Instagram shows you when someone new follows you, but it stays silent when someone leaves. There’s no unfollow notification and no built-in list of people who unfollowed you. What you can do is compare: your followers at one moment against your followers at a later moment. Everything below is a version of that comparison.
Short answer: check one person by searching for their username in your Followers list, compare two downloads of your followers list from Accounts Center, or use a tracker app that does the comparison automatically.
Check whether one specific person unfollowed you
If you only want to know about one account, you don’t need any tools.
- Open your own profile and tap Followers.
- Type the person’s username into the search field at the top of the list.
- If they don’t appear, they no longer follow you. Their account may also have been deactivated, so open their profile to check it still exists.
You can do the same from their side: open their profile, tap Following and search for your username. This only works if their account is public or you follow them.
This method is quick for one or two people. It doesn’t scale to a whole followers list, and it won’t tell you when they left.
Compare two downloads of your followers list
Instagram lets you download your followers list from Accounts Center. Download it twice, a few weeks apart, and anyone on the first list but missing from the second has unfollowed you (or deactivated their account).
- In the Instagram app, open your profile menu and tap Accounts Center (labelled Meta Account in newer versions).
- Tap Your information and permissions, then Export your information, then Create export.
- Choose your profile, select Export to device and pick only Followers and following for All time.
- Tap Start export and wait for Instagram’s email.
The catch is time. Instagram says an export can take up to 30 days, the download link only stays available for 4 days, and you have to repeat the whole process and compare the lists by hand every time you want an update.
Use a tracker app
A tracker app does the comparison for you on a schedule and keeps a history, so you can see who unfollowed you and when, without exports or spreadsheets. Unfollower Tracker also shows who doesn’t follow you back and how your follower count changes over time.
Before you use any third-party Instagram app, check what it asks for and what it does with your data. Read its privacy policy, and prefer apps that explain clearly how they access your account.
Why your follower count can drop without unfollows
A lower number doesn’t always mean someone chose to unfollow you. Your count also goes down when:
- someone deactivates or deletes their account
- Instagram removes accounts it identifies as spam or fake
- someone blocks you, which removes them from your followers
If a person disappears from your list but their profile no longer loads, one of these is the likely reason.
Frequently asked questions
Does Instagram notify you when someone unfollows you?
No. Instagram's Help Center says people aren't notified when you unfollow them, and the same applies the other way around. Your follower count simply goes down.
Can I see who unfollowed me without an app?
Yes, but only by comparison. Either check a specific person's Following list, or download your followers list twice from Accounts Center and compare the two files.
Why did my follower count drop if nobody unfollowed me?
Counts also drop when an account is deactivated or deleted, when Instagram removes accounts it identifies as spam or fake, or when someone blocks you.
How long does an Instagram data export take?
Instagram says it can take up to 30 days to email you the export link. Once the export is ready, you have 4 days to download it from Accounts Center.