How to see (and cancel) the follow requests you sent on Instagram
When you follow a private account, the button shows “Requested” until the person accepts. If they never do, the request stays there, sometimes for years. Over time, dozens of forgotten requests can pile up, and Instagram doesn’t make them easy to find.
Here’s how to list every request still waiting, with the date you sent it, then cancel the ones you no longer want.
Why cancel old requests?
- Privacy: your name stays in the other person’s request list as long as you don’t cancel it.
- A cleaner account: some requests are to people you no longer know, or to accounts you followed by mistake.
- Peace of mind: if they accept one day, you’ll start following them without remembering why.
Method 1: in the Instagram app
On some versions, Instagram shows the list in Accounts Center → Your information and permissions → Access your information, in the Connections section. The menus change often, the list can’t be searched, and you still have to open each profile to cancel.
Method 2: your data export (complete and sorted)
- Request your Instagram export with Followers and following selected. Every screen is in our guide to download your Instagram data.
- Drop the ZIP into FollowersChecker. It is read in your browser and never uploaded.
- In the Followers tab, open Pending requests: every request still waiting, with the date you sent it.
- Sort by oldest first, and tap Profile to open each account.
How to cancel a request
- Open the person’s profile.
- Tap the Requested button.
- Confirm the cancellation. The button goes back to “Follow”.
Go at a calm pace: cancelling dozens of requests in a few minutes can look like automated activity to Instagram. Spread it over several sessions if you have a lot.
See all your pending requests, sorted by date, in a few seconds.
Check my requestsGood to know
- The export is a snapshot: a request accepted after the export date will still appear in the list.
- Requests you received are not in this list. You find them at the top of your notifications in the app.
- While you’re at it, see who doesn’t follow you back, or clean up your following safely.
Frequently asked questions
Is the person notified when I cancel a request?
No notification is sent. The request simply disappears from their list, although they may have seen it before.
Do follow requests expire?
Instagram doesn’t document any expiry. A request can stay pending until it is accepted, declined or cancelled.
Can I cancel all requests at once?
Not safely. Tools that do it automatically need your password or bots, which can get your account restricted. Cancel by hand, at a calm pace.
Does this work for TikTok?
TikTok handles requests differently and its export doesn’t include sent requests in the same way. This guide is for Instagram.