Reddit is a popular content aggregator social media platform that enjoys use by more than three hundred million users. Users typically have usernames they choose or receive randomly, which is usually the best way to find such a user on Reddit. However, you may want to find someone you know without knowing their username. There are several options for finding a Redditor whose username you do not know, and this article will walk you through how to do so.
Finding a Redditor with their email address
While finding a Redditor with the help of their email address is not entirely impossible, it is not exactly straightforward as you would require the use of third-party tools. This is because Reddit’s design discourages connecting with people you already know. As a result, the platform does not provide an easy way to search for a user’s identity.
However, various third-party tools offer such functionalities and are referred to as reverse search tools. Most reverse search tools help you find Redditors if you have some of their details, such as their full name, mobile number, physical address, email address, etc. A typical reverse search tool requires that you input some details of the relevant Redditor. As a result, the email helps as an extra detail that may narrow the search, rather than being the only necessary input for the search. These reverse search tools include Truth Finder, Social Catfish, Spokeo, etc.
It is essential to know that some of the tools are not free, and you may be required to pay before viewing the results. Likewise, performing such searches may be illegal, depending on your location, as it may be interpreted as a privacy invasion. Nevertheless, users may also consider such behavior creepy anyways.
Finding a Redditor with their username
As you may have guessed, finding a Reddit user without their usernames is quite tricky. However, if you have their usernames, you can find them through two means; using Reddit’s search bar or their profile URL.
Reddit search bar
The Reddit search bar is everpresent across all Reddit platforms. The search bar is usually consistent in its location across all Reddit platforms except the mobile website, where you need to tap the three-line icon at the top right to reveal the search bar. Ideally, you search out the person’s username via the search bar at the top middle of your screen. When the search bar reveals the user, clicking on their name will take you to their profile. You can search for the user’s username by prefixing it with “u/” or not at the result will be the same.
Profile URL
This feature is only available on the browser versions of Reddit, so you may need the desktop or mobile browser to use it. To start, click on your browser’s URL bar and insert the URL “https://www.reddit.com/user/username/.” Of course, you will switch “username” with the actual username to get something like “https://www.reddit.com/user/ReallyRickAstley/.” Clicking on that will direct you to the profile page of the user you are searching for.
How to follow a Reddit user
There are various ways to follow a user on Reddit, depending on the platform you use:
Desktop website
Following a user has never been easier than it is on the Reddit desktop website. You search out the person’s username via the search bar at the top middle of your screen. When the search bar reveals the user, clicking on their name will take you to their profile.
While on the user’s profile, you can simply click on the “follow” text next to the “chat” text. Alternatively, if you discover the user on your homepage or in any subreddit, hovering your cursor over the user’s username will display a small pop-up that includes a “follow” option.
Reddit app
On the Reddit app, you can equally search for the user you intend to follow and click on the name when the search result brings it. Doing this will take you to such a user’s profile. You can follow the user by clicking on the “follow” icon at the top right corner of your device’s screen.
Likewise, if you randomly come across a user you intend to follow while scrolling through a community, you can click such a user’s username above the post. This will display a pop-up that includes the option to follow the user.
Mobile website
Similar to identifying your followers on the Reddit mobile website, following a user is slightly trickier on the mobile website than on other platforms. On the website, posts do not include the users who make them, unlike on the desktop website and mobile application. As such, you require clicking on the post to view the user.
After the website reveals the user, clicking on their username will take you to their profile, where you can easily follow such a user. Likewise, the search bar is not readily displayed. To search for a user, you need to click on the screen’s three-line icon at the top right corner. This will reveal a left panel that discloses the search bar. Here, you can search for the user you wish to follow.
Why you may be unable to follow a user
You may encounter a few challenges preventing you from following a user on Reddit. Here are some of the reasons why you may be unable to follow a user on Reddit:
New account
New accounts are typically barred from various activities because their karma is too low. Reddit karma is akin to a user’s Reddit score. It totals a user’s amount of upvotes against their downvotes. Karma comes in Post and Comment Karma, and adding both gives you your total karma score.
New users with low karma are limited from engaging in some activities, including following a user. Nevertheless, as your account ages and develops karma points, you will be able to follow users of your choice.