How to See Who Doesn't Follow You Back on Instagram

Want to know who doesn't follow you back on Instagram? You're not alone. Whether you're trying to clean up your following list, understand your engagement better, or just curious about your follower ratio, finding non-followers is a common goal for Instagram users.

The problem is that Instagram doesn't provide a built-in way to see this information. While you can manually compare your followers and following lists, this becomes impractical when you follow hundreds or thousands of accounts.

The Safe Way vs. The Risky Way

There are two main approaches to finding who doesn't follow you back, and the method you choose can have serious consequences for your account.

Step-by-Step: Find Non-Followers Safely

Step 1: Request Your Instagram Data Export

Instagram allows every user to download their account data. Here's how to request it:

1. Open Instagram and go to your profile
2. Tap the menu (three lines) and select Settings
3. Go to Accounts Center → Your information and permissions
4. Select Download your information
5. Choose your Instagram account
6. Select Some of your information
7. Check Followers and Following
8. Choose JSON or HTML format (both work with Unfollowr)
9. Submit your request

Instagram will prepare your download and email you when it's ready — usually within a few minutes to a few hours.

Step 2: Download Your Export Files

Once you receive the email from Instagram, click the download link and save the ZIP file to your device. Extract the ZIP file to find your followers_1.json (or HTML) and following.json files.

Step 3: Upload to Unfollowr

Now comes the easy part. Go to Unfollowr and drag both files into the upload area. Our tool will process them instantly in your browser — no data is ever uploaded to any server.

Step 4: Review Your Results

Within seconds, you'll see a complete list of accounts that don't follow you back. Unfollowr automatically categorizes them into groups like:

• Brands & Businesses — Company accounts you follow
• Celebrities — Famous accounts with large followings
• Potential Spam — Accounts that look suspicious
• Friends — Accounts that appear to be real people

This categorization helps you make informed decisions about who to keep following and who you might want to unfollow.

Why This Method Is Better

Using Instagram's official data export is the only way to check unfollowers without any risk to your account. Here's why it matters:

• No API access needed — We don't connect to Instagram at all, so there's nothing for Instagram to detect or flag.
• Complete privacy — Your data is processed in your browser and never leaves your device.
• Accurate results — Instagram's export contains your exact follower and following lists, unlike third-party apps that often show incomplete or outdated data.
• No account risk — Since we never access your Instagram account, there's zero chance of getting flagged, restricted, or banned.

Frequently Asked Questions