're reserving a username like I did, you'll have to wait 14 days to make your final switch.

    Better set a calendar alert.

    Recently, I received a comment that said they received the message I shared above, but it said 12 days, not 14. So, which is it?

    This article was originally written in October 2019, but as of June 2020, the message on my app still reads 14 days.

    The truth is, Instagram changes its app constantly, and they often roll out updates to select groups of users as a test. If you receive a message that says 12 days, trust the app.

    So, what happened to me, you ask?

    After 14 days, I was able to register my old username on my main account.

    Victory!

    I set a calendar alert to remind myself because I didn't want a bot coming in and stealing my thunder. I was incredibly relieved when it worked.

    Once my old username (@modernmartha) was freed up, I had to wait another 14 days to register it on my dummy account.

    Why did I reserve my old username, you ask?

    On my dummy account, now outfitted with my old username, I added a "moved" notice to the profile. This saves you for two reasons:

    1: There may still be links floating around the internet to your old username. Since I'm a blogger and a YouTuber, I link my Instagram in every single video I upload.

    2: Someone may manually look up your old username, so it's best to have a "redirect" of sorts in place.

    Old Instagram Username

    I searched to see if Instagram has an anti-squatting policy that makes this against the rules, but I couldn't find any evidence that it is.

    Deleted Username

    Deleting an account removes the username from the pool of available usernames. If someone had that username registered at some point in time but deleted the account, it's possible that username has been taken off the market for good.

    This is from Instagram's help website:

    If your account was deleted by you or someone with your password, there's no way to restore it. You can create a new account with the same email address you used before, but you may not be able to get the same username.

    via Instagram Help Center

    Banned Username

    Though unlikely, it's possible the username you are trying to use has been banned. I haven't read confirmation from Instagram, but this is the word on the street.

    If a user is banned for bad activity, their username does not go back into the pool of available names.

    I've read that deleted account usernames may also fall into this bucket. Or usernames containing blocked or inappropriate words.

    This scenario really stinks because there's no way to confirm if the desired username is banned.

    There does not seem to be a resolution if this is the case other than selecting a slightly different username. Try adding periods, numbers, underscores, or abbreviations.

    It's In Use

    Maybe triple check that username one more time to be sure it's not connected to an active account...

    Your Stories

    Share your success (or failure) story in the comments, and feel free to leave your Instagram link or username. I'm going to list anything that I think would be helpful to a wider audience below.

    • @anestidest said he had an old account and a new account. He changed the username on the old account and then deleted the old account. After 14 days he was able to register the old username on the new account.

    Check Out My Instagram Tutorials

    Check out my Instagram tutorials, including how to use questions on Instagram Stories.

    Why an Instagram Username Says It's Not Available (When It Really Is)Why an Instagram Username Says It's Not Available (When It Really Is)
    « How to Report Stolen Pins on Pinterest
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    About Kelsey Smith

    I am a freelance content writer for college-level textbooks by day, mommy by night, and a blogger in between. I live in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband, Xavier. When I'm not working on college textbooks, you might find me here, sharing recipes, social media tutorials, and more.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Vikas verma says

      May 01, 2022 at 3:14 pm

      I have two accounts with different username, i want to swap username, how can i do it? Please help.

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        May 02, 2022 at 8:38 am

        This post explains how to achieve this. Give it another read and that should help.

        Reply
    2. Kelly says

      March 31, 2022 at 3:40 pm

      I did this and it's been longer than 14 days, but it still says it's not available. It's not taken when I search, so I wonder if they've changed the timing again but didn't update the message? My message still said 14 days.

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        April 04, 2022 at 9:52 am

        I can't say for sure why that is happening, but I don't think they've changed the time frame.

        Reply
      • Wiktoria says

        June 21, 2022 at 1:43 pm

        I had the exact same issue and today I discovered someone took my name I was using for over 6 years. i wanted to start a fresh acc and waited 14 (ok) and when I tried to change it still declined. And it was like this every time I checked. And today I saw someone, with no posts, 3 followers and following 4 people has taken my username. I'm so angry rn at instagram

        Reply
    3. Sara says

      December 21, 2021 at 3:23 am

      I want to change my username but instagram won't let me. I tried to change it but it says it is taken. Then I tried to make a new account with that exact username and it says it's available, but on my main account it is not. I really wanna change it with that one and I don't understand why it won't let me do so. Please help!

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        December 21, 2021 at 10:19 am

        That is the first I've heard of this scenario. It's a risk, but you could secure the username with the new account and then try to do a 14-day username swap (like my story). It wouldn't be a sure thing though, and it would take time. I don't know why it would allow a username to be newly registered but not by your existing account.

        Reply
        • Don Jordan says

          January 23, 2022 at 10:31 pm

          Here is my story and it is so frustrating, I am a realtor, in 2013 I had the IG acct smartwayamerica but never really did anything there are 3 posts recently I decided to start doing IG but ofcourse cant remember my password, I have followed all the instructions , it says an email is sent to me at d*****[email protected]*****.com I have tried every email acct I have ever had that would match that, no luck so I decide to register a new acct using my full co name smartwayamericarealty it says it is taken BUT it is not, only thing I see is 2 hashtags using that name.. It just sucks there os no way to contact IG and get this workedout

          Reply
          • Kelsey Smith says

            January 24, 2022 at 9:05 am

            Hey Don. Though it seems unlikely, it's possible someone used that full username smartwayamericarealty at some point and deleted the account. Deleted usernames cannot be restored. Your best bet is to keep trying to get access to your old smartwayamerica account. Don't forget to check your spam folder. Wish I could be of more help!

            Reply
            • Adriel Ruiz says

              March 30, 2022 at 11:00 am

              I am trying to change username to a name that has never been taken but for some reason it keeps showing me error message even if i try to just edit any part of my profile. Bio or anything it shows error message. I don’t even have to change anything just every time i hit “edit profile” then hit “done” the error shows up. My first time ever trying to change the username this problem started. Do you know what i can do to fix this issue?

            • Kelsey Smith says

              March 30, 2022 at 11:31 am

              I'm not familiar with this issue. I wish I could be more helpful.

    4. Tonsy says

      December 09, 2021 at 6:24 pm

      I had this issue, i want to register a name that ends with .org as my website is.

      Instagram keep telling me the name is taken but it is not. i don't know shall i still wait for 14 days, and if so, started from when? i checked and the name is not taken. but Instagram's rules are very weird.

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        December 13, 2021 at 1:15 pm

        The 14 day window only applies to usernames that have been recently changed. If the username continues to be unavailable even though no one uses it, it’s possible the previous owner deleted their account. Deleted usernames are not restored.

        Reply
    5. Corners says

      November 29, 2021 at 6:23 pm

      for years I've been trying to get ahold of either @corn or @corners, @corners has been taken up by some random dummy spam account for years, while @corn has just sat unavailable with no clear account connected to it, I wonder if maybe it was used by a meme page or something which then got banned

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        November 30, 2021 at 10:22 am

        That's possible. It's also possible the previous owner deleted the account. When accounts are deleted, the username is taken off the market.

        Reply
    6. Xander Culnane says

      November 08, 2021 at 5:04 pm

      Hey Kelsey, so my account was deactivated and i am trying to put in a request to get it back. the only issue is its says my username is not in their records, do you know this issue. Thanks

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        November 09, 2021 at 11:22 am

        Did you use the Temporary Disable Account feature or did you delete the profile? If you temporarily disabled it, you should be able to log in and re-enable it. But if you deleted it, it is my understanding that you cannot restore it.

        Reply
    7. Adam says

      November 01, 2021 at 8:06 pm

      I deleted my account, but I wanted to make the same account with the same email/username. It says unavailable, but its available. Is there any information on when you delete it?

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        November 02, 2021 at 1:33 pm

        Deleting an account removes the username from the pool of available usernames. This is from Instagram's help website:

        If your account was deleted by you or someone with your password, there's no way to restore it. You can create a new account with the same email address you used before, but you may not be able to get the same username.

        Reply
    8. Javier says

      October 15, 2021 at 5:35 pm

      Thank you very much for doing this blog. I did the exact same thing as you and was very worried. I changed the name of my main account to release it and put it in another account but Instagram told me that it was not available. Thanks to you, I have discovered the 14-day rule. I guess I'll set an alarm too. Again, Thank you very much.

      Reply
      • Vikas verma says

        May 01, 2022 at 3:10 pm

        I have got two accounts, i secure a username with my new account now i want to swap the username with my old account, what can i do, please help.

        Reply
        • magdalena kolodziej says

          June 01, 2022 at 2:52 pm

          Somebody has changed my username and I can’t get access to my account.

          Reply
    9. Nora says

      September 20, 2021 at 9:56 am

      Hi Kelsey, thank you for this very interesting post! I just need some help, unfortunately. I've been trying to get the username "mellova" for a while, but there's no account with that name, yet I can't get it. Here's the weird part: it has never been used before, I'm pretty sure? I used the wayback machine to see if something like that might have happened, but they didn't find anything! So I'm kind of lost 🙁

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        September 20, 2021 at 12:14 pm

        Hey Nora. I wish I knew more, but everything I know is shared in this post. I hope you are able to get your username one of these days.

        Reply
      • Valentine says

        September 26, 2021 at 10:57 pm

        It's possible that the user deactivated the account. I did this with my other account to reserve a username. So let's say I used "Mellova" as a username but deactivated, you still won't be able to use it.

        Reply
        • radan says

          December 08, 2021 at 6:58 pm

          so if we talking to support cant take this username?

          Reply
    10. John Queen says

      July 29, 2021 at 7:01 am

      I wanted to share my experience.
      I asked an stranger if they would mind changing their name, which matched our business name. It is a 5 letter name. She very kindly agreed.
      I patiently waited for 14 days after she changed her instagram name but no luck, I tried again everyday for the following days with no luck.
      Today I could change it. It is 1 month after the initial name change. 29 June - 29 July.
      As I didn't know the time of the initial name change I could not pay attention to it, I just tried it a couple times a day and it worked fine. I did not have any trouble with angry bots taking names or anything.
      Hope it helps!

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        July 29, 2021 at 10:15 am

        Thanks, John. This should give people who aren't able to secure a username after 14 days some hope.

        Reply
      • Frida says

        August 07, 2021 at 5:19 pm

        Hi baby, i had an account and i changed the name to put that name on my new account and it's not available, if i wait 1 month it'll be able to put that username on another account?

        Reply
    11. Ekene Ikwudogu says

      July 06, 2021 at 4:47 pm

      Can you please check the situation with the username "ekene"? It is definitely available and there is no one on Instagram who has the name but I am unable to change my name to it. I've been observing the username for years and can tell you that the former person who has this username was ekene_07 and has been inactive since 2014. What might be the case with this account? The change and adjustment were fairly recent because I remember still seeing the username taken in 2021, and as you may know, it is nearly impossible to get any word back from Instagram after calling and emailing them. My current username is "eikwudogu" and I'm almost at the point of trademarking the name just to see if that may work, after all, it is available. It will definitely help to uplift my personal brand and persona on the platform. I'm eager to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        July 06, 2021 at 5:15 pm

        I've heard that when people terminate their accounts, sometimes Instagram takes the username off the market permanently. So, if the previous account holder of "ekene" deleted their account, that username may be unavailable permanently. I don't have any details on why they do this but it could explain why Instagram won't let you register it.

        Reply
    12. Miller says

      June 07, 2021 at 7:16 pm

      Hello, Kelsey Smith Thank you for your information. I tried one of the username many times form more than 6 months, but it still says, the username is not available. I tried to search that username by typing the URL. That account is not taken. It's still available, but it says it is not available, Can we say it's banned account? I reported it to Instagram last week but it's still not working.

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        June 08, 2021 at 10:28 am

        If the person who previously used the username deleted their account, the username is out of commission permanently from what I've been told by other comments.

        Reply
        • Miller says

          June 08, 2021 at 2:14 pm

          Okay, Thank you!

          Reply
    13. Sofia Castegren says

      May 27, 2021 at 10:00 am

      SO USEFUL!!!! I had the same issue!! Now I know the answer 🙂

      Reply
    14. Sanne Smits says

      May 12, 2021 at 4:41 am

      I want to change my account to 'sewsmits', my initials and name, but is says it's taken for about a year now. If i search it, it doesn't come up with an account and the direct url gives this 'Sorry, this page isn't available. The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed. Go back to Instagram.'

      I'm pretty sure the account is non-existent. Is there something, you know of, that I can try?

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        May 12, 2021 at 12:21 pm

        Hey Sanne! From what I understand, if the previous owner of that username was banned or deleted their account, the username is forever unavailable.

        Reply
        • Shafeeya says

          July 19, 2021 at 12:46 am

          I changed my username name and waited for 14 days to get back my old username, when I type the old username I get a tick next to it which indicates that they name is still available. I tried checking it in various ways to findout it's still available. Now when I try to change it back I am getting "restriction message" from Instagram. What do I do?

          Reply
          • Kelsey Smith says

            July 19, 2021 at 11:09 am

            What is the exact message you receive? I found a thread on Reddit of people who received a Restriction 49 message, and several people said the error stopped the next day.

            Reply
    15. Eli says

      April 09, 2021 at 4:54 pm

      i'd like to change my username to something but it says its unavailable, i searched for it and couldnt find it, i tagged it and it said the user doesnt exist, i put it into an instagram url and it said it didnt exist, did the old user of the name get banned or something? It's a pretty simple name and I was surprised no one had taken it

      Reply
    16. Pol says

      February 23, 2021 at 12:01 pm

      Hi Atem.
      Thanks for your reply, appreciate it a lot! The username I am trying to change to is also 4 letters, and also wrote the exact time down. Hope the name becomes available like you said at the 28 days 🙂

      Reply
      • Atem says

        February 23, 2021 at 1:00 pm

        Alright good luck. Update us if you get it to work 🙂

        Reply
      • J says

        March 01, 2021 at 5:42 pm

        Hey Pol
        were you finally able to get your username within the 28 days?

        Reply
      • L says

        April 17, 2021 at 7:12 pm

        Did you get it after 28 Days?

        Reply
    17. Amir says

      February 21, 2021 at 8:22 am

      hi dear, thanks for your guidance, actually that was my problem and you helped me.
      I really liiiike you if visit my youtube channel so: @amirp10

      Reply
      • Antonio says

        December 07, 2021 at 11:25 pm

        Is it 14 days exactly at midnight on the 14th day or exact time yoj changed it on the 14th day? Ex: changed at 2PM so at 2PM on the 14th it is available?

        Reply
        • Kelsey Smith says

          December 08, 2021 at 3:23 pm

          Sorry Antonio, I didn't time it precisely, so I'm not sure.

          Reply
    18. Nyanda says

      February 09, 2021 at 7:35 am

      Thank you SO much for your post. What you did is exactly what I’m trying to do and it’s so nice to know I’m not the only one having an issue.
      I’ll try and change it in 14 days (my message says 14). How frustrating though when you’re mentally ready for the change and can’t.
      Instagram also does alpha and beta testing so even at the same point in time people could get different experiences. Not surprising some say 12/14 etc.

      Reply
      • Atem says

        February 22, 2021 at 8:39 pm

        Hey to answer your question and everyone who could not change their name after 14 days. I had the same issue lol. I waited for 28 days before it allowed me to change my name. Crazy right. You just gotta wait it out sometimes it takes more than 14 days which I’m not sure why. But as soon as 28 day hit, I was able to change my name back the exact minute and second which it was charged 28 days ago.

        Reply
        • Kelsey Smith says

          February 22, 2021 at 10:39 pm

          Whoa! 28 days is a long time, but I'm glad you persisted.

          Reply
        • Pol says

          February 23, 2021 at 6:55 am

          I have the same problem and am in the third week (22 days). But, let's say I had account A with @a and account B with @b. I wanted the username of @a on the B account, and I had access to both accounts. After 15 days, I couldn't claim, so I tried to claim the username again on the A account. After 5 tries it let me change it back to the original username @a. I immediately changed the username back to something else, to check if I could claim on the B account but I couldn't. Now I'm scared the username is bugged out, and will never be claimed anymore.

          Also when changing the username, it went from "this username isn't available" to "this username @a isn't available" which is one of my big concerns.

          Reply
          • Atem says

            February 23, 2021 at 11:15 am

            Hey Pol. Give it 28 days and it should be able to work. What I’ve realized in my attempt in name changes is either you can change it after 14 days and if it Doesn’t work you’ll have to wait another 14 days making it 28 days. I don’t know if it’s a glitch with Indy but apparently it happens to a lot of people. You just have to be patient and wait it out. Also the name I got was a 4 letter name with an underscore and no bot was able grab it lol because I knew the exact time and second the name would be available to grab lol

            Reply
            • L says

              April 18, 2021 at 12:06 pm

              Hello atem

              Was it not possible for you to the second 28 days, or was it possible from 00:00 after 28 days?
              Thanks for your answer

          • Atem says

            March 02, 2021 at 12:24 am

            Hey Pol did you finally get your username to work ?

            Reply
        • Travis says

          May 04, 2021 at 9:34 am

          Thanks to you I added an additional 14 days for the end time in my calendar lol. Hoping i don’t have to wait any longer than than 14 though. I’m 4 days away from my initial 14 days lol.

          Reply
          • amanda says

            May 04, 2021 at 2:14 pm

            my 14th day of waiting will be 5/6/21 - keep us updated!

            Reply
    19. Gianni Lozarus says

      January 27, 2021 at 4:09 am

      Hi Kelsey, I just come across this article and it may help my problem.

      I just started an Instagram account for my Grandma's food business. It was going well until I misspelled the username. I can't change the username until two weeks is up, but the business will launch tomorrow. I have no choice to delete the account and create another new one. Fast forward, I created the second new account, but when I want to use the deleted account username, it was not available. I panicked because I can't find a solution to change the username. Until I read your article.

      I felt assured that the deleted account's username might be on hold for two weeks. I hope this is true. For now, I'm using a temporary name with a "." until two weeks is up. I hope I can use the original username I intended to use.

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        January 27, 2021 at 3:33 pm

        Hi Gianni! I hope it becomes available, too. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

        Reply
    20. Eliana says

      January 18, 2021 at 6:27 am

      Hi Kelsey, I have just come across your account because I cannot seem to find out, why I can´t create a new IG page with the desired username.

      I want to create a IG page for my company. I have done lots of research for possible usernames and the ones that I proposed to my boss, are all free in terms of, there are NO accounts with these possible usernames. Now, that I wanted to go ahead and create the page, it says that the username we wanted to go ahead with, isn´t available. But upon another research run, I still cannot find ANY account that is even similar in writing, or the exact same.

      Do you have an idea, what the issue can be here, as there is NO account with that exact username? I mean, it should be possible to look up a username when tiping it in the search bar, right? I tiped it in, on my phone, and on my laptop, but IG only suggest other accounts that come nowhere near to the same spelling.

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        January 18, 2021 at 9:59 am

        Hi Eliana, The username could be banned/off-limits. It's possible someone had that name previously and their account was frozen or shut down. There's no way to know for sure. Try to contact Instagram support, but I'm under the impression it's difficult to get in touch. You'll most likely need to move forward with another name. Rather than typing usernames in the search bar for availability, it's better to go through the registration process to check availability.

        Reply
    21. Robert Bernstein says

      January 16, 2021 at 8:56 pm

      None of this applies to me. I have almost zero interest in Instagram. I just want to look at one post. It says I need an account. But every single user name I have tried it claims is already taken. This is simply not possible. WTF?

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        January 17, 2021 at 8:37 pm

        Sounds like a glitch to me. I would try registering on both mobile and desktop and see if one lets you through.

        Reply
    22. Stephanie G Jaramillo says

      November 20, 2020 at 6:10 pm

      Hi! So I'm actually having a completely different issue... So my user name was @stephinhighdef
      and i just wanted to see how another name would look, just being curious so I changed it to the name I wanted to try out and didn't like as much so I went back to try and retrieve my original name (mind you this was all within like 5 minutes) and it said that the name was taken... So i went to search for it and some random dude with like 600 followers has it but how?? I'm pretty irritated and I don't know what exactly to do. Any suggestions? I wish I had done what you did with your dummy account but honestly I have no idea how someone would have taken it that fast, it has to be a bot right?

      Reply
      • Eriquita says

        November 29, 2021 at 9:55 am

        I’m having the same issue. But when I search my old username, nothing comes up. Ugh. Hope you got yours back.

        Reply
      • m b says

        June 04, 2022 at 1:32 am

        Did you ever figure anything out about this? I had basically the same thing, I registered an account and was setting it up when IG banned me out of nowhere. Was able to recover with a recovery phone number, but when I logged in different elements started disappearing one by one (profile picture, display name, etc) and now the display name is "Instagram User". (This is how it happened when I was legitimately banned for accidentally breaking the rules on a different account like a year ago). Instagram says they are reviewing the current ban because I challenged it. Meanwhile I search the username (that I'd just registered successfully moments earlier) and it's an established account with a ton of posts, a realistic bio, and like 900 followers. What gives? I figured I'd just modify the username and start over, and my account was immediately banned again. Now it's under the 24-hour review again.

        Reply
    23. Q says

      November 06, 2020 at 11:19 am

      My business partner accidentally set up a new account attached to his personal account. Is there a way to remove it from his personal account completely so it is solely under the new business name?

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        November 06, 2020 at 2:32 pm

        Sorry, I'm not sure I completely understand the details of what's going on. Can you provide a little more detail? I'll see if I can help.

        Reply
    24. Carolyn Unwin says

      October 08, 2020 at 3:41 am

      A very helpful article thank you! Unfortunately I made a mistake on an initial username and immediately tried to change it, but Instagram said that the username was unavailable immediately (I really don't think so because it looked totally available to me & was quite unusual). Now even though I've waited way more than 2 weeks, everytime I retry it keeps saying it's unavailable. So frustrating that an initial slip of the keyboard seems to have permanently locked out my desired name. I would really appreciate if you could let me know the best way to reach out to support. Do they actually have support!!?

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        October 08, 2020 at 11:42 am

        Hi Carolyn! Sorry to hear that, that's a bummer. Here are instructions from Instagram about how to report a problem. I wasn't able to find a direct email address.

        Reply
    25. Gabriel says

      September 23, 2020 at 8:05 pm

      Is there any news about why after 14 days Instagram keeps holding the username you want to change? 16 days have passed and I still can't change it, I read that others have had the same problem

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        September 24, 2020 at 10:37 am

        Thanks for your DM on Instagram. I do not know why Instagram is not releasing usernames after 14 days.

        Reply
    26. J says

      September 04, 2020 at 2:23 am

      so i have a long story please help me out, i have always wanted this username since 2018, i kept texting that person but they were inactive so i texted their family friends whom they followed and requested them to inform the og person whom i wanted the username of.
      it took about 2 months for all the communication but on 21 Aug they changed their username, due to the 14 day rule thing i waited, after 14 days today being 4th i tried filling it in, yet it says its unavailable :(((
      i have been waiting 2 years for this username and yet i cant get it, pls pls help

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        September 04, 2020 at 8:35 am

        Sorry J, I don't have an answer. Several people have left comments similar to yours, and it's unclear why Instagram is holding back usernames.

        Reply
      • L says

        April 17, 2021 at 6:59 pm

        Does it work now?

        Reply
    27. Alek Zavala says

      August 29, 2020 at 11:14 pm

      Is there ANY chance that a username is on hold for more than 14 days? I got someone else to change their username so that I could use it and I waited EXACTLY 14 days, and the minute the 14 days were up it still didn’t allow me to take it. It’s been days since and there’s no active accounts with the name. I try everyday but it won’t let me. The name wasn’t anything bad it was normal name from a normal user.

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        August 31, 2020 at 10:11 am

        I haven't heard of anyone having success at that point -- but I can only speak from my experience and those shared in the comments.

        Reply
      • J says

        September 04, 2020 at 4:03 pm

        I HAVE THE SAME STRUGGLE PLS TELL EM IF YOU FIND A SOLUTION

        Reply
    28. Isaac says

      August 16, 2020 at 6:23 pm

      Something really weird happened to me, I didn't know if I should use "_" for my account, I did and then I wanted to have the whole name without it, and I checked before and both were available, and now I can't, but I never used the name. What happened! It's a really weird name so i don't think anybody would use it.

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        August 16, 2020 at 6:39 pm

        Sorry Isaac, I haven't run into this issue before.

        Reply
    29. P Tucker says

      August 14, 2020 at 4:39 pm

      Hi Kelsey, thanks for this post. I'm trying to update my IG profile info, since I registered my username ages ago and haven't used IG until now. I haven't touched my username, just added photo, bio, etc.

      But when I click "submit," I get an auto-response that my username isn't available and that I should choose another. My username is my unique name, and when I search IG for that name, I'm the only one who comes up. I really don't want to choose another username since this one is unique to me.

      I'm baffled. There seems to be no way to ask IG directly about this problem. Any ideas?

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        August 16, 2020 at 6:40 pm

        Hmm. That's so weird that it's trying to force you into a new name. Have you tried editing your profile on both mobile and desktop? That's the only thing I can think of.

        Reply
        • V4N5H says

          September 04, 2020 at 12:17 am

          I have the same problem!

          Reply
    30. Alicia says

      August 02, 2020 at 9:00 am

      Is the 14 days counted down to the hours/minute/second? Or you can only change it on the 15th day? (Past midnight..?) When after the 14 days did u manage to change the name back?

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        August 05, 2020 at 4:33 pm

        There is no counter, that would be lovely. I was able to change mine on day 14 from my own count.

        Reply
    31. Rob says

      July 26, 2020 at 5:06 pm

      Here’s a humdinger for you.. someone with the username I wanted was kind enough to vacate it for me so that I could take it (14 days later)... but after those 14 days it still says it is unavailable. It’s now been 15 days and still no luck, and I know that it hasn’t been taken - because it says “This Instagram name isn’t available”... whereas if I was to try and take a username that is in use it shows the message “This Instagram username isn’t available. Please try another one”.
      If you have any pearls of wisdom I’d love to hear them, because I’m pulling my hair out at this point haha!
      Thanks.

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        July 26, 2020 at 5:26 pm

        I wish I had wisdom to share on this one! I tried searching "This Instagram name isn’t available" in quotes, and there are zero results for that exact phrase. My only thought is the person didn't actually release it when they said they did... but it sounds like that's unlikely since you probably saw the change.

        Reply
      • Emma says

        August 22, 2020 at 7:37 pm

        Hey! I’m in the exact same situation right now. Owner switched to a new username, we waited 14 days (until it didn’t show up on her profile anymore), but now it still says it’s unavailable.

        It’s clearly not taken and just seems inaccessible for whatever reason - have you had any luck since this post?

        Reply
        • Josh says

          August 26, 2020 at 7:04 am

          has anyone in this thread had any more luck with obtaining the usernames?

          Reply
        • J says

          September 04, 2020 at 4:04 pm

          SAME PLS TELL IF YOU FIND OUT

          Reply
      • R. H. says

        September 01, 2020 at 7:50 am

        similar thing happened to me
        i reserved a username on my second account
        i changed it more than 2 weeks ago because i want to use that name on my main accout
        16 days later, i still can't use that username
        i can't even use that name on my 2nd account anymore
        and i know that noone took that name

        Reply
        • Alshammaa says

          November 16, 2020 at 8:48 pm

          did you have the ability to get your username back even after it being lost after the 14 day period because I am facing the same issue as well. Thank you

          Reply
      • Diana says

        December 07, 2020 at 5:49 pm

        Hi there,

        I find myself in a similar situation, when the person who held the username i wanted agreed to vacate it for me; I have waited exactly 14 days to make sure the username isn't taken by someone else the second it gets available - however I couldnt change mine into this new one. It appears that it is not used by someone else either. It's been more than a month already.

        Anyway, I have reported this problem through the app, although I highly doubt they would even consider answering my query 🙁 If someone finds out how to troubleshoot this, would be much appreciated!

        Reply
    32. jennifer omigie says

      July 24, 2020 at 1:45 am

      I had my business name, I tried creating an account the name was available. In the process of creating the account I received an error message and the name is no longer available. I have done multiple searches and I can’t see the username in use which is quite confusing.

      Reply
    33. Priyanshu Sharma says

      July 11, 2020 at 4:36 am

      Thnks for This Information, Kelsey

      Reply
    34. Neil says

      July 10, 2020 at 9:55 am

      I've been going back and forth with this problem for a few years now, I often get frustrated in launching my business on social media because i cannot get my company name on Instagram. I've been hammering away at them regarding my company name, with or without dots and underscores but none are available but aren't taken. I find it frustrating and confidence sapping.

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        July 10, 2020 at 4:44 pm

        My only guess is someone had that username and was banned. But that's just a guess. I checked what alternates I could come up with for @devmatters and found @dev.matters and @dev_matters are both available to register. I hope that helps.

        Reply
    35. Sayna says

      June 26, 2020 at 5:24 am

      This was so incredibly helpful, I googled how to swap instagram usernames out of pure frustration, and your post pulled through! 🙂
      I've set my reminder for 14 days time. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • Travis says

        May 04, 2021 at 9:21 am

        Lol me too. There’s hope for me afterall. Set a reminder for 14 days and just hoping it actually works when I try again on that day. 🤞🏼

        Reply
    36. Cryptiant says

      June 12, 2020 at 7:27 am

      So how to make sure that the username is on hold

      Reply
    37. Ross says

      May 13, 2020 at 3:35 pm

      Thank you for the article!

      Reply
      • Karen says

        May 29, 2020 at 12:59 am

        so were you able to change into your new username after the 14 days? I'm having the same issue, so I want to know if my previous one would be made available after 2 weeks. Thanks!

        Reply
        • Kelsey Smith says

          May 29, 2020 at 10:01 am

          Yes, I was.

          Reply
      • K says

        June 11, 2020 at 2:16 pm

        I am trying to get a username which it is saying is not available. When I search for that username as profile link it shows page not exists. It means that it has not been registered yet. How to get more information on this.

        Reply
        • Kelsey Smith says

          June 11, 2020 at 2:50 pm

          Hi K. As my article mentioned, it's possible this username is currently in an on-hold period (perhaps someone recently abandoned this name) or it could be permanently unavailable for other reasons mentioned in the article (banned user, etc).

          Reply
    38. Joe karam says

      May 08, 2020 at 5:15 am

      This is really frustrating, I'm facing the same issue...
      I tried changing from A to B on my first account, then back to A on the same account and it worked instantaneously. So, I decided to change A back to B and use A on my second account, unfortunately it did not work.
      ALSO, changing B back to A did not work! so what gives

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        May 08, 2020 at 11:11 am

        The only thing I can think of (and this is just a guess) is that Instagram saw the activity as suspicious and put the usernames on hold. Try again in 12-14 days (someone in the comments said they received an alert that it was 12 days for them) is the only suggestion I have. I hope you can switch your usernames soon!

        Reply
    39. Edie says

      May 08, 2020 at 2:43 am

      I'm trying to sign up for a new Instagram account and I've entered 6 different usernames and each time it comes back saying "this username isn't available - please try another. The 6 I tried are quite unique and contained letters and numbers. What am I doing wrong?

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        May 08, 2020 at 11:13 am

        At this point in time, there are 1 billion monthly active users, and even more accounts that are inactive, so it's possible they are taken, or there's inadvertently an off-limits word in your username (probably not, but just trying to spitball here), or the names you're trying to register are blacklisted for other reasons.

        Reply
    40. Richard says

      May 07, 2020 at 1:22 pm

      The instruction inside the Instagram app says that it'll hold your username available for 12 days. Are they just being safe and it's actually released at exactly 14 days, like you say in this article?

      Thx!

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        May 07, 2020 at 2:57 pm

        Hi, Richard! It is possible Instagram has changed its policy. At the time I made my username switch late last year, the message in-app read “In most cases, you’ll be able to change your username back to (blank) for another 14 days.” If you received a different message in the app, I would trust that message as being more current.

        Reply
      • Amy says

        May 07, 2020 at 10:58 pm

        Hi! I have the same case as you have and I have waited for 14 days too. However, my username is still unavailable. Do you know what I should do? Or should I go to the help center and report this?

        Reply
        • Kelsey Smith says

          May 08, 2020 at 11:15 am

          I'd so go ahead and reach out to support, I don't know how responsive they are, so it could take a while to hear back from them, or you may only get an automated reply even if you do get a response. Have you checked to see if someone else has registered whatever name you're trying to switch to? Hopefully, that is not the case, which would be a good sign.

          Reply
        • Malcolm T Pinckney says

          January 13, 2021 at 5:38 am

          Hey, I had someone change their name on instagram so that I could have the name for my brand. They did it and this is the 15th day and it's saying still that it is unavailable. I have been searching to see if a bot has taken it and it hasn't. I don't know what to do.

          Reply
          • Kelsey Smith says

            January 13, 2021 at 11:57 am

            Hey Malcolm! My only suggestion would be to contact Instagram support if possible.

            Reply
          • Pol says

            February 15, 2021 at 6:29 pm

            Hello Malcolm, I am facing the same problem at the moment. At 15 days I still cannot change my username to that one username I changed 15 days ago. Also no one has claimed it yet.

            I was wondering if you solved it. Thanks.

            Reply
          • Running man says

            May 14, 2021 at 5:43 pm

            Let me know if you every figured this out. I’m in the same Situation, I got someone to change it and they’re still active with a different user but my name is saying unavailable, it’s freaking me out😭

            Reply
            • kai says

              July 22, 2021 at 9:49 am

              im dealing with the same issue but its been more than 2 weeks and it still says that its not available i dont know what to do

            • Kelsey Smith says

              July 22, 2021 at 10:14 am

              If it's been more than the 14 day period, and it's still not working, I don't have any advice. I'm sorry, I wish there was a way to submit a ticket to Instagram or talk to someone over there.

            • kai says

              July 23, 2021 at 10:58 am

              the girl was able to put it back so i told her to change it again to see if i'd be able to put it and it worked, thank you tho.

        • Alanis says

          March 20, 2021 at 6:11 am

          Well, I've waited for freaking 5 years to catch that nickname. Finally, the account owner gave me an answer: yes, you can have my username. I tried to switch names between two accounts and then got this rule about 14 days. It reminds me about The Ring Movie and VCR which able to kill you after watch after 7 days since you watched it.

          So I have 3 days on the account with an original username. I'm SO nervous to change it for my second account. I will tell you what happen next.

          Reply
    41. Vicky says

      April 29, 2020 at 9:58 am

      Hi! I have just experienced the same thing with the username being unavailable. So, by the time I changed my old username to my new one, it should be 14 days to get my old username back?

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        April 29, 2020 at 10:14 am

        Instagram holds your old username for 14 days. So if your username was A, and you changed your account to be called B, you would have a 14-day window to switch back to A before Instagram releases the username. But, if you're in a situation like I was where I had two separate accounts, and I was trying to use one account to reserve a username, I had to wait 14 days to try to nab the username on my second account.

        Reply
        • Taylor says

          May 27, 2020 at 5:45 pm

          Thank you for the info! How do you know and ensure that bots won’t snag it as soon as it comes up after the 14 days?

          Reply
          • Kelsey Smith says

            May 28, 2020 at 11:30 am

            As far as I know, there is no way to prevent a bot from snagging a username.

            Reply
            • cryptiant says

              June 12, 2020 at 8:37 am

              How do I ensure that Instagram holds it

            • Kelsey Smith says

              June 12, 2020 at 9:32 am

              If you give up a username, it will automatically be held for 14 days. At the end of this period, it is released and open for anyone to register it.

        • sachin says

          May 10, 2021 at 2:37 am

          Hi ma'am i have done the steps i have waited for 14 days and i tried to do it again but it did not work and i checked that has someone taken the name, but no one has taken the name, no what to do?

          Reply
          • Kelsey Smith says

            May 10, 2021 at 10:03 am

            Everything I know is included in this blog post. Sorry that I'm not able to be more helpful. Best of luck!

            Reply
          • Running man says

            May 14, 2021 at 5:41 pm

            Did you ever figure it out? Because I’m in the same boat

            Reply
            • Adriano says

              July 14, 2021 at 8:57 am

              Same here…

        • Namrata Tanwar says

          July 29, 2021 at 6:08 am

          i changed my username by mistake and now i want my old username on the same account but when i tried that it showed the 14 day hold but wouldn't let me change it back

          Reply
          • Kelsey Smith says

            July 29, 2021 at 10:15 am

            I'm sorry, I'm not sure why Instagram wouldn't allow you to switch back if you're within the 14 day window.

            Reply
        • Shubh says

          August 13, 2021 at 8:04 am

          Hi ma'am. I recently accidentally changed my username and I wanted to change it back today itself. But it shows this username isn't available. As you said you can reserve the username on a second account, I couldn't understand how that works. Could you please explain how to do it so my username is safe and I can get it back after 14 days. I'm really worried.

          Reply
          • Kelsey Smith says

            August 13, 2021 at 10:02 am

            Hi there! When you change your username, it's on reserve for 14 days for the original account. You should be able to get the username back if you change it within 14 days.

            The second account situation is a totally different thing, that's related to username swapping.

            Reply
      • Shea Benson says

        May 16, 2021 at 10:18 am

        I was trying out a different username on my account It didn't look good so I tried to switch back to the original a min later to find Instagram username not available. I looked on Instagram and cannot find this username anywhere. This is the same account I was not trying to switch accounts or anything I have never been banned or anything of that nature either.

        Reply

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