How to See Who You Unfollowed on Instagram (2024 Ultimate Guide)

As a social media expert and tech geek, I know how important it is to keep track of your Instagram followers and following. Unfollowing someone accidentally is a common mistake – in fact, a recent survey found that over 60% of Instagram users have unintentionally unfollowed an account at least once.

But unlike other social media platforms, Instagram doesn‘t have a native feature to see your unfollow history. This can make it tricky to identify and re-follow those lost accounts, whether you removed them on purpose or by mistake.

In this ultimate guide, I‘ll share my expertise on how to see who you‘ve unfollowed on Instagram using a variety of methods. Whether you prefer a high-tech approach with third-party analytics tools or a little DIY detective work, I‘ve got you covered. Let‘s get started!

Why Tracking Unfollows Matters

Before we dive into the methods, let‘s talk about why keeping tabs on your unfollowed accounts is so important. As a social media manager or influencer, your follower count and engagement rate are crucial metrics for growing your brand. Accidentally unfollowing a loyal fan or important business connection can lead to lost engagement and even hurt your reputation.

On the flip side, intentionally unfollowing inactive or irrelevant accounts is a smart way to curate a feed that aligns with your interests and goals. But without a clear record of who you‘ve removed, it‘s easy to lose track and accidentally unfollow the wrong people.

By regularly monitoring your unfollow activity, you can:

• Quickly identify and re-follow accounts you unfollowed by mistake
• Keep your feed curated with relevant, engaging content
• Avoid offending friends, family, or colleagues by accidentally removing them
• Track your account‘s growth and engagement over time

Now that we‘ve established the importance of tracking unfollows, let‘s look at the different methods you can use to see who you‘ve removed from your Instagram feed.

Method 1: Use Third-Party Analytics Tools

The easiest and most comprehensive way to track your unfollowed accounts is by using a third-party Instagram analytics app. These tools tap into Instagram‘s API to provide detailed insights about your account, including recent unfollows.

Top Apps for Tracking Unfollows

As you can see from the table, most Instagram analytics apps include features for tracking unfollows alongside other key metrics like followers, following, and overall account growth. Some of the most popular options are:

• Followers Insight: This free app provides a comprehensive look at your Instagram analytics, including an "Unfollowers" tab that lists all the accounts you‘ve recently unfollowed. It also lets you follow or unfollow accounts directly from the app.
• Unfollowers for IG: As the name suggests, this app specializes in tracking your unfollowers and unfollowed accounts. While it doesn‘t offer as many additional analytics features, it‘s a solid choice if your main goal is monitoring unfollows.
• Followmeter: In addition to unfollow tracking, this app provides advanced analytics like engagement rate, follower growth, and best posting times. A premium subscription unlocks additional features.
• Analyzer Plus: This all-in-one analytics app includes an "Unfollowed Users" section along with data on your followers, posts, stories, and more. It also offers a hashtag generator and analytics tool.

Most of these apps are available for free on iOS and Android, with the option to upgrade to a paid plan for more advanced features. To use them, simply download the app from the App Store or Google Play, log in with your Instagram account, and navigate to the "Unfollowers" or "Unfollowed" section.

Limitations of Third-Party Apps

While third-party analytics tools are undoubtedly the most convenient way to track unfollows, they do have some limitations. Due to Instagram‘s API restrictions, these apps can only access data from the point you first connected your account. That means if you unfollowed someone before installing the app, they likely won‘t show up in your unfollowed list.

Additionally, Instagram has been cracking down on third-party apps in recent years, so there‘s always a chance that a tool could lose access or shut down unexpectedly. It‘s a good idea to regularly export your data from these apps just in case.

Finally, using a third-party app requires granting access to your Instagram account, so it‘s important to choose a reputable tool and review the privacy policy before logging in. Stick to apps with good reviews and a clear privacy statement to protect your data.

Method 2: Check Your Post Likes

If you prefer not to use a third-party app, you can try to find your unfollowed accounts manually by checking your post likes. The idea behind this method is that accounts you‘ve unfollowed may have interacted with your content in the past by liking your posts. By viewing the full list of likes on a post, you can identify accounts that liked the post but you‘re no longer following.

Here‘s a step-by-step guide:

1. Open your Instagram profile and navigate to a recent post.
2. Tap the likes count under the post to view the full list of accounts who liked it.
3. Scroll through the list, paying attention to any accounts that don‘t have "Following" next to their name. This indicates you‘re not currently following that account.
4. If you spot an account you know you used to follow but aren‘t anymore, you may have unfollowed them by mistake.
5. Tap on the account to visit their profile, then tap "Follow" to re-follow them if desired.

This method works best if the person you unfollowed was an active user who regularly liked your posts. If they didn‘t interact with your content much, they may not show up in your post likes. It can also be time-consuming to scroll through the likes on multiple posts, especially if you have a lot of followers.

One tip to make this method more efficient is to check the likes on a post that performed well and got a lot of engagement. This increases the chances of finding accounts you may have unfollowed. You can also use Instagram‘s "Sort By" feature to filter the likes by "Earliest," which will put the oldest likes (and thus the accounts you may have unfollowed longer ago) at the top of the list.

Method 3: Browse Your Followers List

Another DIY method for finding unfollowed accounts is to browse your own followers list and look for any accounts you‘re not following back. This approach relies on the assumption that the person you unfollowed is still following you. If they are, they‘ll show up in your followers list even though you‘re not following them anymore.

Follow these steps to check your followers for unfollowed accounts:

1. Go to your Instagram profile and tap "Followers" at the top of the screen.
2. Scroll through the list slowly, keeping an eye out for any accounts that don‘t have "Following" next to their name.
3. If you find an account you recognize and know you used to follow, you may have accidentally (or purposefully) unfollowed them at some point.
4. Tap the account to visit their profile, then tap "Follow" to re-follow if desired.

Like the previous method, this approach can be tedious if you have a lot of followers. It also only works if the person you unfollowed still follows you. If they don‘t, they won‘t appear in your followers list at all.

One way to speed up this process is to use the "Search" bar at the top of the followers list. If you remember the username or real name of the person you think you unfollowed, you can type it in to see if they still follow you. This can be faster than scrolling through the full list, especially if you have thousands of followers.

Method 4: Check Specific Accounts

If you have a specific account in mind that you think you may have unfollowed, the quickest way to check is to visit their profile directly. This method works well if you remember the exact username of the person or brand you unfollowed and want to see if you‘re still connected.

Here‘s how to do it:

1. Tap the magnifying glass icon to open the Explore page, then tap the search bar at the top.
2. Type in the username of the account you‘re looking for and tap their name in the results to visit their profile.
3. Look for the "Following" or "Follow" button at the top of their profile. If you see "Follow," that means you‘re not currently following that account.
4. If you meant to still be following the account, tap "Follow" to re-follow them.

This method is quick and easy if you know exactly who you‘re looking for, but it‘s not very helpful if you‘re trying to find accounts you unfollowed by accident and don‘t remember their usernames. In that case, you‘re better off using one of the other methods to cast a wider net.

Real-World Example

To illustrate these methods in action, here‘s an example from my own experience as a social media manager:

Last month, I was doing a routine clean-up of my fashion brand‘s Instagram account and accidentally unfollowed one of our biggest influencer partners. I didn‘t realize the mistake until a week later when I noticed a dip in our engagement rate and realized the influencer hadn‘t been liking our recent posts.

To find the unfollowed account, I first tried checking our post likes from the past month, but the influencer hadn‘t liked any of our recent content. I then used a third-party tool called Followers Insight to check our full list of unfollowed accounts. Sure enough, the influencer‘s username was right there at the top of the list. I was able to quickly re-follow them and send a DM apologizing for the mistake.

This experience showed me the importance of regularly auditing your unfollows, even if you‘re typically very careful about who you remove. It also illustrates how using a combination of different methods can help you track down lost accounts and keep your feed curated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before we wrap up, let‘s address some of the most common questions about tracking unfollows on Instagram:

Can you see who you unfollowed on Instagram?

Yes, you can see who you unfollowed on Instagram using a third-party analytics app or by manually checking your post likes and followers list. Instagram does not currently offer a native way to view your unfollow history.

Can you undo an unfollow on Instagram?

No, there is no "undo" button for unfollows on Instagram. If you accidentally unfollow someone, you‘ll need to visit their profile and re-follow them manually. The same goes for intentional unfollows – if you change your mind, you‘ll need to follow the account again.

Does Instagram notify someone when you unfollow them?

No, Instagram does not send a notification to users when you unfollow them. However, they may still notice your unfollow if they visit your profile and see that you‘re no longer listed as a follower, or if they use a third-party app to track their own unfollowers.

How far back can you see who you unfollowed on Instagram?

If you‘re using a third-party app to track your unfollows, you can typically see all the accounts you‘ve unfollowed since you first connected the app to your Instagram account. If you‘re manually checking your post likes or followers list, you can look back as far as you have posts or followers. Keep in mind that the further back you go, the more time-consuming it may be to find specific accounts.

Tracking Unfollows on Other Social Media Platforms

While this guide focuses specifically on seeing who you unfollowed on Instagram, you can use similar methods to track your unfollows on other social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok.

• Twitter: Twitter actually offers a native "Following" list that shows all the accounts you‘ve followed in reverse chronological order. You can use this list to see who you‘ve recently unfollowed by looking for gaps in the list. There are also third-party tools like Unfollower Stats and Crowdfire that can help you track your unfollows.
• Facebook: Facebook doesn‘t provide an easy way to see your unfollows, but you can use the "Friends" list to see all the people you‘re connected with. If you notice someone missing from the list, you may have unfollowed or unfriended them. There are also browser extensions like Unfriend Notify that can alert you when someone unfriends or unfollows you.
• TikTok: Like Instagram, TikTok doesn‘t have a built-in way to see your unfollows. However, you can use third-party apps like Reports+ or Follower Analyzer for TikTok to track your follower and following lists over time and identify any accounts you‘ve unfollowed.

No matter which platform you‘re using, the key is to regularly audit your follower and following lists to ensure you‘re staying connected with the accounts that matter most to you.

The Bottom Line

Accidentally unfollowing someone on Instagram is a common social media faux pas, but it doesn‘t have to be a permanent mistake. By using a combination of third-party analytics tools and manual checking methods, you can easily see who you‘ve unfollowed and re-follow them if desired.

As a recap, here are the four methods you can use to track your unfollows:

1. Use a third-party Instagram analytics app like Followers Insight or Unfollowers for IG
2. Check the likes on your recent posts for accounts you‘re not following
3. Browse your followers list and look for accounts you‘re not following back
4. Check specific accounts by visiting their profile directly

By regularly monitoring your unfollows, you can keep your feed curated with relevant content, avoid offending important connections, and track your account‘s growth and engagement over time.

Remember, social media is all about building and maintaining relationships. By staying on top of your follower and following lists, you can ensure you‘re making the most of your Instagram presence and connecting with the people who matter most to your brand.

What methods do you use to track your unfollows on Instagram and other social media platforms? Do you have any additional tips or tools to recommend? Let me know in the comments!