How to Appear on Someone’s Instagram Suggestions

You often see Instagram suggesting friends you might know or want to connect with. But have you ever wondered how Instagram’s suggested friends feature works? And is it possible to appear on someone’s Instagram suggestions? Let’s find out.

While there are many moving parts to Instagram’s suggested friend feature, it can mostly be attributed to who searched for your profile and interacted with it. This can also hold true if they’re already following you on Facebook or have you in their contact book. Additionally, this can also work if you’re trying to appear on someone’s Instagram suggestions. Keep reading to know how.

Note: Ensure you’re signed in to your Instagram account before proceeding.

1. Follow the User on Instagram

One of the easiest ways to pop up on someone’s suggested friends is by following them on Instagram. This is because when someone follows you, it triggers a follower notification to the other user.

Additionally, Instagram will also suggest your profile to the other user as someone who follows them, but they don’t follow back, increasing the likelihood of them following you back. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open the Instagram app.

Step 2: Here, from the menu options, tap on the search icon.

Step 3: Then, tap on the search bar.

Step 4: Type the name of the relevant user and tap on it from the search results.

Step 5: Tap on Follow.

Once the blue Follow button turns gray, Instagram will send a notification to the user about a new follower.

2. Using Instagram Search

Your Instagram search history is a valuable tool for Instagram to understand your interests and connections. So, if you’re searching for any particular user on Instagram, that too more than once, it will be picked up by Instagram’s algorithm as someone who you’re interested in.

On the flip side, Instagram will suggest you to the other person as a person of interest as well. Thus, increasing your chances of getting into their Instagram suggestions.

3. Enabling Account Suggestions

While account suggestions are enabled by default, you can manually check and enable them as well. This will allow Instagram to suggest you as a follower to other users with whom you might share common interests, friends, etc. Follow the below steps to do it.

Note: You can also use an Android or iOS web browser to open the Instagram website.

Step 1: Open Instagram on any web browser.

Open Instagram

Step 2: Here, click on your profile icon.

Step 3: Then, click on Edit Profile.

Step 4: Check the ‘Show account suggestions on profiles’ option.

Step 5: Then, click on Submit.

This will ensure your profile will appear in other users’ suggestions as well.

4. Leave Comments on the User’s Profile

Interacting with a user’s profile will let Instagram know that you are interested in the content they share and, by default, their profile. This will not only increase the chances of you showing up in their suggestions but might also prompt interaction from the other user’s side on your comments as well.

Although, when leaving comments, try to interact with posts that you might find relevant. Otherwise, the other user might write you off as a spam account. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open Instagram and go to the relevant user’s profile.

Step 2: Scroll down and tap on the post you wish to comment on.

Step 3: Here, tap on the comment icon.

Step 4: Type your comment and tap on Post.

You can repeat this process and leave comments on other posts as well. Ensure your comments are positive, constructive, and within Instagram’s community guidelines.

5. Use Hashtags or Geolocations in Your Posts

While it might sound a little on the nose, you can pop up on someone’s suggested friends if you share the same interests. Now, this can also mean frequently using the same hashtags in your posts or tagging the same geolocation they’ve been to in the past.

To do this, simply open the other user’s posts and scroll down to the hashtags. Check the hashtags for a couple of different posts as well.

Now, whenever you post something, make sure to include any one or more of these hashtags. You can also use this method to check for geolocation tags and include them appropriately.

6. Add User as Friend on Facebook

The Instagram and Facebook platforms are owned by Meta, and they share user data to enhance the overall user experience. This also means that there’s a good chance of you getting into someone’s Instagram suggestions if you’re friends with them on your Facebook account.

So, follow the below steps to add someone as a friend on Facebook.

Step 1: Open Facebook and tap on the Friends icon.

Step 2: Then, tap on Search.

Step 3: Use the search bar and find the relevant user.

Step 4: Here, tap on Add friend.

Once this is done, you can even send a message to introduce yourself on Facebook.

7. Sync Your Contacts With Instagram

Your phone numbers are usually synced with your social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, etc. This also means that once you turn on contact sync, Instagram will scan your contact list and suggest the accounts automatically to you and to the other users that are either added to your contact list or share multiple connections to the accounts present in your contact list. Here’s how.

Step 1: Open the Instagram app.

Step 2: Here, tap on your profile icon.

Step 3: Then, tap on the hamburger menu.

Step 4: Tap on ‘Settings and privacy’.

Step 5: Here, tap on Account Center.

Step 6: Scroll down and tap on ‘Your information and permissions’.

Step 7: Tap on Upload contacts.

Step 8: Turn on the toggle for Connect contacts.

Now, wait for your contact list to sync with Instagram, and check your suggested friend list to confirm sync.

FAQs for Understanding How Instagram Suggests Friends

Pop on Someone’s Suggested Friends

We hope this article helped you better understand how you can appear on someone’s Instagram suggestions. Additionally, if you feel like your current account is too public, and you don’t want others to see who you follow, consider hiding your Followers list on Instagram.