Figuring out how to verify an Instagram profile has long been a question that few had an answer to, but late last year, the company made the process a bit easier and more transparent. Now anyone can apply for verification, which will add a small blue badge beside their profile.
What does it mean to have a verified account?
Having a verified badge tells others that your profile is authentic. It also helps users avoid fraudulent accounts and easily locate the brands or celebrities they wish to follow. However, actually figuring out how to verify an Instagram profile has been a mystery since the social network started doing the verifications. Users who wanted to get their account verified had many questions, like whether verification depends on the number of followers, or if verification is for businesses, and many other similar questions.
Putting an end to all such questions, Instagram made the verification process open to all and simplified it as well. Thus, if trying to figure out how to verify an Instagram profile has been troubling you as well, you can just follow these few simple steps to request verification.
How to verify an Instagram profile
- First, open the Instagram app on your device and select the profile icon in the bottom-right corner.
- Next, launch the Settings by tapping the hamburger icon in the upper-right corner on an iOS device or the three vertical dots on an Android device.
- Select “Settings” from the bottom, scroll down, and select “Request Verification.” For Android users, the option to Request Verification is below “Sign up for a business profile.”
- Now you will have to fill out the verification form with information like your full name, category (media, influencer, brand, etc.), photo, what you’re “Known As,” and other details. You will also have to upload an image of your government-issued photo ID, which must include your name and date of birth. If you have a business account, you will have to submit documents like your articles of incorporation, tax document, and recent utility bill.
- After you are done with the request form, tap the “Send” button, and that’s it.
Instagram will then review your verification request and inform you if your request is approved, but don’t expect a response from the messaging app right away. Instagram hasn’t laid down any specific timeline for how long the verification process takes. Submitting the verification request is no guarantee that your account will be verified. Instagram even displays a disclaimer when you start filling the request form which suggests your verification request may or may not get approved.
Thus, it is possible that your request application won’t receive a response. If that happens, just try again in a few days.
Requirements for getting verified
As can be expected, Instagram has pretty tedious requirements for getting an account verified. According to the messaging app, they “look at a number of factors when evaluating Instagram accounts to determine if they’re in the public interest and meet our verification criteria.”
Further, you must agree to Instagram’s Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. In addition, the app has laid out a few more eligibility requirements:
Authenticity: This simply means the account you are requesting verification for must be for a real person, entity or registered business.
Uniqueness: According to Instagram, the “account must be the unique presence of the person or business it represents.” The company also notes that only one account per person or business will be verified, but this rule has an exception for language-specific accounts, like @vanityfairspain and @vanityfairitalia. Moreover, Instagram says it does not verify general interest accounts.
Completeness: Before applying for verification, your account must be complete, meaning it must be public and have a profile photo, Instagram bio and at least one post. The messaging app also says your profile must not include “add me” links to other social media accounts.
Notable: Finally, Instagram says the account must be notable, meaning it must represent “a well-known, highly searched for person, brand or entity.” Further, the company says it looks for accounts that have “featured in multiple news sources.” The company also says it doesn’t entertain paid or promotional content. This is surely the most difficult requirement.
Instagram also warns that it will remove the verified badge from any account found to have provided false or misleading information to get verified and possibly even delete the account.
