Brand owners
Use the Trademark Report Form. It needs a registered mark and shares your details with the reported account.
Home / Usernames
Instagram username claim links and forms
All the official Instagram help articles and forms that matter for a username, in one place, with what each one is for.
There is no single Instagram “claim a username” form. The official routes are the Trademark Report Form for brand owners, the impersonation report, and instagram.com/hacked if the handle was taken from you. For an inactive account, Instagram says to pick an available version.
Copies of you
Use the impersonation report in the app or the web form.
Lost access
Use instagram.com/hacked before anything else.
Which do you need?
- Handle on a dead or empty account: see can I claim an inactive Instagram username.
- Handle that matches your brand: see someone has my brand name on Instagram.
- Account pretending to be you: see impersonator using my username.
- Lost your own handle: see after a ban, after a hack or after deleting.
Before you start
- Write down the exact handle, with any dots or underscores.
- Screenshot the account holding it, with the date.
- Have your own profile link ready.
- If you rely on a trademark, have the registration number and office.
- Never share your password or login codes with anyone.
If you are in the EU
Under the EU Digital Services Act, Instagram has to explain moderation decisions and offer an internal complaint route. If Instagram removes or restricts an account in a username dispute, you can also use a certified out-of-court body such as Appeals Centre Europe. This does not create a right to someone else’s username.
Instagram username routes at a glance
| Situation | Official route | What decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Handle on an inactive account | None by itself; Instagram suggests a variation | Whether another route applies |
| Handle uses your brand | Trademark Report Form | A registered mark and related use |
| Account pretends to be you | Impersonation report | Proof of identity or business |
| Your own handle was taken in a hack | instagram.com/hacked, then a report | Proof the handle was yours |
| Handle on a deleted account | Wait; first-come, first-served | Deletion finishing |
Usernames on Instagram are first-come, first-served and cannot be reserved. Nobody can reserve one for you, but Unbanz can work on a taken handle through the route that fits it.
Official links
| Link | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Inactive username help article help.instagram.com/513717858639392 | Instagram’s own answer for a handle on an account that seems inactive: pick an available version. There is no request form. |
| Report a username for trademark help.instagram.com/2039132876317734 | How Instagram handles usernames that may infringe a trademark. Usernames are first-come, first-served. |
| What is a trademark violation help.instagram.com/101826856646059 | What counts and what does not. Use of a mark unrelated to its goods or services is not a violation. |
| Trademark Report Form help.instagram.com/contact/230197320740525 | The form rights owners file. Your name, email and the nature of the report are shared with the reported account. |
| Report impersonation help.instagram.com/1291391774792379 | In-app report for accounts pretending to be you, someone you represent or a business. |
| Impersonation form help.instagram.com/contact/636276399721841 | Web form when you cannot report from the app. |
| Hacked account www.instagram.com/hacked/ | Start here if a hacker took the account or changed your username. |
| Instagram Terms of Use help.instagram.com/581066165581870 | Bans buying, selling or transferring accounts and usernames. |
How it works with Unbanz
- Send the handle you want and your Instagram profile link on WhatsApp or to team@unbanz.com.
- We tell you straight whether there is a legit route: an inactive account, a trademark or brand report, an impersonation report or Instagram’s own processes.
- If there is, you get it confirmed in the chat: a flat $1,200 per handle. You pay upfront by card through a secure checkout link we send you.
- We prepare and file everything through Instagram’s own tools and keep you posted. Instagram makes the final call, so we can’t promise timing or an outcome. If the claim fails, our refund policy gives you 100% back.
Staying safe
We never ask for passwords or codes. We don’t hack accounts, buy stolen handles or file false reports. If someone asks you to log in through their link or wants to sell you an account, walk away.
About Unbanz
Unbanz (unbanz.com) is an independent service that claims Instagram usernames onto clients’ own profiles through Instagram’s own processes. Flat $1,200 per handle, paid upfront by card; 100% refund if a username claim fails. We never ask for passwords or codes. Contact: WhatsApp +1 934 201 2490 or team@unbanz.com. Not affiliated with Meta.
Got a handle in mind? Send it to us on WhatsApp ↗︎ and you hear first if it’s doable.
New username questions
QUICK ANSWERS
Good to know.
Is there a form to request a username on Instagram?
No. Instagram does not offer a general username request form. The routes are trademark, impersonation and account recovery.
Which link do I use for an inactive account?
There is no form. Instagram’s help article says to choose an available variation. A route opens only if trademark, impersonation or rule breaking applies.
How much does a Instagram username claim cost?
It’s a flat $1,200 per handle, confirmed in the chat before anything starts. You pay upfront by card through a secure checkout link we send you. Nothing is charged for asking whether a handle is doable.
What if the claim fails?
Our refund policy gives a 100% refund if the case fails; for a username claim, that means the handle is not claimed onto your profile. See refund policy.
Do you need my password or login codes?
No. We never ask for passwords or codes. We work from the handle you want and your profile link.
Tell us the handle you want.
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.