How to Easily Identify People Not Following You Back on Instagram - WITHOUT Third-Party Apps
- Leon Gregori
- Nov 22, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 22, 2025
If you are like me and have been using Instagram for a while, then you probably know all about 'cleaning house.'
As in tidying up that following list, which, let's face it, can get out of hand at times.
Again, like me, you may have fallen foul of Instagram's notorious 'guidelines' and been put in Insta Jail for too many actions (having to check if someone is following back is an extra tap, for example).
Indeed, you may also have been me, heart in mouth and all, when IG detected a third-party app being used and stopped me from logging in entirely.
Threatening to disable the account permanently and all sorts. Yep. That went south real quick. Which brings me very nicely to the purpose of this article.
I know the struggle is real; many users often dread managing their followers and following lists, especially if trying to identify accounts that don’t follow back.
Instagram does the bare minimum to help you with this, although they do have a nugget of a feature that will get you there in six easy steps with some help from our good old friends at ChatGPT.
Introduction to this Guide
Instagram numbers/stats hold great importance for many users, particularly those looking to boost their follower count for increased engagement and online presence.
I have totally been in the thick of a bulging community with healthy exposure, and I sure as heck know what follow-for-follow is and how quickly those numbers start piling up.
Many turn to third-party apps for identifying FNFB (I'm not sure if I just made this up or not, but it means 'following not following back').
Two years ago, I fell foul of this, admittedly not knowing it could cause a block, but eventually it did.
Let's just say 24 days with no access to the 'gram and potentially losing everything you have on there does give one pause for thought. So yes, let's not do that!
This guide will show you how to identify accounts not following you back safely—and without breaching those touchy Instagram community guidelines.
It is perfectly within the rules and is super easy. You will have that list cleaned up in no time.
Risks of Using Third-Party Apps
With Instagram having been cracking down on third-party apps for some time now, users need to adopt secure methods to manage and monitor their follower connections effectively.
This Instagram policy is designed to protect user privacy, banning unauthorized apps that gather user data. These apps pose risks, including
● Privacy breaches, as they often require login information.
● Account suspensions or restrictions.
● Potential for having your account disabled for guideline violations.
It is important to note that even with the best of efforts, the Apple and Google app stores will still be brimming with a ton of apps offering to do this type of service.
No matter how genuine they look, pilfered IG logo and all, don't touch them!
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Why This Method is Safe and Effective
The method outlined here is compliant with Instagram’s guidelines since it relies on Instagram’s native data-download feature and manual analysis with ChatGPT, ensuring no breach of terms.
It does require a little bit of effort once you have the data, but effectively, you are doing the same thing as one of those apps we keep not wanting to talk about.
Overview of the Process
Below is a brief overview of the easy six-step process we will be covering:
● Obtain your Instagram data, focusing on the 'followers' and 'following' lists.
● Import this data into a suitable analysis format.
● Utilize ChatGPT (or another AI; heck, you could even use Meta's) to detect differences between the two lists, pinpointing individuals who do not follow you back.
● Once you have your list, you can begin unfollowing.
Step 1: Exporting Your Instagram Followers Data: Accessing Instagram’s Download Tool
Instagram offers a data download tool where you can request a full export of your profile, including followers and following lists:
● Navigate to Settings > Your Activity > Account Center > Download Your Information.
● Select the preferred format (JSON for simplicity or HTML).
● Wait for Instagram to prepare the file; this usually takes a couple of minutes. Refresh the page, and you will notice the status change
* Expand / Swipe for instructions
Step 2: Downloading Your Data Files
● Download the file: Extract the compressed file to access the HTML files. IG does offer the option of downloading in JSON format, but it always seems to come in HTML anyway.
● Go to connections > followers_and_following
Step 3: Converting Data for Easy Comparison
If your data is in HTML format:
● Open in your browser window
● Highlight all [ctrl + a] and copy
● Paste into Excel (or another similar cell-based app)
Step 4: Preparing the Data for Analysis
● Organize your lists to create two columns—Following and Followers.
● Check that the usernames are in a consistent format.
● Delete any unnecessary fields for a cleaner comparison.
Step 5: Using ChatGPT to Compare Followers and Following
Now that your data is ready, ChatGPT can cross-reference the two lists and give you the names of users not following back.
Open ChatGPT and use specific prompts to identify discrepancies.
● Sample prompt: There are two lists in the attached file: 'followers' and 'following.' Compare and list users in 'following' who are not in 'followers.' Ignore the dates in the rows.
ChatGPT will output a clean list of non-followers. Double-check ChatGPT’s results by reviewing a few names to ensure accuracy.
Minor discrepancies may occur if usernames have changed or if there were any loading errors.
Step 6: How to Unfollow Accounts Safely
Once you have your list, you can use the search function on IG to visit the profiles you want to unfollow and do so individually.
There is no automated process with this, so you just have to take the time. Maybe even just give the accounts a nudge if they are still active; in many cases, they might not realize they weren't following you.
Note: You will want to avoid rapid unfollowing to prevent temporary account restrictions.
While Instagram has never officially put a number on action blocks, it is believed that anywhere between 200 and 300 actions in 24 hours could land you in hot water.
That includes likes, shares, and saves, too. I would recommend unfollowing between 50 and 100 per day, and be wary of using repetitive actions to do so.
It might take a while, but you would rather spend this time than go through the hell of your account being disabled. Believe me!
Tips for Managing Your Followers List Long-Term
Building a real fan base is super important to keep people interested in today's online world. It's not just about numbers; you've got to work on forming genuine connections.
Taking the time to interact with your followers one-on-one is key. As they say, engagement is king.
'Empty follows' honestly does zero for your account, especially with an algorithm that changes the way the wind blows and is decidedly quite anti-social.
These days, just following someone back, or indeed following them yourself first, is no given.
In the end, genuine growth will only ever come from authentic connections. And if that does become your case, then doing the process in this article will probably be something you won't have to do again
Frequently Asked Questions: Disabled Instagram Accounts
Can I download my Instagram data anytime?
Is it safe to use ChatGPT (or another AI) for this process?
Are there limits to unfollowing users on Instagram?
Will this method show me new followers?
Can I use this method on a mobile device?
Do professional accounts have better tools for tracking followers?
Any Other Questions?
Hopefully, this post has given you all of the tools you need to clean your follower list safely.
If you do have any other additional queries on points not covered here, however, you are more than welcome to get in touch.
You can also check out our FAQ page for more Instagram-related questions.
Don't fall foul of Instagram's 3rd party app restrictions. Last thing you want is the nightmare of your account being disabled!