Instagram provides a great deal of leeway for originality. The Highlights feature allows you to showcase all of your well organised information, from images of your morning coffee to videos of your musical prowess. But when it comes to individual expression, there’s been considerable debate about one particular part of the app: your name. Altering your Instagram handle is distinct from altering your bio or profile picture. Due to the significance of your Instagram handle as a means of discovery, you should exercise caution before making any changes to it.
In this article, we’ll discuss whether or not changing your Instagram name is considered to be poor online etiquette.
Is it possible to alter one’s Instagram handle?
Instagram allows users to easily modify their username and profile name. Indeed, there is a distinction between the two.
Instagram profiles always have your username, also known as your Instagram handle, at the profile’s top-center. It appears above all posts and next to all comments and likes. You can also be “tagged” in posts this way. However, your Instagram name will just appear underneath your profile picture. Both your username and real name can be used as search terms for your profile.
Following the following procedures, you will have successfully changed your Instagram username. You usually have up to 14 days to go back to your previous username if you decide you don’t like the new one.
However, you won’t be able to revert to your former username if someone else has already claimed it.
Instagram name changes: the catches
Instagram makes it simple to alter your name and username, but there are a few restrictions. There are a few things to think about before you click “Done” on your Instagram profile, including how aggressively you’ve been advertising your account elsewhere and how many increse new followers you desire.
Is it a poor habit to frequently alter your username?
Changing your Instagram username is not recommended if you have a big following and have been using the service for some time.
Why? To begin, any links to your Instagram account that you may have used outside of the app (such as in a guest post or an email signature) will no longer take users directly to your profile.
Due to the inability of Instagram to update your profile URL outside of the app, you may temporarily disappear from Google and other search engines. You will also need to update your username on other platforms that are connected to your Instagram (such as Facebook, Pinterest, or YouTube).
Does changing your Instagram name result in a loss of followers?
Possibly.
When you update your username in an app, all references to your old username will be replaced with your new one. Your new username will be reflected in all of your prior activity, including comments, mentions, and likes.
If someone tries to access your profile using your old login, however, they will get a message that says “user not found.” They may mistakenly assume that you have abandoned Instagram because of that notification.
You also run the risk of alienating your fans if they don’t recognise your new handle. They may stop following you if they mistake your profile for a new one.
Make an announcement on your Stories or in a post before switching to your new Instagram identity to try to prevent losing followers in the process. That way, your fans will be prepared.
However, none of the aforementioned problems will be triggered if you simply change your Instagram handle. While this may prevent others from finding you by your previous display name, it will not affect any of your existing URLs. Changing your display name is a far more secure choice if you want to play around with a different Instagram name.
For what reason is your Instagram profile name hidden?
If your Instagram profile doesn’t load, it’s not because you’ve broken any rules or because Instagram has locked your account.
Instagram introduced a new feature in March 2019 that prevents users from reverting to their former username for 14 days after changing it. This brand-new instrument was developed to foil the efforts of hackers who harvest inactive user accounts for use in automated attacks. Historically, hackers have seized former users’ previous identities as soon as they made the move, making it impossible for such individuals to ever use them again.
Users of Instagram are given a buffer period of time in which to transition to a new username before the account is automatically locked.
If there is a padlock next to your username, it implies you have your account set to private and only your approved followers may read your posts.
Can your past Instagram handles be seen by the public?
No. After you update your Instagram handle, no one will be able to see the previous name you used. They will not be able to access any of your prior login information.
Your former Instagram handles used to be viewable in your profile settings. Instagram, however, no longer appears to support that function.
Having said that, there are a number of considerations to make before making the switch to a new Instagram followers. If you don’t mind temporarily losing some followers and interaction, changing your username isn’t a huge problem.