Find People on Instagram: How to Add People on Instagram

Instagram offers several ways to find and add people. You can use Instagram to connect with your business's Facebook or mobile phone contacts, and follow users that you already know from other social media platforms. You can also search for a topic or name to find new people, or discover people on Instagram stories or Instagram reels, even if they are not on your existing contact list.

1. Download the Instagram app

Download the Instagram app on your ios or android mobile device. Open Instagram on your device settings, and toggle “contacts” on. This enables contact syncing to your Instagram account, and gives Instagram the ability to suggest friends based on phone numbers in your phone’s contact list.

2. Tap the Instagram app on your phone

Tap the Instagram app on your phone. Press "Sign In" and enter your Instagram username and password. If you do not have an Instagram profile, choose "Register" and provide the requested information.

3. Navigate to your profile page

Navigate to your profile page by clicking your profile picture at the bottom of the screen. Click the small icon shaped like a person with a plus sign next to the “share profile” button under your bio. This will open the “discover people” tab, which can be expanded into a pop-up menu by pressing “see all”. This menu will show you accounts to follow based on your contacts and current Instagram followers. Hit the “follow” button under the profiles you wish to appear on your feed.

4. Connect to Facebook

If you have a Facebook account, while in the “discover people” menu click on the “connect to Facebook” button at the very top of the screen. This will allow instagram to suggest your Facebook friends Instagram accounts to you.

5. Explore tab

Tap the "Explore" tab -- marked with a magnifying glass icon -- on the bottom right of your screen to find people who are not on your contact list. Select the search bar, and enter the name of a person or topic. Press "Follow" to add an Instagram user to your feed. On the explore page, you can also scroll through hashtags and other public Instagram posts to discover friends and influencers that would not otherwise be on your feed.

Information in this article applies to Instagram version 284.0. It may vary slightly or significantly with other versions or products.