# Why Am I Losing Followers on Instagram? Page: https://famoid.com/why-am-i-losing-followers-on-instagram/ Most drops come from two things: people unfollowing you, and Instagram removing fake or disabled accounts. Here is how to tell them apart, and what to do. ## The short answer You lose followers for two main reasons. People unfollow you, or Instagram removes accounts that were fake, spam or disabled. Instagram says it removes disabled accounts on a routine basis, so your total can change even within a short time. A slow, steady drop is people leaving. A sudden drop on one day is almost always a cleanup. ## Instagram removes fake and disabled accounts This is the cause most people miss. Instagram's help page on [changes to your likes, follows or comments](https://help.instagram.com/572730176521116) says two things. - Some follows come from accounts that create fake activity. When Instagram finds those accounts, it removes their activity. - Instagram routinely removes disabled accounts. This changes your follower total and your following total, sometimes within a short time. Instagram has done this since 2018. Its newsroom post on [removing fake likes, follows and comments](https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/reducing-inauthentic-activity-on-instagram) explains that apps which sell fake follows break the rules. Accounts that keep using them can lose features. So if you bought bot followers years ago, or used an app that promised followers, those accounts leave in waves. That shows up as a big drop on one day. It is not a strike against you. It is Instagram cleaning its list. ## People unfollow you This is the everyday cause. A few people leave most accounts every day. They clean up who they follow, they change interests, or a post did not land. There are patterns to look for. - **Right after a post.** A drop in the hours after you post is feedback on that post. - **After a long quiet spell.** People forget why they followed you. - **After a topic change.** You switched from food to fitness. Some followers came for food. - **After a giveaway.** Contest followers leave once the prize is gone. Instagram does not notify you when someone unfollows. It does not show a list either. Our guide on [how to see who unfollowed you](/how-to-see-who-unfollowed-you-on-instagram/) covers the safe ways to check. ## Deactivated, deleted and blocked accounts Some followers are not gone for good. Others are. | What happened | What Instagram says | Your count | |---|---|---| | A follower deactivated | Their photos, comments and likes are hidden until they log back in | Can dip, then come back | | A follower deleted their account | Profile, posts, likes and followers are removed for good | Down by one, for good | | Instagram disabled a follower | Disabled accounts are removed on a routine basis | Down by one | | You blocked someone | Blocking makes them stop following you | Down by one | | You removed a follower | Works on private accounts, and they are not told | Down by one | Deactivating is common. People take a break for a week and come back. That is the main reason your number goes up and down by one or two. Instagram's help page does not spell out what a deactivated follower does to your count, so treat the dip as normal and wait. ## How to check what happened in Insights Instagram Insights shows how many followers you gained and lost. It does not show names. You need a public account to see it, and at least 100 followers for the follower trend. Instagram's page on [Instagram insights](https://help.instagram.com/788388387972460) lists what you get. To check from a computer: 1. Open instagram.com and select **Dashboard** in the left menu. 2. Professional account: select **Insights** under For professionals. Personal account: select **Your dashboard**. 3. From the Insights menu, select **Account**. 4. Change the date range. You can pick the last 7, 14, 30 or 90 days. In the app, tap **Total followers**, then look at **Growth**. It shows the number gained and the number lost. Match the loss to a date. Then look at what you posted that day. One warning. If you switch to a private account, you lose Insights. You get past data back if you switch to public within 90 days. ## How to track the exact number Insights only covers the last 90 days, and it needs 100 followers. If you want the exact number on any day, watch it from outside. Our [free Instagram follower count checker](/instagram-follower-count-checker/) shows the live count for any public username. No login is needed. Check it at the same time each day and write the number down. After a week you can see the pattern: a slow leak, a one-day cleanup, or a dip that came back. This is also the safe way. Apps that promise an unfollower list ask for your password. Instagram says it may limit or disable accounts that use them. ## The honest fixes There is no button that stops unfollows. But there are things that cut the losses. - **Never use follower apps.** If you ever did, change your password. That cuts off their access, and the fake accounts will drop off over time. - **Turn on the spam filter.** Go to **Settings and privacy**, then **Followers**, and turn on **Filter spam followers**. Likely spam accounts then need your approval to follow you. - **Clear the spam you already have.** Open your Followers list, tap **Potential spam**, then **Remove all spam followers**. They are not told. - **Post on a schedule.** Steady posting keeps you in people's feeds. Our [best time to post on Instagram](/best-time-to-post-on-instagram/) guide helps you pick a slot. - **Stay on one topic.** People followed you for a reason. Give them more of it. - **Check the day.** Compare the loss date in Insights with your posts. Fix what caused the drop, not the number. Losing a few followers a week is normal for every account. Focus on the people who stay and on the next ones. Our guide on [how to get more followers on Instagram](/how-to-get-more-followers-on-instagram/) covers what works. If you want a steady push on the number, Famoid sells [Instagram followers](/insta/) delivered at a paced rate, and a 30-day [Instagram growth service](/instagram-growth-service/) that adds the same number every day. We only need your username, never your password. ## Quick answers **Why is my Instagram follower count going down?** Two reasons cover almost every case. People unfollowed you, or Instagram removed accounts that were fake, spam or disabled. Instagram says it removes disabled accounts on a routine basis, and your total can change within a short time because of it. **Does Instagram remove followers?** Yes. Instagram removes spam and fake accounts, and it removes disabled accounts on a routine basis. When one of those accounts followed you, your count goes down by one. This is not a penalty on your account. **Why does my follower count go up and down on Instagram?** Small swings are normal. A follower deactivates and comes back, a new person follows while another leaves, or Instagram removes an account. Instagram says your totals can change even within a short time. **Why did I lose a lot of followers overnight?** A big drop on one day is usually a cleanup. Instagram removes fake and disabled accounts in batches. If you ever used an app that promised followers, those accounts are the first to go. **Can I see who unfollowed me on Instagram?** Not from a list inside Instagram. Insights shows how many followers you gained or lost, not who. To check one person, search their name in your Followers list. **Is losing followers bad for my account?** No. A lower number does not lower your reach by itself. Losing fake or inactive accounts can even help, since more of the people left will actually see your posts. ## Related - [Instagram follower count checker (free)](https://famoid.com/instagram-follower-count-checker/) - [How to see who unfollowed you on Instagram](https://famoid.com/how-to-see-who-unfollowed-you-on-instagram/) - [How to get more followers on Instagram](https://famoid.com/how-to-get-more-followers-on-instagram/) Written by the Famoid team. Updated 2026-09-02.