Finding friends or colleagues on Reddit is an amazing way to build your community quickly. However, because the platform prioritizes user privacy, it can be trickier to carry out a Reddit user search. This step-by-step guide will show you how to find a Reddit user using several techniques and tricks. You’ll also uncover insights on Reddit’s strict data protection policies and unique ways to get around that.
Reddit’s Privacy and User Anonymity Explained
Reddit has various layers of privacy protocols and policies to protect its users. For instance, users must create usernames with as much creativity as possible. You can even browse Reddit anonymously without having your browsing history and activity associated directly with your account. Although, when browsing anonymously on Reddit, you won’t be able to comment or join communities. Beyond that, Reddit does not sell user data or work with data brokers. So, basic data scraping tools might not pull data from the platform. Reddit is also strongly opposed to doxing, which means publicly posting other people’s information.
What Does a Reddit Account Look Like?
To fully understand what a Reddit account is, let’s start by explaining Reddit itself. Unlike Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, Reddit is a collection of communities (subreddits). First, you join Reddit by creating your special account. Setting up your Reddit account means creating a user profile with a unique username and an avatar (or comical image) to represent you.
Besides the username and picture or avatar, your Reddit account would also feature highlights of your experience on Reddit, including:
- Content feed: which is the stream of posts you follow.
- Your comments: How you’ve participated in conversations and communities.
- Comment karma and post karma: How you’ve been upvoted or downvoted on your posts alongside how you’ve upvoted or downvoted posts on the platform.
- Birthday: This is called your “Cake Day” and outlines the year and month.
How to Find Someone’s Reddit Account
There are many great ways to find someone on Reddit. Let’s talk about these fantastic solutions that can help you find a Reddit account.
Find a Reddit User by Searching Username
A Reddit user search using their username is one of the most straightforward ways to find someone. Perhaps, you know their username on other social media platforms, or have ideas about nicknames or aliases they go by, chances are they also use them on Reddit. Do note that searching by username may not work if the user hasn’t been active (by commenting or posting) on Reddit. Here’s how to perform a Reddit user lookup by username:
- Launch Reddit on your phone or computer.
- Go to the search bar and type in the username.
- Go to the people tab. Tap on any results to look at their Reddit account.
- You may have to go through different accounts evaluating their posts and comments to figure out if it’s who you’re looking for.
Reddit User Search by Email Address (If Linked)
If you just have an email address, try using a variation of the first part of the email to see if the person uses that as their username on Reddit. However, most people use aliases or random nicknames for their Reddit accounts. Alternatively, consider using a Reverse email lookup tool that can allow you to find all social accounts connected to that email address. Tools like Beenverified, and SocialCatfish are splendid examples. For instance, here’s how to carry out a Reddit user lookup via email using SocialCatfish:
- Go to SocialCatfish.
- Type in the email address and tap “Search”
- SocialCatfish will find multiple profiles matching the email. Tap on “Social Media View Report” to unlock all social accounts.
Search on Subreddit
If you know their hobbies, topics, or interests, you can also attempt to find them within the Reddit communities. This is a great way to carry out your Reddit user search but it can also be manual and tedious. Here’s how:
- Go to the Reddit search bar and type any keyword or topic around their interest. For example, if they love vegan diets, you can type vegan. Tap the Enter key
- Go to the Communities tab.
- Next, scan each community that pops up by looking at posts and discussions within those communities. If your target is a passionate Reddit user, there’s a chance they’ve started conversations at various times.
Check Reddit Comments in the Subreddit
If you want to search comments on particular topics or interests, you can also do that without looking at the Subreddit pages. This involves the following steps:
- Go to the Reddit search bar, and type any keyword or topic around their interest. For instance, if they love true crime, type that. Tap the Enter key.
- Navigate to the Comments tab.
- Scan through various comments.
Alternative Ways to Find Someone’s Reddit Account
Besides searching creatively on Reddit, let’s talk about other techniques and tools that can help such as running a Google search or using other social media accounts.
Search on Google
Google is an amazing way of uncovering details about anyone including their social media accounts. Once you know their name or aliases, you can carry out a Google search to see if it connects you to their Reddit account. Alternatively, you can search using topics or keywords that interest them.
- Go to Google.com and type in the name, followed by “Reddit.”
- Scan results to find a matching profile, or subreddits.
- Also, consider a topic that’s of interest to them or a conversation they’ve had with you. Paste that on Google, followed by the term “Reddit”. For example, they bought a new car of a certain model, or they moved to a new home. Carefully scan conversations and you might find them.
Search on Other Social Media Platforms
Most people use the same username across multiple social media accounts. So, if you’re already their friend on one social network, you can try looking for them on others using the same details.
GitHub
GitHub is a fantastic network of developers and other tech enthusiasts. So, if you’re looking for someone who loves all things tech or works in the tech space, you can find their Github profile as a stepping stone to uncovering their Reddit account. However, to get the best results, it is better to search using Google to scan for their GitHub account. Here’s how to use Github to carry out a Reddit user search:
- Go to Google.com. Type site: Github [Name]
- Scan results and tap on the matching profile
- Go through their profile to see if they’ve connected their Reddit account or have aliases you can use to search on Reddit.
For most people, Facebook is their primary social media account. If you can find their profile, you may find insights into their aliases and nicknames, which can help you find a Reddit user. Here’s how it works:
- Login to Facebook.com
- Go to the search bar and type in their full name.
- Navigate to the People’s tab.
- Scan and pick the appropriate profile.
- Evaluate carefully, looking at their About section and posts.
- Also, look for posts they’ve made on these social networks, you can copy and paste parts of them on Reddit search to also help find them.
Use Reddit Search Tools
Besides searching manually, some tools can make all the difference. These tools accelerate how you search through Reddit enabling an easier way to find that Reddit user. Let’s talk about the most effective of these Reddit user lookup tools.
PushShift
Pushshift is a fantastic Reddit API for scraping posts together. If you know a topic or conversation your target is passionate about, you can use this tool to try to find them. However, Pushshift is only available to Reddit moderators. If you are one and can authorize your Reddit account to connect with Pushshft, you can use it to find them.
- Login to Reddit first
- Next, go to Pushshift and tap the blue tab to agree to the terms and conditions.
- Next, authorize a connection with your Reddit account.
- Type in the topic of interest and period to begin your Reddit user search.
Redective
Redective is a fantastic free tool to find any Reddit user. However, it requires you to have an idea about their username. Then Redective works its magic to scrape together profiles, posts, and comments matching that username. To use this tool:
- Go to Redective.com. Type in the name.
- Pick Redective and tap “Search”.
- You’ll have to wait a while for Redective to show the results.
RedditSearch
RedditSearch is also a great way to find a Reddit user and ensure that it’s the right person. Using their username or search term, this tool will pull together all posts or profiles associated with that username or search term in an easy-to-read manner. To use this tool:
- Go to RedditSearch
- You can either type in their username in the designated spot or search term under “Query”
- You can also narrow the search by date.
- Finally, scroll down and tap “Search”
- Tap on the results to go to their Reddit page.
Ask Them Directly
The best and most effective way to find a Reddit user is by asking them directly. You can reach out to them in person or via their social media handles and ask the question. Make sure to be direct and casual. For instance, you can say “Hey I noticed you love Reddit. Do you have a favorite subreddit or user?”
This question is open-ended and might make them open up to you sharing their experiences and even their username in the process. You can also use the indirect approach by saying “I’ve been trying to find great Reddit communities, can you recommend any to me?” They might tell you about their Reddit account or at best share their favorite subreddit communities which can help you find them.
What to Do if You Can’t Find the Reddit Account?
Searching on Reddit isn’t straightforward. This is why you need to be creative about how you look for your target. Here are more tips that can help.
- Use keywords: often if you can use words, or phrases associated with that person, you’ll be able to find them on Reddit.
- Check for username variations: Users often use slightly different names. Try adding or removing numbers, underscores, etc.
- Exhaust all the information you have: Their name, email, phone, the company they work for, and their place of education. Use each of these information one by one to find them.
- Copy-paste posts from other places: Most people write the same thing across their social networks. This is the fastest way to find anyone.
- Engage the Reddit community: Consider posting in subreddits that align with their interest, asking questions about how you can locate a certain person. If they find your posts, they might reach out via Reddit DMs.
FAQ
Can I find a Reddit account by a phone number?
Generally, you cannot find a Reddit account using a phone number. However, you can use a reverse phone number lookup tool to find the name of the owner of that phone number which can help you find their Reddit page.
Can I find a deleted Reddit account?
No, you cannot recover a deleted Reddit account. Once someone deletes their account, it gets removed and cannot be reactivated. However, it’s possible to find posts or comments made by deleted accounts if you know particular phrases they used.
Can anonymous Reddit be tracked?
Generally, it’s difficult to find a Reddit user without their username. However, if you have other information about that target such as how they write, or their posting history and the subreddits they frequent, you may be able to narrow your search even if you cannot pinpoint the correct person.
Can I find a Reddit user without his username?
The only way to find a Reddit account is using their username, and the account must be active as well. However, you can also search using keywords, phrases, or anything they’ve said on other social media accounts. Alternatively, use their topics of interest, or subreddits that they like to find them.
Wrap Up
Carrying out a Reddit user search is tricky. From trying their username to keywords connected to them and using a reverse Reddit user lookup tool, you will be able to find them in no time. Ultimately, succeeding in your search depends on the information you have. But by combining the strategies we’ve shared, you might find that Reddit user.
