Can you easily identify someone in real life who has bipolar?

I think I can. I kind of have an understanding of my own symptoms and can tell when someone is manic vs a naturally bubbly person.

I'm not sure what outward characteristics make someone with bipolar evident considering bipolar is diagnosed using a myriad of symptoms and not just mania.

For me personally, I can usually tell by the way someone talks about their life. For example, a history of risky behavior, rapid or incoherent speech, etc.. And then the person also dropping hints of depression along the way, such as feeling "lazy" (when they're not) and lacking motivation, etc.. I guess that's what I mean.

honestly I've never had to be " put to the test"

I'm sure I probably could, not sure though

I was able to tell bipolar patients apart from schizophrenic ones and depressed ones while I was in IP. It was pretty easy though as their symptoms were fully on display at the time.

Not really. I mean just out and about in general life, there's no way to know for sure if someone's under the influence of drugs or not and there's no way to know their history. Knowing tidbits doesn't really help, you would need in depth psychological evaluation

Not in the past, but nowadays, yes - sort of. I mean, I have to say "sort of" because I'm not qualified to diagnose anyone. Also, it's much easier if the person is clearly full-blown manic and not just hypomanic. It's also easier if I know the person has bipolar disorder and their usual presentation, so that I can be more certain that more elevated mood than usual is likely hypomania/mania. Ditto for depression.

Growing up, the only person in my family who was talked about, in terms of mental illness, was my paternal grandmother. It was a hush hush kind of thing. We were also told not to ask about certain topics that seemed to trigger odd responses in her (ESP, a certain doctor...anything to do with her past psychoses). Though my father rarely talked about his own struggles, he did tell us that he had a "nervous breakdown" when he was 17 years old that landed him in the hospital. That was the year my paternal grandmother had her worst episode. It was also the year my mother injured her head and developed epilepsy. They were already in love by that time.

Beyond above, my youthful behavior, my sister's behavior, and my dad's behavior was all usually taken as (I can't think of the word) - an accepted "norm". Even my brother apparently has ADHD, so that added to the general normality of it all. I mean, doesn't your sister lift a wooden chair over her head and smash it on your brother? Or tear her pantyhose off her legs in fury? Doesn't your dad go into tirades and then sleep in a chicken coup for three days? As for me, many here have heard some of my stories, which are only trumped by my first cousin's. Unfortunately, no one really thought she was "normal". Hers is a particularly sad story!

Anyway, I have gained a lot of insight into my illness and that of my family members. When I've gone to DBSA meetings, I have occasionally seen an obviously manic person. Frankly, it can be annoying as heck or even a little scary. Now I know how I've been perceived in the past.

Our friends in Florida, there daughter (she’s almost 50 ) with in meeting her long term boyfriend after hearing him talk for about 15 mins it was obvious he has Bipolar... i don’t really know how to explain it. But I easily picked up on it.

If there are two bipolar people in a crowd of 100, the other one will somehow find me and we'll talk. A lot. It's weird how the conversation proceeds just as naturally as if we were chatting about a mutual favorite TV show. We usually go our separate ways after that, but this is how I've picked up a few friends.

If they are symptomatic, it's pretty much a no-brainer. If they are being really well-managed or are just asymptomatic, it's a lot harder.

Not at first. I found that I attract other bipolar people, especially boyfriends. I only discover they're bipolar after I've known them awhile.
I've only had to cut ties with 1 friend due to their illness. I only saw her manic, never depressed, and she wasn't a good friend in the sense that she never shut up and I never got a word in edgewise. If we spent 2 hours together, she'd spend 99% of it talking. Never once did she ask how I was, it was all about her. It was exhausting to be with her.
Now I have a boyfriend who understands my mental illness even though he's not bipolar. His mum was schizophrenic and he has depression and GAD. It's so nice to be with someone who understands, someone calm. I needed that.

I was out for tea with a friend of mine. An acquaintance approached us clearly both manic and psychotic. I had her sit with us and I gently encouraged her to call her psychiatrist. I told her if she needed a ride I would take her where he wanted her to go. Mania is unmistakable and dangerous. You cannot miss it. It's like a bright orange neon sign that flashes MANIC. Hypomania, far less noticeable. People are generally happy, a bit talkative, friendlier than usual but very productive and coherent. Where I miss is depression. It's easier to hide. It also can be the signal of many things, not just bipolar disorder.