Here's How to Find Your Old Social Media Accounts You No Longer Use

2023 saw a 20% rise in data breaches, with the total victims doubling in number. Giant networking platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace have all faced massive scale data breaches over the years, compromising the data security of billions of users. 

So, cleaning up your data footprint on social media is particularly important when you are concerned about digital safety. 

However, if you are like most other people, chances are you have more than a handful of long-forgotten accounts lying around. As time passes by, it is natural to abandon profiles set up when you were younger and move from one trending networking platform to another as you follow the latest hype. 

But did you know that those unused accounts can compromise your data security if they get hacked? And frivolous data-tracking and sharing practices of social media networks could make things worse. 

Naturally, closing down old profiles can go a long way in keeping your personal information safe. But what if you can no longer recollect their details?

Proven Tips to Find Your Old Social Media Accounts 

Here’s how to comb through your digital data footprint and swiftly uncover those unused social media accounts.

Check on a People Search Website 

Nuwber’s people search directory could find and produce an impressive amount of information, including social media profiles, both old and new. So, if there are any accounts linked to your name or contact details, you might be able to discover them here. 

Searching its database is pretty straightforward and can be done using a name, email, phone number, or address.  

Once you hit Search, the platform will list all the related information in a report format. This eliminates the need to check multiple resources that may or may not contain relevant content.

Search Networking Platforms 

When you want to dig up idling profiles, make a list of all the networking sites you have been on in the past. 

Most platforms allow users to log in with their emails. So, visit each social media site in your list and try your existing and old email addresses. 

If you can’t recall the passwords, that is not a problem. Just tap the “forgot password” button and you will get a link to change your password and log in, provided you already have an account with the platform under that email. 

Some, like Snapchat, even offer phone number-based log-in. If this facility is available, try your contact number, too.

Browse Google 

Using complex algorithms, Google’s search engine can search the depth of the internet to find content that matches specific keywords. So, with the right search queries, it might be able to discover your abandoned social media profiles as well. 

For this, type [your name]+Facebook (or the name of another platform you have used) on Google’s search bar and hit Enter. 

Then, review the search results and check whether any of the listed links could point you to a forgotten profile. 

You can also repeat this exercise using email addresses and see what turns up.

Go Through Your Email Inbox 

Many networking sites ask for an email address when setting up a new account. And after you sign up, they would usually send a welcome message to that email with instructions to verify the account. You can likely find these at the back of the inbox if you don’t frequently clear up old emails. 

Now, this doesn’t mean you must go through hundreds of emails. Most inboxes come with a search bar to make it easier to find content using keywords. 

In this case, you can search for common words and phrases social media platforms use in their communications. They might include “new account”, “welcome”, “confirm”, “verify”, and “password”. Don’t forget to search by platform name, too.

Try Your Password Manager 

Nowadays, a lot of people rely on password managers to access accounts safely without the hassle of remembering multiple user credentials. 

If you are using one, too, you might be able to identify old social media accounts by going through the password manager’s settings. 

It would be worth checking your browser’s Settings features as well in case you have saved log-in credentials on it. 

Where you can find them will depend on the browser you use. On Chrome, you can access them by clicking Settings and then Passwords.

Look for Connected Accounts 

Most social media sites allow users to connect accounts on other platforms to enjoy a smoother user experience. 

They may, for instance, let you log in using your Gmail account or connect a profile on another networking site to import and find contacts. 

If you have used this feature, you can easily trace abandoned accounts through those connected profiles. They will usually be listed under privacy or account settings. 

So, review your existing social media profiles, as well as Google, Apple ID, and any other account you may have potentially connected.

Key Takeaways 

If you have finally decided to dig up old social media accounts and get rid of them for good, there are several techniques you can use to identify profiles you have long forgotten. 

To begin with, we suggest trying your email (or even a username you might remember) on each networking site and clicking the “forgot password” button. Provided you already have an account linked to it, the platform will generate an email to reset your password. 

If that fails, Google, your email inbox, password manager, and primary accounts connected to others might provide a few clues. A name, email, phone number, or address search on Nuwber is another option to try. 

Once you locate those unused social media accounts, reset passwords if you can no longer remember them. Then, delete all content, including posts, profile bios, account information, and access permissions, before deleting the accounts permanently.  

Most platforms will take a few days to completely remove an account. So, remember to go back and check your log-in credentials to ensure it is done.