How to see someone’s following list on Instagram

A following list is the set of accounts a profile follows. On a public account anyone can see it, but Instagram makes it harder than it sounds: you have to be logged in, the list isn’t in date order, and long lists are slow to scroll. Here are the three ways to see it, and what each one shows.

The short answer

Open the profile in the Instagram app and tap Following. That works for public accounts while you’re logged in. To see the newest follows first, without an Instagram account, use a viewer like the Instagram following viewer.

Method 1: the Instagram app

1. Open Instagram and search for the account.
2. On the profile, tap the Following number.
3. Scroll the list, or search inside it for a name.

What to know:

• You have to be logged in. Private accounts show a lock instead of the list.
• The list isn’t sorted by date. The app tends to show accounts you both follow first.
• Nothing tells you which follows are new since your last look.

Method 2: the Instagram website

On a computer, go to instagram.com, open the profile and click following. It’s the same list as in the app, with the same limits: you have to log in, and there are no dates. A long list is easier to scroll with a mouse, though, and your browser’s find feature can look for a name.

Method 3: a following list viewer

A viewer reads the public list for you and shows it in a cleaner way:

1. Type the username in the box on the Instagram following viewer.
2. Read the newest follows at the top, with names and photos.
3. Check again later to see which follows are new.

On FollowGlance, the newest 2 follows are free, and 1 credit unlocks up to about 100. You don’t need an Instagram account, and the person isn’t notified.

Why the list isn’t in date order

Instagram never publishes when someone followed an account. In the app, it orders other people’s lists its own way, often with mutual follows near the top. That’s why scrolling a following list rarely tells you what changed.

The only reliable way to spot new follows is to compare the list with an earlier copy, which is what a tracker does for you. See how to see who someone recently followed on Instagram for how that works.

What you can’t see

• Private accounts. Their lists are only for approved followers.
• Follow dates. No tool can show the exact time; at best, the time a follow was first seen.
• Anything inside the account, like messages, close friends or saved posts.

Is it okay to look?

Instagram lets any logged-in user open a public following list, and the account isn’t notified. Keep it respectful: use what you find for curiosity or research, never to harass anyone.