Building and maintaining a strong presence on Instagram takes hard work and consistency. So it can sting when your follower count drops – even by a single digit.

If you’re running a personal account just for fun, you may not notice lost followers. But when you’re operating a business profile or trying to build a personal brand, your follower count is a measurement of success and impact. With every new follower, you can feel confident that your marketing efforts are paying off. But with every unfollow, you’re left wondering where you went wrong.

While losing followers can feel frustrating, it’s a normal part of life online. However, a steady stream of unfollows could indicate a larger problem – and it might be worthwhile to explore why you lost them and what you could’ve done differently. Ultimately, your followers are your brand’s audience, so it’s best to keep them as happy with your content as possible while staying true to yourself.

If you’ve ever wondered how to check “Who unfollowed me?” on Instagram, you’re not alone. Whether you’re doing damage control or simply curious, we can teach you why you may have lost followers and how to pinpoint exactly who’s left your fanbase.

6 reasons you’re losing followers

While losing followers on social media is never a pleasant experience, it’s essential to understand that it can occur for any number of reasons, and it’s not always personal. Here are six common causes that may be behind that last unfollowing, along with strategies to adapt and improve your social media approach:

1. Declining content

An unfollow doesn’t necessarily mean your content is bad – it just means it isn’t what your followers want to see. Whether it’s the quality of your photos, content or copy, your followers can sense when you’re off your A-game.

If you suspect this is the case – perhaps your last few posts have been rushed, or you recently hired a new social media intern – you should review your recent posts and assess whether or not they’re high-quality and offer value to your followers. Always ask yourself, “Would I enjoy seeing this content on my own following feed?” before pressing the post button.

2. Shifting interests

If you’ve recently shifted your aesthetic or brand, your previous followers may not resonate with your new content. Although the change may have been necessary to align with the new followers you want to attract to your page, you may lose some old ones in the transition process.

Ensure you’re always posting on-brand content that feels true to you. You won’t always be able to keep every follower, and that’s okay.

3. Content overload

Although regular posting keeps your audience happy and engaged, posting too frequently can overwhelm them. If you flood followers with your brand’s content as they scroll Instagram’s homepage, they may unfollow you – even if they usually enjoy your posts.

While the sweet spot that balances your needs with your audience’s patience isn’t an exact science, try posting on Instagram 3-7 times per week and see how it goes. And if you’ve been posting way above this number and find your declining follower count surprising, this could very well be why.

4. Follow for follow

This tactic dates back to the early days of Instagram, when users would follow accounts and only remain loyal followers if their follow was reciprocated.

Sometimes users will follow your account, engage with your posts, and if you don’t follow them back, they’ll immediately unfollow you. When this happens, don’t sweat it – they’re not the kind of follower you’re looking for, as their engagement is superficial and doesn’t equate to genuine interest.

5. Too promotional

Whether you’re a brand trying to sell products or an Instagram influencer sharing sponsored posts, bombarding your followers with promotional content can cause them to quickly lose interest.

Aim to avoid click-bait phrases like “buy now” and “shop now” or rushed call-to-action sentiments such as “hurry” or “quick.” Your followers probably don’t want to be rushed into making purchasing decisions, and it’s best if your content persuades them to do so naturally.

People want to feel like they’re a part of your community and connect with the person behind your username. Try making them feel included by asking Instagram story questions, engaging with their comments and sharing user-generated content.

6. Social media clean-up

Sometimes people wake up and decide they want their social media experience simplified. Then they go through their following list and remove almost everyone.

This “It’s not you, it’s me” approach leaves little to resolve. You can’t win them all, and it’s nothing personal.

How to see who unfollowed you on Instagram

Getting to the bottom of who doesn’t follow you and your recent unfollows can help you to make informed decisions on your future content. And it could help you conduct a virtual clean-up of your own.

To see who doesn’t follow you on Instagram, you can use one of two methods: checking manually or using a third-party app. Here’s a breakdown of both approaches in detail:

Performing a manual check

There are two ways to manually check who unfollowed you on Instagram. One is to search your followers’ list, and the other is to search other users’ individual following lists. However, in both cases, you need to have people in mind in order to check their status.

To manually check who’s unfollowed you from your followers’ list, follow these steps:

1. Open the Instagram app and log in (if you haven’t already).
2. Visit your profile by clicking on your icon at the bottom right of the screen.
3. Click on the “Followers” button at the top of your profile.
4. Select the “Search” bar.
5. Type the username you’re searching for

If their username appears when you search for it, they’re still a follower, but if they’re no longer there, they’ve left your audience.

To manually check from someone else’s profile, follow these steps:

1. Open the Instagram app and log in (if you haven’t already).
2. Press the magnifying glass symbol on the bottom navigation bar.
3. Select the “Search” bar at the top of the screen.
4. Type the person’s username and click on their profile from the results.
5. Click the “Following” button at the top of their profile.
6. Type your username in the “Search” bar.

Now you can see if they follow your page. From there, you can decide whether or not you want to continue following them.

Download a third-party app

While you can answer “Who doesn’t follow me back on Instagram?” without an app, downloading an Instagram unfollow app can be the more efficient route, especially if you have a lot of followers and you have no idea who might’ve left.

However, using third-party apps to see who unfollowed you on Instagram isn’t always your safest bet. Some may even be trying to steal your account information. Before downloading any application onto your mobile device, make sure you trust the provider and cross-reference recommendations from various trustworthy sources.

FollowMeter

FollowMeter is an analytics app that analyzes your Instagram account in numerous ways, including who’s unfollowed you. Here’s how to use it:

1. Install FollowMeter on iOS or Android.
2. Open the app and enter your Instagram login credentials.
3. Click on the first tab, located at the bottom left corner.
4. Select “Unfollowers.”
5. Click on “Not following you back.”

This will give you a list of Instagram followers who have unfollowed you recently.

How to unfollow your Instagram unfollowers

You don’t have to unfollow everyone who doesn’t follow you. Chances are you’re following a bunch of brands and influencers that create content you love and serve as great inspiration.

But if you want to start fresh and unfollow your unfollowers, they’ll never know. So why not?

Here’s how to manually unfollow a follower:

1. Open the Instagram app.
2. Press the magnifying glass symbol on the bottom navigation bar.
3. Select the “Search” bar at the top of the screen.
4. Type their username and click on their profile.
5. Click on the gray “Following” button below their bio.
6. Press “Unfollow” and confirm your choice.

Now you’ve successfully unfollowed your unfollower. And if you ever regret it, you can always follow them again – maybe you’ll renew their interest and receive a follow back, too.

Take control of your followers list

Losing followers without knowing why can be frustrating, especially if you work hard on your content. Knowing who unfollowed you and when can help you understand why you lost them in the first place – and even provide a hint for retaining your remaining audience. Check manually or download a safe Instagram followers tracker app to get to the bottom of your unfollows.

Still have questions about using Instagram? Our blog is an excellent resource for all things social media. For instance, learn tips for how to get more followers on Instagram and grow your audience (including 25 free growth apps.) You can also learn about the nitty-gritty details of the app, like how to mute someone, how to tell if someone views your story and what “account reach” means.