You log into your Instagram account and notice that your follower count is lower. Someone unfollowed you, but who?
Every Instagram user has been there before. You gain followers, and then you lose some. Even the top Instagrammers lose followers from time to time, but what if you want to find out who has unfollowed you?
With a little detective work and the right tools, you can solve the mystery of your missing follower.
2 Ways To Find Who Unfollowed You on Instagram
There are only a handful of ways to know who unfollowed you on Instagram. You can do it manually, or you can use an app to speed up the process.
1. Manually Check the Person’s Profile
One simple way to see if a certain user has unfollowed you is to check their Following list.
Step #1: Open the Instagram app.
Step #2: Tap the magnifying glass on the bottom interface.
Step #3: Type in the user’s name and navigate to their profile.
Step #4: Tap “Following” on their profile page.
Step #5: If they are following you, your profile will appear at or near the top of the list.
Step #6: You can also use the search bar to search for your username.
This method works best if you have an idea of who may have unfollowed you.
2. Search Your Followers List
Another way to see if a specific Instagram user has unfollowed you is to search for them on your followers list.
Step #1: Open the Instagram app.
Step #2: Tap your profile icon on the bottom right side of the interface.
Step #3: Tap “Followers.”
Step #4: Type the user’s name or real name in the search bar.
Step #5: See if the user you’re looking for is still on your list.
If the person is still on your list, then they are still following you. You can continue searching for other users to see if they’re the ones who unfollowed you, or you can move on to the third option.
This method is quick and easy – but only if you suspect that a certain user has unfollowed you. If you have hundreds or thousands of followers, it will be tedious to search for every username (if you can even remember them all).
3. Use an App
The simplest and quickest way to find who unfollowed you is to use an app. Apps can provide insights into your Instagram account, including who:
- Recently followed you or unfollowed you
- Don’t follow you back
Some of the Most Popular Apps For Follower Tracking Include:
1. Followers
The Followers app is a popular choice for tracking who follows and unfollows you. With the free version, you can even unfollow up to 30 people who don’t follow you back.
The app provides a lot of useful insights and gives you the option to switch between multiple accounts.
2. Reports Plus
Reports Plus is a free app that can tell you:
- Who viewed your Instagram profile
- Who doesn’t follow you back
- Who unfollowed you
The app’s description also states that it can detect blockers. Reports Plus has over a million downloads and a fair rating, but some users have issues with having to constantly change their passwords.
3. Followers & Unfollowers
Followers & Unfollowers is a free app that analyzes your Instagram followers and provides account insights. You can easily see who followed you and unfollowed you recently.
While apps are a convenient way to see who unfollowed you, it’s important to remember that they may not always be available. Instagram takes privacy seriously, and they limit their API. They can change their rules without warning, which could make any one of these apps stop functioning properly.
While this app has a lot of downloads and is well-rated, many users report that some of the functions time out and never finish loading.
Also, keep in mind that because you installed the app after the person unfollowed you, there’s a chance that it won’t be able to identify who your lost follower was.
Finally, there’s one BIG reason to think twice about using these kinds of apps – they can get you banned.
Why Doesn’t Instagram Let You See Who Unfollowed You?
To date, Instagram hasn’t implemented any features that allow you to see who unfollowed you. Why? Because a feature like this would have a negative impact on the user experience.
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, recently stated that the platform hasn’t made it easy to see who unfollows you for one simple reason:
- They want people to feel comfortable unfollowing users who no longer interest them
If it was easy to see who unfollowed you, Instagram users may feel uncomfortable tapping that “unfollow” button.
If you really need to know who unfollowed you, the manual method is your best option. Yes, third-party apps for follower tracking exist, but they’re not reliable. And using them could get you banned.
Your follower count won’t matter much if you no longer have an Instagram account.
If you have an idea of who the “unfollower” is, use the search features to see if they’re still on your list.