They unfollowed you
The account is still there and its profile opens as before, but the Follows you label on it is gone. The owner chose to stop following you.
Tools / Your own account
Who unfollowed me on Instagram
Instagram tells you when someone follows you and says nothing when they leave. This guide shows how two readings of your own follower list name the accounts that left, why a missing name is not always an unfollow, and what to do with the result in the app.
- No password
- Two readings compared
- Every action stays in the app
Your followers1,204 1,203
One fewer, no name- DDaniel Moreau started following you.2 d
- NNora Weiss started following you.5 d
- An unfollowNo notice from Instagram
How do you see who unfollowed you on Instagram?
Compare two readings of your follower listInstagram sends no notice when someone leaves, and it keeps no list of past followers. Save your follower list, read it again later, and the names in the first reading that are missing from the second are the accounts that left in between.
Key points
- 1
Instagram announces new followers. An unfollow only shows as a count that is one lower.
- 2
A comparison of two readings names who left between them, and nothing before the first.
- 3
A missing name can also mean a block, a deactivated account or a new username.
- 4
Your username is all a comparison needs. Never give your password to any tool.
What Instagram shows
What the app tells you about your followers, and what it leaves out.
Instagram is open about arrivals and silent about departures. That gap is the whole reason people search for this.
Shown to youWhere
A new followerYes, by nameNotifications and your follower list
Your follower count todayYesYour profile header
Your follower list todayYes, every nameTap the follower count
Someone who stopped followingNo notice—
A list of past followersNot kept—
The date someone leftNot shown—
A count is a net figure
If three people followed you this week and two left, your count rose by one. The count alone never tells you that anyone left at all.
How a comparison works
Two readings of one list, set side by side.
A follower-list comparison is a simple idea. Its limits come from the same idea: it can only compare readings that exist.
- 1Reading 1
Your follower list is saved
Every account that follows you on that day is written down by username. This first reading is the baseline: on its own it names nobody who left. The other follower tools on this site start from the same kind of reading.
- 2Between readings
People arrive and leave
Instagram adds new followers to your list and removes the ones who leave, with no record of either kept for you.
- 3Reading 2
The two lists are compared
Names in reading 1 and not in reading 2 left in between. Names in reading 2 and not in reading 1 arrived. Everyone else stayed.
2 readings
The least that names anyone who left
1 list
Your own follower list, nothing else
0 names
Recoverable from before the first reading
Reading 1 1 September
- DDaniel Moreau
- LLena HoffNot in reading 2
- CClaire Dubois
- JJonas Berg
Reading 2 15 September
- DDaniel Moreau
- CClaire DuboisStill following
- JJonas Berg
- NNora WeissArrived
Three steps
See who unfollowed you in three steps.
The same method whichever way you take the readings. The only thing it asks of you is your public username and a second visit.
- 1
Enter your username
Type your own public Instagram username. No password and no login are needed, because your follower list is public.
- 2
Save the first reading
Your full follower list is read and kept with today's date. This is the baseline every later reading is compared with.
- 3
Compare a later reading
A week or a month later, read the list again. The accounts missing from the new reading are the ones that left.
Why a name goes missing
Five reasons a name leaves your follower list.
An unfollow is the most common reason, and not the only one. Before you act on a name, open the account and see which of these applies.
They blocked you
A block removes the follow in both directions. The account no longer shows up when you search for it, and its profile no longer opens normally for you.
The account was deactivated
A temporarily deactivated account is hidden from every list until its owner logs back in. If the name returns in a later reading, this was the reason.
The account was deleted or removed
An account deleted by its owner, or removed by Instagram, leaves every list. Instagram removes automated and fake accounts, which can take several names off your list at once. Removed accounts are often automated, and an Instagram fake follower check estimates how much of a count they make up.
The username changed
A comparison by username sees the old name leave and a new one arrive. If one left and one arrived on the same day, open the new one: it may be the same person. Accounts you follow that never followed you are a separate question, answered by a check of who does not follow you back.
A sudden drop of many names
When several accounts with no posts and no picture leave at the same time, Instagram clearing automated accounts is the likely reason, not a reaction to anything you posted. The bot followers guide shows what those accounts look like.
What to do in the app
What you can do with the names.
A comparison reads and reports. Everything that follows happens inside Instagram, done by you, one account at a time.
- Step 1
Open the profile
Tap the name to see which of the five reasons applies. A profile that opens normally without the Follows you label means an unfollow.
- Step 2
Decide on your follow
If you follow them and want to stop, unfollow from their profile. They are not notified.
- Step 3
Or leave it
Plenty of people trim who they follow from time to time. One unfollow is rarely about you.
- Step 4
Report if needed
If an account that left is now harassing you from another one, use Instagram's block and report options on its profile.
Doing it by hand
Compare two copies of your own data.
Instagram lets you download a copy of your information from Accounts Center. The download includes your followers and the accounts you follow. Request it on two dates, open the two follower lists, and look for the names that appear only in the first.
It takes longer than a tool, and it works on private accounts too, because the data comes from Instagram to you. The exact menu names change between app versions.
By hand, in five steps
- Open Accounts Center from your settings
- Choose to download your information
- Select your followers and following
- Request it again on a later date
- Compare the two follower lists for names that left
If your account is private
What changes when your account is private.
A private account still has a follower list. The difference is who else can read it.
Public accountPrivate account
Your follower list, in the app Yes Yes
Your follower list, in your data download Yes Yes
Your follower list, read from outside by username YesClosed to outside pages
Your follower count, seen by anyone Yes Yes
Switching to public has a cost.
Setting a private account to public opens your posts, stories and lists to everyone. Use the data download if you want to keep the account private and still compare readings.
Four situations
Four people, one missing follower.
Emma CarterA count one lower
Example- The situation
- Emma's count dropped by one overnight and she wanted to know who had left.
- What they did
- She had no earlier reading, so the name could not be recovered. She saved a reading that day so the next change would have a name.
Daniel MoreauAfter a menu change
Example- The situation
- Daniel changed his café's menu and posted about it. A week later his count was lower.
- What they did
- He compared two readings, opened each missing name, and found most were accounts with no posts that had been removed.
Claire DuboisA familiar name
Example- The situation
- A comparison showed a client of Claire's boutique was no longer following.
- What they did
- She opened the profile, found the client had changed her username, and saw the new name in the arrivals of the same reading.
Lena HoffA former colleague
Example- The situation
- Lena saw a former colleague's name among the accounts that left.
- What they did
- The profile no longer opened for her, which meant a block. She left it there and did nothing in return.
Can and cannot
What a follower-list comparison is for.
A comparison can
- Name the accounts that left between two readings
- Name the accounts that arrived in the same period
- Work from your public username alone
- Show you which names to open and check in the app
It cannot
- Name anyone who left before your first reading
- Tell you the exact time someone left
- Read a private account's list from outside
- Unfollow, remove or message anyone for you
Stay safe
Three rules for any unfollow tool.
- Never type your Instagram password
Your follower list is public on a public account. A page that asks for your login is asking for your account, not your list.
- No tool can name past unfollows
Instagram keeps no record of who left before your first reading. A page that offers a full history has nothing to read it from.
- Nothing automatic
Reading and comparing is all a comparison does. Unfollowing, removing and blocking stay in the app, done by you.
Quick answers
Smaller questions about unfollows.
Does unfollowing someone back tell them?
No. Instagram sends no notice for an unfollow in either direction.
Why do I see the same name leave and return?
A deactivated account leaves every list while it is off and comes back when its owner logs in.
Does it matter who follows me first in the list?
No. Instagram has not documented the order of the follower list, and it carries no dates.
Related pages
More about followers.
Questions
About unfollows.
Short answers to what people ask when their follower count drops.
01How can I see who unfollowed me on Instagram?
Instagram does not show it. Save a full reading of your follower list, read it again later, and compare the two: the accounts in the first reading and not in the second are the ones that left between those dates.
02Does Instagram notify you when someone unfollows you?
No. Instagram sends a notification when someone follows you and nothing when someone stops. Your follower count drops by one and the name leaves the list.
03Can I find out who unfollowed me before I started checking?
No. Instagram keeps no list of past followers for you or anyone else. A comparison covers the time between two readings, and nothing before the first one.
04Is a name missing from my list always an unfollow?
No. A name also leaves your list when that account blocks you, is deactivated or deleted, is removed by Instagram, or changes its username. Open the account before you decide anything.
05Do I need to give my password to see who unfollowed me?
No. Your follower list is public on a public account, so a comparison needs your username and nothing else. Never type your Instagram password into a third-party page. Our comparison of unfollow apps sets out what each type asks for.
06Will the person know I checked?
No. Reading a follower list is not recorded for anyone, and opening a profile sends no notice.
07Can I do it without any outside tool?
Yes. Instagram's own Download your information option includes your followers and following lists. Download it on two dates and compare the follower lists.
08Does it work on a private account?
Your own list, inside the app and in your data download, works as usual. An outside page reads only what is public, and a private account's follower list is not.
09How often should I compare?
As often as you want the answer to be precise. A weekly reading names who left that week; a monthly one names who left that month, without the day.
10Is this site part of Instagram?
No. ProfileScanner is an independent guide and is not affiliated with Instagram or Meta.
11Does PeekViewer tell me who unfollowed me?
PeekViewer follows a target account's lists over time; it is not built around your own account, and it never asks for your Instagram login. Comparing two of your own data exports needs no service at all. The PeekViewer review on this site covers its plans and limits.
12How do I see who stopped following me on Instagram?
Instagram sends no notice when someone stops following you. Take two readings of your follower list on different dates and compare them: a name in the older list that is missing from the newer one has left.
Ready when you are
Look first. Stay unseen.
Type a public username and open the viewer. No Instagram login on your side, no name on theirs.
