Whether you want to get rid of ghost followers, or can’t figure out which profile recently unfollowed you, we’ve got you covered.
Today’s guide will show you how to see which Instagram users aren’t following you back, so you can maintain only mutual Instagram followers on your account. Plus, how to prevent users from unfollow you frequently in the first place.
Key Points:
Why Are Mutual Followers Important?
When it comes to maintaining a quality Instagram profile, the algorithm looks at several things, including:
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The quality of the profiles that follow you
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The ratio of followers to engagement on your posts
While Instagram may not notice specifically how many of the accounts you follow follow you back outside of your follower to following ratio, it's considered good practice to maintain a mutual following, as it can help you build a stronger online community in the long run.
How To See Who Doesn't Follow You Back On Instagram
If you want to clean out your follower list to only follow users who follow you back, you can manually check by following the instructions below depending on your device type.
On Mobile
Open Instagram and click your follower count to open the list of followers.
As you scroll, you'll see a blue Follow Back option next to the username.
Any accounts that do not have this text are mutuals - that is, they follow you back.
On Desktop
You can access a list of non followers by comparing Instagram data between your follower list and following list. While this may seem like a time consuming process, it should only take about 5 minutes:
Open your Instagram profile.
Click your Follower list.
Scroll to the bottom until the full list has loaded and there are no followers left to load.
Press F12 to open your browser developer tools.
Click the Console tab.
Paste in the following code and hit Enter:
var data = "";
document.querySelectorAll('.xt0psk2').forEach(e => {data += e.href + 'n';})
console.log(data);
You should receive a URL of every follower/followee's profile page.
Copy this list into an Excel sheet or Google Sheets.
Repeat the above steps, this time with the Following list. Paste the results in the same column as the previous results.
Now we'll find any duplicates between the two lists - these duplicates will indicate which of the users are mutual followers.
Highlight the column you wish to find duplicates in.
Click Format > Conditional Formatting in the top menu.
In the Format cells if box, click Custom formula is.
Paste in the following formula: =COUNTIF (A:A, A1)>1
Any duplicate listings will be highlighted. These are your mutuals.
You can also follow the steps above to compare multiple Instagram accounts with one another.
Should I Unfollow Someone Who Unfollowed Me On Instagram?
That ultimately depends on you. If you were only following the person because of a mutual following relationship and they’ve since unfollowed you, feel free to unfollow them.
At the end of the day, the users you follow should be ones who post content that resonates with you in some way. If that’s not the case, unfollow as you please.
How Do You Unfollow Everyone Who Doesn’t Follow You Back On Instagram?
There’s no method for mass-unfollowing users on Instagram, and in fact any software that claims to do so might be in violation of Instagram’s Terms of Service.
The best way to unfollow anyone who doesn’t follow you back on Instagram is by following the instructions outlined above.
How Do I Remove Followers On Instagram That I Don't Follow?
So how can you remove followers that you’re not following back?
The best way would be to open your Followers list on the Instagram app. As you scroll, you'll see a blue Follow Back option next to the username - these are accounts that you don’t follow.
To remove them as followers, tap the X or Remove button to the right.
Does Instagram Punish You For Unfollowing?
Instagram doesn’t punish users for simply unfollowing, but any mass-action can result in a temporary account freeze or suspension. That means if you unfollow too many users too quickly, it could affect your account.
Similarly, following users and immediately unfollowing is considered spam on Instagram and could put your account at risk for being banned.
Is Mass Unfollowing Effective?
Some users claim that following a large number of users and then mass-unfollowing them shortly after is an effective way of gaining new followers. However, this is considered spam on Instagram and often results in your account being frozen or suspended.
If you want more Instagram followers on your account, the most effective method is to buy Instagram followers from a reputable service like QQTube. We offer a variety of high-quality followers services from providers that are tested and guaranteed to deliver followers backed by real Instagram users, never bots.
This way you can gain more followers at a pace that you determine, without putting your account at risk.
Third Party Apps: What You Need To Know
While there are a variety of third party apps and websites that claim to provide information on mutuals or unfollowers, many of them require your Instagram data file from the account center.
This can put your account security at risk, and in some cases may violate Instagram's terms, so it's always best to stick with manual methods where possible.
Is There An App To See Who Doesn’t Follow You Back On Instagram?
There are plenty of apps on the App Store and Google Play store that claim to show you who doesn’t follow you back, but most of the time they require you to log into Instagram through the app. This is risky, and much like third party sites it’s best to avoid them.
Why Do People Unfollow Me On Instagram For No Reason?
If you’re noticing a high number of users unfollowing you on Instagram, here are a few things to look into.
What Do Their Profiles Look Like?
Check out the people who are unfollowing you, if you’re able to. If their accounts are suspicious looking and have no profile pictures or are clearly running a follow/unfollow scheme, don’t worry - it’s not about you.
On the other hand, if these accounts are real people who are just tired of your content, move on to the next step.
Are You Posting Too Frequently?
Most users on Instagram post once per day, or just a few times a week.
For Instagram Stories, sharing 1-5 Story slides per day is the average.
If you’re posting above and beyond these amounts, you might be spamming people’s feeds and resulting in them unfollowing you for peace of mind.
What Are You Posting About?
Along with quantity, post quality is another factor to take into account.
Are you constantly sharing self-promotion posts, negative content, or spam? Users want to follow someone who brings them value, either in the form of education, entertainment, or inspiration. Ask yourself what you’re truly bringing to the table, and adjust your content approach accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I remove 1000 followers on Instagram?
There’s no legitimate way to mass-remove followers on Instagram, and mass-unfollowing too many accounts too soon can put your account at risk. You’ll have to manually remove each follower from your list one at a time.
What are fake followers on Instagram?
Fake followers can either be bot accounts purchased from low-quality providers, or profiles who are running a follow/unfollow scheme.
Why would someone unfollow me and remove me as a follower?
If someone has not only unfollowed you, but removed you from their following list it’s likely that they want to softblock you.
If someone unfollows you on Instagram are you still following them?
Unfollowing someone on Instagram doesn’t affect whether or not you’re following them - unless they remove you manually from their followers list.
Why do people unfollow me on Instagram after I post?
Take a look at what you’re posting and ask yourself if you’re bringing value to your followers or if you’re simply spamming them with self-promotion or negative content.
Is unfollowing disrespectful?
No - unfollowing is a normal part of social media.
Should I care if someone unfollowed me?
It’s up to you. Oftentimes unfollowing isn’t personal, it’s just about curating a feed.
How to check unfollowers on Instagram?
Aside from using third party apps, the best way to track unfollowers is to regularly keep a spreadsheet of your current or new followers. If you notice a decrease in your follower count, you can compare the two lists to see who recently unfollowed you.
How to see private Instagram account followers without following?
Currently there is no way to see the follower list of a private account. The best way to view someone's list of followers is to follow that specific person.
How to check who doesn't follow you back on Instagram using ChatGPT?
You can provide ChatGPT with the list of followers and followed accounts by following the steps outlined in our guide here. Then, prompt ChatGPT to provide you a list of users who only appear on the following list.
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