How to see who unfollowed you on Instagram without logging in
Short answer: Instagram doesn't tell you who unfollowed you, and no app can know it unless it logs into your account or compares two follower lists taken at different times. The method that needs no login is to download your followers list from Instagram's Accounts Centre (JSON, All time) today and again later, then compare the two files: by hand, or with an app that reads the ZIP on your phone without asking for your password, such as Follow Radar for iPhone.
The four ways, compared
| Method | Instagram password | Risk to your account | Shows names | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps that make you log in with Instagram (password, cookies or session) | Yes | High: your credentials go to a third party, and automated access can get the account limited or blocked | Yes | Automatic |
| Instagram Insights (professional accounts only) | No | None | No, only how many followers you gained and lost | Automatic |
| Comparing two exports by hand | No | None | Yes | High with hundreds of accounts |
| Apps that read the export on your phone, such as Follow Radar | No | None: the app never touches your account | Yes | You export, the app compares |
Step 1: download your followers list from Instagram
- In Instagram, open Accounts Centre › Your information and permissions › Create export.
- Select your Instagram profile and tap Export to device.
- Tap Customize information, clear everything and keep only Followers and following.
- Set Date range to All time and Format to JSON.
- Start the export. Instagram can take from a few minutes to a couple of days and emails you when the ZIP is ready. Keep it: it is your first snapshot.
Step 2: compare two exports
One export is a photo of today. To know who left, you need two: an older one and a new one.
- In the ZIP, find
followers_1.json(your followers; large accounts also havefollowers_2.jsonand so on) andfollowing.json(the accounts you follow). In recent exports they are inconnections/followers_and_following. - Who unfollowed you: usernames that are in the old followers file and missing from the new one.
- Who doesn't follow you back: usernames in
following.jsonthat are missing from your followers files. For this one export is enough. - Don't be misled by
recently_unfollowed_profiles.json: it lists accounts you unfollowed, not people who unfollowed you.
By hand it works, but with hundreds of accounts it takes a long time. Follow Radar does the comparison in seconds on your iPhone: import each new ZIP and it lists who unfollowed you since the previous one, who doesn't follow you back and your pending follow requests.
How to tell if an unfollowers app is safe
- It never asks for your Instagram username, password or two-factor codes.
- It doesn't make you log in inside the app and doesn't ask for cookies or session tokens.
- It works on the file you export yourself and processes it on the phone, without uploading it.
- Its App Store privacy label says Data Not Collected, or close to it.
- You can check it yourself: the analysis still works in Airplane Mode, and the iPhone App Privacy Report shows no connections to its servers.
Follow Radar meets every point. Here is how it handles your data and how to verify it.
Limits worth knowing
- No method without login can alert you in real time: you find out when you compare two exports.
- Your first export can't tell who unfollowed you in the past, only who doesn't follow you back today.
- Follow Radar runs on iPhone and iPad. On Android or a computer you can use the manual method.
- Follow Radar is free to download; some lists require the Pro subscription.
FAQ
Is there an app that shows who unfollowed me on Instagram without logging in?
Yes: apps that analyze Instagram's official data export, such as Follow Radar for iPhone. They don't ask for your password. You download the ZIP from Accounts Centre and the app compares each export with the previous one to show who unfollowed you.
Does Instagram tell you who unfollowed you?
No. Instagram sends no notification and shows no list of people who unfollowed you. You can find out only by comparing your followers list at two different times.
Can unfollower apps get my account banned?
Apps that log in with your account and act on it automatically can get it limited or blocked, because Instagram's Terms don't allow automated access without permission. Apps that only read a file you exported never access your account, so they don't carry that risk.
How often should I download my data?
As often as you want to check. Once a week works for most people: each new export is compared with the previous one.
Do I have to choose JSON?
To use an app like Follow Radar, yes: choose JSON and All time. For a manual check the HTML format also works, because it opens in the browser.