How to Find Someone’s Social Media Accounts

October 31, 2023

Social media has become an integral part of most people’s lives. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok and more allow us to connect with friends, family, colleagues, brands, influencers, and public figures. With billions of users across these networks, chances are the person you’re trying to find has an account on at least one of them.

But how do you go about finding someone’s social media profiles if you don’t already know their usernames? There are several techniques you can use to track down a person’s accounts across the major social platforms. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the most effective ways to find someone’s social media in 2023.

Is it Possible to Find Someone’s Social Media?

Yes, it is possible to find someone’s social media profiles and accounts, though it can be challenging depending on how much information you have to start with. Here are some tips:

  • If you know their full name, search for it on major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Try different variations of their first and last name as well.
  • Search by location, school, workplace, or other affiliations if you know them. Many people connect with local networks.
  • Look up their email address or phone number on sites like Spokeo which aggregate social media profiles.
  • Browse through friends/followers of their known connections to find accounts they may be associated with.
  • Look for identifying information like profile photos, location tags, interests, employers etc. that can help confirm an account belongs to your search subject.
  • For very common names, use advanced filters like location, job title, school attended to narrow down the possibilities.
  • If accounts are anonymous or deleted, look for vestiges like profile URL sites, cached pages, affiliations and connections.
  • As a last resort, you may need to enlist a professional investigator who can access non-public information to aid the search.

With billions of social media users, most people now have some kind of online presence that can be unearthed with enough effort and the right investigative strategies. Persistence and clever use of available clues are key to tracking down someone’s social accounts.

Why You Might Want to Find Someone’s Social Media

Here are some common reasons why you may want to find a person’s social media accounts:

  • Reconnecting with old friends or colleagues – If you’ve lost touch with someone over the years, tracking down their social profiles can help you get back in contact.
  • Researching a potential date or partner – Checking out a new romantic interest’s social media can give you insight into their interests, lifestyle and character.
  • Conducting background checks – For safety or security purposes, you may want to vet someone by viewing their social media presence.
  • Connecting with new professional contacts – Finding a useful industry connection on LinkedIn or Twitter can help grow your career network.
  • Interacting with brands and influencers – You may want to find the official social media accounts of a business, celebrity or influencer you admire.
  • Satisfying curiosity – Maybe you just want to see what an acquaintance or public figure is posting online out of curiosity.

General Strategies for Finding Someone’s Social Media

Here are some overarching strategies that work across most social platforms when trying to find a specific person’s profiles:

  • Search their full name – Try entering the person’s first and last name into the search bar on major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn.
  • Search variations of their name – Try nickname spellings, maiden names, middle names or initials if their main name doesn’t work.
  • Use email or phone reverse lookup – Some sites can locate social media accounts connected to a person’s email address or phone number.
  • Check their friends/connections – Browse the friends lists of their known connections to find accounts they may be associated with.
  • Use location filters – Search for local profiles in their city, school, workplace or other affiliations.
  • Look for identifying info – Profile photos, bios, posts about their job or education can help confirm an account belongs to your search subject.
  • Use social media lookup tools – Specialized sites like Spokeo, PeekYou and others offer reverse email lookup or aggregated social media searches.

Now let’s explore platform-specific techniques for tracking down social media profiles.

How to Find Someone on Facebook

With over 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook is a great starting point when searching for someone online. Here are some tips for tracking down a person’s Facebook profile:

  • Search their name – Start by entering their first and last name into the Facebook search bar. Make sure to search for both profiles and pages.
  • Try name variations – Nicknames, maiden names and middle names or initials can sometimes surface different results.
  • Search by location – Adding a city, school name or employer to your query can help narrow down results.
  • Browse friends of friends – Look for the person you seek in the friends lists of people you’re mutually connected with.
  • Use the Facebook search tool – The graph search tool allows complex searches like “people named John Smith who work at XYZ Company”.
  • Check Facebook search history – Previously searched names may still be linked to profiles you’ve found in the past.
  • Use reverse email lookup – Sites like Spokeo can find Facebook accounts linked to a person’s email address.
  • Look for identifying info – Bios, photos, posts about work or education can help confirm you have the right profile.

How to Find Someone on Instagram

With 1 billion monthly active users on Instagram, there’s a good chance the person you’re searching for has an account. Here are some tips for finding Instagram profiles:

  • Search their username – Try their first and last name, variations of their name or nicknames as their handle.
  • Search their full name – Even if you don’t know their exact username, searching their name may surface their account.
  • Check out followers/following – If you find an account you think is theirs, browse who they follow/followers to look for confirming connections.
  • Use location tags – Search location tags from places you know they frequent like their hometown, university, favorite hangouts.
  • Utilize Instagram search tools – Search by hashtag, location, contacts you have in common to uncover associated accounts.
  • Leverage image search – Use Google image search to find if any of their photos appear tied to an Instagram account.
  • Use reverse image lookup – Upload one of their photos to see if it’s geotagged or linked to a profile.
  • Try reverse email search – Sites like Spokeo can locate Instagram accounts registered with a person’s email.

How to Find Someone on Twitter

With its public nature, Twitter can be one of the easiest networks for tracking down a person’s account. Here are some top Twitter search tips:

  • Search their full name – Try their first and last name, variations of their name, or nickname spelled correctly.
  • Look for a pinned or confirmed account – Verified accounts with a blue checkmark or “Pinned Tweet” are definitely them.
  • Check their bio – Bios that mention employers, cities, schools or other affiliations can help confirm an account.
  • Browse followers/following – Look for follower overlap from their connections or known accounts they follow.
  • Leverage Twitter search operators – Search near their location, for specific keywords, with certain hashtags to uncover associated accounts.
  • Use email reverse search – Websites can cross-reference email addresses with Twitter accounts.
  • Look for identifying tweets – Posts about their interests, photos of them, or tweets from their connections help confirm an account.

How to Find Someone on LinkedIn

As the world’s largest professional networking platform, LinkedIn is great for tracking down a person’s profile for career or business purposes. Tactics include:

  • Search their full name – Try variations like maiden names, middle names/initials, nicknames in quotes.
  • Use advanced search filters – Filter by location, company, job title, school attended and other fields.
  • Browse shared connections – Look through your mutual connections on LinkedIn to uncover associated profiles.
  • Join relevant groups – Join industry, alumni, local groups they may be in to locate their profile.
  • Check profile details – Bios, employers, job titles and education help confirm you have the right person.
  • Search by email domain – Search for profiles associated with their work email domain.
  • Use reverse email search – Websites can search for LinkedIn accounts registered with a given email address.

How to Find Someone on TikTok

As TikTok continues to grow, more people are joining and sharing on this video-centric platform. Here are techniques to find someone on TikTok:

  • Search their username – If you know their exact TikTok handle, search that directly.
  • Try name searches – Search different versions of their first and last name.
  • Look through contacts – Browse the followers/following of TikTok accounts you have in common.
  • Use hashtag searches – Find associated accounts through hashtags reflecting their interests or affiliations.
  • Leverage video search – Use Snapchat or Google lens to try scanning their face in video results.
  • Check account details – Bios, locations tags, content topics can help confirm a profile belongs to your search subject.
  • Use phone number lookup – Some sites can locate associated TikTok accounts by searching phone numbers.

Find All Social Media Accounts by Phone Number Free (Easy Methods)

Here are 8 methods for finding someone’s social media accounts using their phone number:

Method 1: Using TruePeopleSearch to Find Social Media Accounts by Phone Number

TruePeopleSearch is a free people search engine that aggregates social media profiles linked to phone numbers.

Steps:

  1. Go to TruePeopleSearch.com
  2. Enter the 10-digit phone number in the search bar
  3. View the results page listing associated social media profiles
  4. Click on any results to open the linked social media account

Method 2: Using Numlookup to Find Social Media Accounts by Phone Number

Numlookup is a free reverse phone lookup site searching across social networks.

Steps:

  1. Go to Numlookup.com
  2. Input the phone number in the search box
  3. Scroll through results to see any associated social media profiles
  4. Select accounts to open their profiles on the linked platforms

Method 3: Using Facebook Search to Find Social Media Accounts by Phone Number

Facebook allows searching by just a phone number to find connected accounts.

Steps:

  1. Go to Facebook.com and click in the search bar
  2. Type the 10-digit phone number without dashes
  3. Look through the results for any profiles with that number tied

Method 4: Using Instagram Search to Find Social Media Accounts by Phone Number

Similarly, Instagram enables searching by only a phone number.

Steps:

  1. Open the Instagram app or go to Instagram.com
  2. Click in the search field and enter the phone number without dashes
  3. Browse results looking for profiles linked to that phone number

Method 5: Using Google Search to Find Social Media Accounts by Phone Number

Google indexes social profiles connected to phone numbers that you can uncover.

Steps:

  1. Go to Google.com
  2. Search the phone number in quotes (e.g. “1234567890”)
  3. Look through results for any social media profiles associated with the number

Method 6: Using PeekYou Basic Search to Find Social Media Accounts by Phone Number

PeekYou allows limited free reverse phone lookup for basic social searches.

Steps:

  1. Go to PeekYou.com
  2. Enter the phone number in the search bar
  3. Filter results to “Social” profiles
  4. View associated social media accounts

Method 7: Using WhatsApp Contact Check to Find Social Media Accounts by Phone Number

Saving a number to your contacts on WhatsApp may surface associated accounts.

Steps:

  1. Save the phone number to your device’s contacts
  2. Open WhatsApp and tap the “Add Contact” option
  3. See if the number autopopulates as a suggestion, indicating a tied WhatsApp account

Method 8: Using Fast People Search to Find Social Media Accounts by Phone Number

FastPeopleSearch aggregates social profiles linked to phone numbers.

Steps:

  1. Go to FastPeopleSearch.com
  2. Input the phone number in the search bar
  3. Browse through the results for social media accounts
  4. Click on them to open the linked profiles

Casting a wide net with these free tools maximizes your chances of finding associated social media accounts tied to just a phone number.

How to Find Hidden Social Media Accounts

Here are some tips for finding hidden or anonymous social media accounts:

  • Check URL registry sites like KnowEm, NameCheck, and WhatsMyName – even deleted accounts may still have URLs registered.
  • Search for page names on Facebook rather than profiles – deactivated accounts can sometimes be surfaced this way.
  • Use Google search operators like “site:” and “intitle:” to uncover hidden profiles.
  • Check cached/archived versions of pages on Archive.org and Google Cache to find deleted accounts.
  • Look for emails or phone numbers associated with the person and do a reverse search to find tied accounts.
  • Search data breach databases on sites like LeakLookup and IntelTechniques for exposed email/password credentials that could be traced to accounts.
  • Carefully examine the followers, following and connections of any known accounts associated with the person.
  • Dig through old forum posts, blog comments or web pages for any clues like account handles.
  • Enlist a professional investigator who can utilize non-public information and sophisticated search tools.
  • Use advanced social media search engines like Social Searcher and Spokeo.
  • Enable alerts so you’re notified if an account matching the person’s details is uncovered.

With persistence, creativity and the right tools, it’s often possible to uncover social media accounts that someone has tried to hide or delete. But it requires using less conventional search techniques.

How to Find Someone’s All Social Media With a Picture

Here are some tips for finding all of someone’s social media profiles using just a picture:

Reverse Image Search

  • Upload the photo to Google Images and click “Search by image”. This will show if the photo is used on any public webpages or social media profiles.

Social Media Image Search

  • Most platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and TikTok allow searching by image in their app or site. Upload the photo and see if any matching accounts pop up.

Facial Recognition Search

  • Use apps like Pimeyes or FindClone that allow facial recognition searches to match the face in the photo across social media sites.

Metadata Search

  • Apps like FotoForensics can analyze image metadata to see if a profile name, location or social media handle is attached.

Visual Similarity Search

  • Tools like TinEye, ImgOps or Same.Images let you find visually similar images that may lead to an associated account.

Reverse Image Services

  • Websites like ImgOps, Images.Google, TinEye and KarmaDecay aggregate reverse image search across multiple platforms.

Background Removal

  • Remove or blur the background of the photo then do a reverse image search to better isolate facial features.

Photo Exif Data

  • Services like Jeffery’s Exif Viewer or FotoForensics read embedded metadata many cameras attach to photos that may include account links.

Illustration Search

  • For drawings or illustrations, use tools like SauceNAO, IQDB, TraceMoe or Yandex to uncover if they appear on social accounts.

The more platforms you search across using visual matching, the better chance you have of tracking down all of someone’s social media presence using just a profile picture or photo of their face.

How to Find Deleted or Anonymous Social Media Accounts

If the person you’re searching for has an anonymous, private or deleted social media presence, tracking them down can be tricky. But here are a few advanced techniques that may help uncover their hard-to-find accounts:

  • Check URL sites – Enter their name into KnowEm.com, NameCheckr.com, WhatsMyName.com to find connected social URLs.
  • Search page name searches – Even deleted Facebook accounts may show up in searches for associated page names.
  • Check caching sites – Search archive.org or Google’s cache for ghost deleted account profiles.
  • Leverage data leak checks – Sites like LeakLookup or IntelTechniques can check for exposed email and password data that could be traced to accounts.
  • Look for identifiable ties – Even anonymous accounts may have vestiges of location, photo or interest ties back to the person.
  • Consult a pro – For high priority cases, you may need a professional investigator or social media analyst.

The more deleted, anonymous and far-reaching a person’s social media presence, the more difficult it will be to trace. But with the right tools and techniques, their digital footprint can often still be unearthed.

How to Find Someone on All Social Media (Find Hidden Profiles)

Here are steps for 6 methods to find someone on all social media including hidden profiles:

Method 1: Check Public Records

Searching public records can reveal associated social media account info.

Steps:

  1. Use sites like BeenVerified, TruthFinder or Spokeo for public records lookups
  2. Search the person’s name and location
  3. Check results for any listed social media handles, usernames or emails

Method 2: Lookup Their Phone Number

Reverse phone lookup services connect numbers to social accounts.

Steps:

  1. Use sites like Spokeo, Numlookup or TruePeopleSearch
  2. Input the person’s phone number
  3. Check the results for linked social media profiles

Method 3: Use Google Search

Google can surface indexed social media profiles.

Steps:

  1. Search the person’s name in quotes on Google
  2. Add “Facebook”, “Twitter”, “Instagram” etc. to the search
  3. Look through results for associated profiles

Method 4: Google Image Search

Reverse image search can tie photos to social media accounts.

Steps:

  1. Go to Images.Google.com
  2. Upload a clear photo of the person
  3. Check results to see if it’s tied to any social profiles

Method 5: Do a Manual Search

A manual search can uncover hidden social accounts.

Steps:

  1. Search their name on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.
  2. Try different name spellings and locations
  3. Browse thoroughly for any hidden, anonymous or private profiles

Method 6: Upload Your Contacts

Syncing contacts can link phone numbers to social accounts.

Steps:

  1. Upload your phone contacts to sites like Pipl or Spokeo
  2. Check the results for social media profiles tied to the numbers

Top 5 Best Social Media Finder

Here are the top 5 best social media finders:

1. Spokeo

Spokeo is a people search engine that aggregates social media profiles, contact information, criminal records, and more. It offers comprehensive background checks and reverse lookup services.

Features:

  • Reverse email lookup
  • Reverse phone lookup
  • People search by name, username, address, phone number
  • Criminal record checks
  • Social media account finder
  • Net worth estimations
  • Age and address history reports

How to Use Spokeo to Find Someone’s Social Media:

  1. Enter the name, email, phone number, username or address of your search subject
  2. Select social media search filters if desired
  3. View the results to find associated social media profiles
  4. Select profiles to unlock detailed background reports

2. Truthfinder

Truthfinder is a similar people and background check service that compiles public records and social media networks.

Features:

  • Email and phone number reverse lookup
  • Social media account linking
  • Criminal and arrest records
  • Marriage/divorce details
  • Relatives and associates

How to Use Truthfinder to Find Someone’s Social Media:

  1. Input a name, cell number, home address, or email
  2. Select the “social” tab in the results
  3. View links to social accounts like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
  4. Pay to access full background check details

3. PeekYou

PeekYou aggregates over 12 billion social media profiles, web pages and public records to search for people online.

Features:

  • Find associated social media accounts
  • Reverse email lookup
  • People search by name, username, school, employer
  • View photo recognition matches
  • See map of connections between people

How to Use PeekYou to Find Someone’s Social Media:

  1. Search a name, email, username, location, company, school etc.
  2. Filter results by social media categories
  3. Browse search results to uncover linked profiles
  4. Pay for access to advanced social media search tools

4. Pipl

Pipl leverages web data, public records, social media and more to deliver people search reports.

Features:

  • Search algorithms index over 3 billion profile pages
  • Find social media accounts by name or username
  • Generates visual relationship maps
  • Email address reverse search
  • Tracks profile and identity changes

How to Use Pipl to Find Someone’s Social Media:

  1. Enter a name, email, username, phone number or address
  2. Review results for associated social media profiles
  3. Filter by social media categories like Facebook, Twitter etc.
  4. Pay to unlock more detailed background reports

5. Social Searcher

Social Searcher is designed specifically to aggregate social media profiles across networks.

Features:

  • Search by name, email, username, location
  • Find associated accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
  • People search operates in real-time
  • Reverse email lookup
  • View photo matches

How to Use Social Searcher to Find Someone’s Social Media:

  1. Input your search term – name, email, username etc.
  2. Filter results by social media categories
  3. Click on results to open linked social media profiles
  4. Upgrade to paid to remove ads and access more data

Is it Legal to Find Someone’s Social Media?

Simply searching for and finding someone’s public social media profiles is generally legal in most countries. However, there are some caveats and restrictions to be aware of:

  • Stalking, harassment or defamation using information found could be illegal. Repeatedly contacting someone online against their wishes is unlawful in many places.
  • Hacking into private accounts or messages is typically prohibited without the account owner’s consent.
  • Impersonating someone by accessing their accounts is illegal.
  • Blackmail or threats using personal info from accounts could break laws.
  • Searching accounts of minors and using data maliciously may violate child protection laws.
  • Mass aggregation or mining of public profile data for commercial purposes may breach platform terms and data protection regulations in some regions.
  • Accessing deleted accounts or confidential information during a search may cross legal boundaries.
  • Using illicit methods like phishing links or malware to gain login access is cybercrime.

While the law is nuanced, in general searching public social media accounts in a reasonable, non-abusive way is permissible. But caution is required to avoid harassment, privacy violations or misusing data found during a search. When in doubt, consult state or national laws applicable to your specific case.

Is there a Free Way to Find Someone’s Social Media Accounts?

Yes, there are several free options for searching for someone’s social media profiles:

  • Search on the social networks directly – You can search for someone by name or username on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn for free.
  • Use search engines like Google – Search for the person’s name in quotation marks along with a social network name (e.g. “John Smith” Facebook) to surface associated accounts.
  • Check public friend/follower lists – If you find one account belonging to the person, browse their public friends/followers to uncover more of their accounts.
  • Use social media aggregators – Sites like NameChk, KnowEm and WhatsMyName pull data from social networks and may reveal account names for free.
  • Leverage verified profile databases – Sites like Twesocial and Social Searcher compile lists of verified social media users which you can search through for free.
  • Use partial email searches – If you have part of an email (like the first letters) you can search sites like Pipl and PeekYou to find associated accounts.
  • Check website/blog links – People often link their social profiles on any websites or blogs they run which appear in search engines.
  • See if they reuse usernames – If you find one profile, check if they use that same username across other popular platforms.

The key is using a combination of search engines, aggregators, public networks, and any clues like partial emails or connected sites to maximize your chances of finding accounts for free.

Ethical Considerations When Searching for Someone Online

While perfectly legal in most cases, searching for someone’s social media accounts does raise some ethical concerns to keep in mind:

  • Consider their privacy expectations – Would they consent to you looking for their profiles? Is your intent for a legitimate purpose?
  • Avoid stalking or harassment – Don’t obsessively track or contact someone who does not want to be found.
  • Be mindful of their safety – Finding domestic violence survivors or confidential informants online could endanger them.
  • Don’t enable identity theft – Accessing accounts maliciously or sharing personal info can facilitate fraud.
  • Respect anonymity – If someone wants privacy online, forcing them to lose it may be unethical.
  • Think about their well-being – Finding accounts of at-risk people like minors or patients could raise issues.
  • Ask if you have consent – Whenever possible, directly ask if they are willing to share their social profiles.

With social media’s ubiquity in modern life, there are many valid reasons you may need to search for someone online. But it’s always wise to do so with care, empathy and ethics in mind.

Conclusion

Searching for someone’s social media profiles can be challenging, but is very feasible with the right approach. Start with comprehensive name searches across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and TikTok using tips outlined here. Leverage friends/followers networks, locations, affiliations, email lookup and other signals to narrow down possibilities. If accounts are anonymous or deleted, more advanced techniques like search engine caches, data leaks and URL registry checks may help uncover them.

With billions of users online, most people now have some form of social media presence. By learning how to strategically search by name, handle, email, network connections and more, you can unlock powerful tools for finding almost anyone on social media. Just remember to do so in a legal, safe and ethical way.

Don’t Miss Out:

  1. How to Find Someones Address for Free
  2. Free Reverse Email Lookup Social Networks
  3. Find Someone’s Name by Phone Number for Free

Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)

Here are some of the most commonly asked FAQs about finding someone’s social media profiles:

How can I find someone’s Facebook profile if I don’t know their email or phone number?

Search their full name and location, browse friends of friends, look for identifying info in bios and posts, or use Facebook’s graph search tool.

What’s the best way to find someone’s Instagram account if I only know their name?

Search different variations of their name, look through follower lists of their friends/family, check location tags where they go, or use Google image search.

How do I find someone on Twitter if I don’t know who they follow or have as followers?

Search their full name, look for pinned/verified accounts, check their bio info, use advanced search operators, or leverage email reverse lookup services.

What should I do if I think someone has deleted their social media accounts?

Check URL registry sites for their name, search page names, look in search engine caches, consult data breach lists, seek out any identifiable account ties.

Is it illegal to search for someone’s social media without their permission?

In most cases, simply searching for public social media profiles is legal. But stalking, harassment, privacy violations or endangering someone through your search methods could be illegal.

What are some ethical concerns to keep in mind when trying to find someone online?

Consider their privacy expectations, avoid stalking/harassment, be mindful of their safety, respect anonymity, and don’t enable identity theft or harm.

What tools can I use if I only have someone’s email address or phone number?

Sites like Spokeo, PeekYou and TruthFinder offer reverse email and phone lookup services to find associated social media accounts.

How can I confirm an account actually belongs to the person I’m searching for?

Look for identifying info in photos, bios, posts about work/school, connections to their networks and locations they frequent.

What should I do if someone I search for has a very common name?

Use advanced filters by location, company, school, email domain etc. Look for verifications, connections and other distinguishing account signals to confirm identities.