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Home / Username claims
Want the Instagram username that matches your restaurant name?
Customers search by restaurant name. If a fan, a former owner or an inactive account holds it, here is what to check.
A restaurant’s handle is often held by a former owner, a food blogger or an abandoned account. Check whether it is active, whether it uses your name or logo, and what proof you have: registered business name, signage, menus and a website. Those decide which official route fits. We will tell you plainly if the handle is not claimable.
Show the business is yours
Registration, website, signage and menus.
Check old owners
A former owner may still run it.
Common situations
- An old account opened by a previous owner.
- A food blogger who used the restaurant name in their handle.
- A copy account posting your menu.
- A handle with a slightly different spelling that the restaurant uses instead.
Every claim goes through the platform’s own processes. No bots, no false reports, no buying or selling accounts.
What to send
- The handle you want and your current restaurant account.
- Registered business name and address, and your website.
- A screenshot of the holder’s profile.
- Why the name is yours: opening date, signage or listings.
What to send
- The exact @username you want.
- Your current Instagram profile, so the handle can go onto it.
- Why the name is yours: brand, business name, registered trademark, or the name you used before.
- What you have already tried, if anything.
Please do not send passwords, login codes, card numbers or access tokens.
How it works with Unbanz
- Message us on WhatsApp or email with the @username you want and your current profile.
- We tell you honestly whether this is something we can help with.
- We check the handle and pick the official route that fits it. Your password stays with you.
- We stay in touch while you wait. Meta makes the final decision, and nobody can promise the outcome.
Who this is for
- Independent restaurants.
- New cafes and bars.
- Restaurant groups.
Staying safe
Nobody needs your password or login codes to help you. If someone in your DMs offers to fix it, asks you to log in through their link, or wants to be paid in gift cards, walk away. Unbanz never asks for logins. We are an independent paid service, not affiliated with Meta: payment is upfront, with a 100% refund if the case fails. For Facebook and Instagram cases we work through our contacts at Meta, and Meta makes the final decision.
Username questions people also ask (2026)
Can I claim a username from an inactive account?
Instagram has no public form to request an inactive username. A name usually frees up only when the holding account is removed or deleted. A registered trademark adds an official route: Instagram’s trademark report form, which covers accounts that infringe the mark, not just accounts that share the name.
How long until a released username is free?
Instagram does not publish a date. After you change your own username, Instagram usually lets you switch back for 14 days, so a name you just gave up can stay reserved for a while.
Does a trademark help with a username?
It can. Instagram’s trademark form is for accounts using a registered mark in a way that confuses people. Have the registration number, the owner name and the country of registration ready, and use the same name on the request.
About Unbanz
Unbanz (unbanz.com) is an independent service that helps people, businesses and agencies with Instagram and Facebook account unbans, username claims, and Meta ad account recovery. Contact: WhatsApp +1 934 201 2490 or team@unbanz.com. Not affiliated with Meta.
CLIENTS
What clients say
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QUICK ANSWERS
Good to know.
Can a restaurant with a common name get its handle?
It depends. Generic names are harder.
What about a former owner?
If they still run it, the route changes. Tell us the history.
Will the menu photos move?
No. The handle goes onto your profile. Posts stay where they are.
What if the username claim does not work?
If a username claim fails, you get a full 100% refund. A claim fails when the username is not successfully claimed onto your profile. Details are on the refund policy page.
Do I need to share my Instagram password?
No. Your password and login codes stay with you. Unbanz works from your public username, the notice and the details you send. Anyone who asks for your login is not someone to work with.
How do I contact Unbanz about an Instagram username claim?
WhatsApp +1 934 201 2490 or email team@unbanz.com. Send your username and a screenshot of the notice, if there is one.
Tell us what you need.
SERVICE FEES
Published fee.
An Instagram username claim is a flat $1,200 per handle, including handles held by banned or inactive accounts, paid upfront with a 100% refund if the claim fails.