What does the blue tick on Instagram mean?

A blue tick on Instagram, well that’s only the most desirable and coveted tick in the world of social media.

A blue tick beside a username on Instagram means much the same as a blue tick on Twitter – it means the account is verified.

Verified means that the profile that has been confirmed by the social media platform that it is the official profile for that person, or brand that it represents.

This is particularly useful for famous people, so you know you are following the person you intended to and not some phoney.

Why do Instagram verify accounts?

They say they want to make sure that ‘the Instagram experience stays authentic.’

Instagram could also be a platform for someone to pretend to be someone else and damage their reputation, to avoid that, Instagram have verification badges.

Only accounts that have a high likelihood of being impersonated have a verification tick on Instagram.

Even if the account has a verified badge on Facebook, they may not have a verified badge on Instagram.

Can I get a verified account badge?

It is not possible to request a badge of verification and only some public figures, celebrities and brands have a blue tick beside their name.

If you want people to know that your account is the authentic account for you, you can show them in other ways such as linking to your Instagram profile from your official website, Facebook page or Twitter account.

Can I get a verification tick on other social media platforms?

Facebook verification badge

If you are a public figure, a government official or a brand you can become verified on Facebook.

An ordinary person’s account cannot be verified and cannot apply for verification.

In the case of Facebook you will need an authenticated birth certificate, a driver’s license or a passport as well as incorporation articles – if you endorse or represent a sports, entertainment or media company.

The ‘about’ section of your Facebook page needs to be fully completed, you should also have a link to your Facebook page on your official website.

You can get a Blue Verification badge or a grey verification badge on Facebook.

Twitter verification badge

If you believe your account is of public interest, you can verify your account.

You can submit a request, but you must complete a form and have a verified phone number, a confirmed email address, a bio, a profile photo, a header, a birthday, a website and your tweets must be set on public.

If the account is for an individual person you must provide Twitter with a copy of a government-issued photo identification.

You will also be asked why Twitter should verify your account – Twitter says if you’re a person they want to understand your impact in your field or if you are verifying a business profile ‘they want to know your mission.