How to Get an Inactive Instagram Username?

Is your ideal Instagram username already taken, but that person is inactive on the platform?

Unfortunately, there’s no direct way of getting an inactive Instagram username.

That’s because the username is inactive, but the account hasn’t been deleted yet. That person is still a user on Instagram, and their name will appear taken.

Here’s what you can do if you’re determined to get that inactive username:

Convince the other person to delete their account so you can get their username
Buy the username from them
Wait for Instagram to delete the account
Report the account to Instagram for being inactive
File a trademark report as long as your company’s name is trademarked

Keep reading to learn more about this!

Summary: If your ideal Instagram username is taken by an inactive account, there’s no direct way to claim it.

However, you can try a few approaches:

1. Convince the Account Owner: Reach out to the account owner and see if they’re willing to delete the account or sell you the username.
2. Wait for Account Deletion: You can wait for Instagram to potentially delete the inactive account over time.
3. Report the Inactive Account: You may report the account for inactivity, though Instagram doesn't guarantee action on these reports.
4. File a Trademark Report: If your company’s name is trademarked, you can file a trademark report with Instagram to request the username.

Keep reading to learn more about these options and how to increase your chances of securing the inactive username.

Convince Them to Hand Over the Username

Did you try talking to the other person and convincing them to hand over the username? If they’re not using Instagram, they could give you their username.

While they could hand over access to their account, and you’ll change the login information, it’d be easier for them to delete their account.

This way, the username will become available for you to use.

However, they may not want to give you their username willingly. After all, they may want to keep using Instagram in the future.

Buy the Username from Them

If you want the username for your Instagram business account and the other person doesn’t want to give it to you for free, why don’t you buy it from them?

In many cases, a monetary proposal will convince most people to sell you the username.

However, don’t make an offer just yet. First, you want to hint that you’re willing to buy the username from them.

Ask them how much would make them part with the username. It’s better to make them place the offer before you overestimate the value of the username.

There is no market for Instagram usernames, so the price only depends on how much you want the username.

Lastly, clarify that you only want the username, not the entire account. A username will be much cheaper than the account itself.

And you don’t want an Instagram account with thousands of followers, considering that they’re not your type of audience.

As for how you can contact the account owner, try finding contact data on their Instagram profile. Many people often link to their other social media accounts in their Bio.

If there’s nothing there, send them a DM on Instagram and wait for a reply. Once they reply, the negotiations start!

Wait for Instagram to Delete the Account

Instagram deletes inactive accounts that haven’t been around for a long time. The period is not exact, so you may have to wait a while.

If you’re not in a hurry to create your Instagram account, you could wait for Instagram to delete your account and make the username available again.

Though, you’ll never know when Instagram decides to delete the account because there’s no way to enable notifications for this.

Report the Account Being Inactive

If you can’t wait for Instagram to delete their account naturally, you can speed up the process.

Try reporting the account for inactivity but be professional about it. Make your case compelling and matter-of-fact, invoking your company’s need for the username.

Since the other person hasn’t been using Instagram for a long time, they may never return to the platform.

And since you want to use the username for a business account or your client’s business, it’ll be more useful.

Instagram may put more value in you since you’re more likely to bring more users to the platform with your content.

You could write something like this:

“Hello. I’m contacting you regarding a transfer of username from username X (insert profile link) to my own. My associates and I are planning on bringing our business to Instagram, and the username in question is the handle we use on other social media platforms.

Moreover, the current Instagram holder of the username has not been online for a long while, since (insert date). We would make better use of it through our business marketing model. Any help you can provide in this sense would be greatly appreciated!

Best Regards!“

If you’re acting professionally, you have good reasons for demanding an inactive username from Instagram.

Wait for a reply and see if they can transfer your username!

If that doesn’t work, there’s one more solution left.

File a Trademark Report

If a certain username is trademarked, you’ll naturally have the right to demand it from someone else on Instagram.

Remember, this won’t work if you haven’t trademarked a certain business name that you want to use as a username on Instagram.

After you do this, you can file a copyright infringement or trademark report to Instagram. Present the official trademark for the business name/username, and demand they delete the inactive account to free up the username.

Legally, you’re entitled to that username because you trademarked it.

There’s no other way to get an inactive Instagram username. Either you buy it from the owner, wait for it to get deleted, report it for inactivity, or trademark it and demand it from Instagram.

Post a comment below if you have any questions about this or if you know of other ways to get an inactive username on Instagram!