How to see who doesn’t follow you back on Instagram
Instagram doesn’t tell you when someone unfollows you, and the app has no “not following back” filter. With a few hundred followers, comparing both lists by hand is already tedious. Beyond that, it’s impossible.
There is a free, official and risk-free method. It relies on your data export: a file Instagram must give you on request.
Why you should avoid “unfollower” apps
Apps and sites that promise to find your unfollowers usually work in one of two ways:
- They ask for your username and password. You hand a stranger full access to your account, your messages and your recovery email. It’s one of the main causes of hacked accounts.
- They use bots to read follower lists. This breaks Instagram’s terms of use. These services are often paid, incomplete, and can disappear overnight.
Instagram can also restrict or block an account it suspects of using an automated tool.
The safe method: Instagram’s official data export
Privacy laws require social networks to let you download the data they hold about you. Instagram’s export includes the full list of your followers and of the accounts you follow, with the date each one started following you.
- In Instagram, open your profile, then the ☰ menu and Accounts Center.
- Go to Your information and permissions, then Export your information.
- Create an export to your device, selecting at least Followers and following.
- Choose the JSON format (HTML also works) and the date range All time.
- Wait for Instagram’s email (often a few minutes, sometimes up to 48 hours), then download the ZIP file.
Every screen is detailed in our guide to download your Instagram and TikTok data.
Compare the two lists automatically
The ZIP contains two important files: your followers and the accounts you follow. You just need to compare them:
- accounts in your following list but missing from your followers don’t follow you back;
- accounts in your followers but not in your following list are your fans;
- accounts in both lists are your mutuals.
That’s exactly what FollowersChecker does. Drop the ZIP and it is read directly in your browser: it is never uploaded to a server. You get the lists in seconds, with a link to each profile, a search bar, a CSV export and a PDF report.
Try it now: drop your export and see instantly who doesn’t follow you back.
Check my InstagramFind out who unfollowed you recently
An export is a snapshot. To know who unfollowed you, compare two exports made on different dates. FollowersChecker can compare two ZIP files directly, or remember your last analysis in your browser and show the changes next time.
Limits to keep in mind
- New followers after the export don’t appear: request a new export for an up-to-date list.
- Deactivated or deleted accounts can appear in one list and not the other.
- Brands and celebrities rarely follow back. Use the “Ignore” button to hide them.
And on TikTok and Threads?
Same method: TikTok also offers a data export with your followers and following (read our guide who unfollowed me on TikTok), and Threads lists are often included in the Instagram export. FollowersChecker recognizes them automatically.