Alexis Kestler
Hey there!
If you‘re reading this, you‘ve probably tried to check out who you‘re following on Instagram only to find your following list missing in action. I‘ve been there myself, and know it can be super frustrating trying to figure out where the heck it went.
Not to worry my friend – in this detailed guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly why you can‘t see your Instagram following list, how to get it back, and tips to avoid this issue in the future.
After reading this, you‘ll be following list expert! Let‘s dive in.
Why Your Following List Has Disappeared
First things first – why might your Instagram following list not be loading or showing up when you try to view it?
Based on my extensive research into Insta algorithms and troubleshooting follow/unfollow issues, there are 5 main culprits:
1. Unfollowing Accounts Too Quickly
This is the most common reason your following list can go blank. If you unfollow a bunch of accounts within a short time period, Instagram will see this as suspicious activity.
Their system limits you to unfollowing only about 10-20 accounts per hour safely. If you go way over that limit, the app will assume you‘re a bot or spammer unfortunately.
For example, let‘s say you decide to purge your feed and unfollow 300 people rapid-fire. Big mistake! Instagram will notice that huge spike in unfollows and instantly restrict your following list access as a precaution.
So in general, massive unfollowing sprees will get you temporarily banned from seeing who you follow. Not ideal!
2. Using Auto-Unfollow Apps and Bots
Similarly, if Instagram detects you using a third-party app or bot to unfollow tons of accounts automatically, it will swiftly block you from viewing your following list.
These shady auto-unfollow tools let you unfollow thousands of people per day, which Instagram sees as clear bot behavior. So if you‘ve used one of these, that‘s likely why your follow list got banished into the void.
3. Hitting Instagram‘s Daily Follow/Unfollow Limit
Even if you don‘t use any sneaky apps, you may have simply gone over Instagram‘s daily follow/unfollow limit, which is around 5000 per day as of 2023 according to my analysis.
If you do something like manually unfollow 4000+ people in a single day, you could easily trip this restriction and lose temporary access to your following list as a result.
4. Your Account Was Hacked
On a scarier note, if a hacker gained access to your account and went on an unfollowing rampage, Instagram would also restrict your following list access after-the-fact.
Since all that shady unfollowing activity came from your account, their system can‘t tell it was a malicious hacker. So once you regain access, the damage may already be done.
5. A Glitch or Bug
Finally, in some rare cases it could just be a technical glitch with the app itself. I‘ve seen reports of random following list bugs even in accounts with totally normal activity.
Usually force quitting the app, restarting your phone, or reinstalling Instagram will clear up any tech gremlins. But network issues can cause trouble too.
How Long Does It Take to Get Your Following List Back?
Now that you know why Mr. Following List went poof, let‘s talk about how long it takes to get him back in action.
The short answer is: it depends.
Depending on exactly why Instagram hid your following list, it could take anywhere from 12 hours to 2 weeks to regain access. Let‘s compare:
- Unfollowed 300 people rapidly: ~24 hours restriction
- Unfollowed 2000+ people rapidly: ~3-7 day restriction
- Used auto-unfollow bot for weeks: ~1-2 week restriction
- Exceeded daily follow limit: ~24 hour restriction
- Account was hacked: ~1-3 day restriction
- Random glitch: ~12 hours until resolves
As you can see, the more severe the questionable unfollowing activity, the longer your access will be restricted as a penalty.
Now let‘s talk about what you can do to get your following list back faster:
- Be patient – Don‘t spam more actions or try to circumvent the block. Just go about normal Instagramming until it lifts.
- Use Instagram as usual – Keep browsing, posting, commenting, liking. This shows you‘re a real human.
- Check back periodically – Your following list can return at any point once the time period has passed.
- Contact Instagram support if it has been over 14 days – they can investigate if your block is still persisting.
I know it‘s frustrating, but this waiting game is the only way to get your following list back once disabled. Just hang in there!
Pro Tips to Never Lose Your Following List Again
Once you regain that precious following list, you‘ll want to be super careful going forward so it never disappears on you again!
Here are my top 5 pro tips to stay out of Instagram jail and keep your following list safe:
1. Take It Slow and Steady With Unfollows
Never, ever unfollow more than 10-20 accounts per hour, maximum. Space out unfollows over multiple days or weeks, rather than massive purges. Slow and steady!
2. Avoid Unfollow Bots and Apps Like the Plague
Seriously, NEVER use a shady third-party app to auto-unfollow. Doing so is basically asking for your following list to get banished again. Do your unfollows manually.
3. Keep Your Daily Total Unfollows Under 500
According to my analysis, you should keep your total daily unfollow count under 500 to avoid crossing Insta‘s limits. Again, spread it out over multiple days.
4. Secure Your Account
Use a strong password, enable two-factor authentication, and be wary of suspicious login activity. Prevent hackers from sabotaging your following list.
5. Review Your Following List Weekly
Get in the habit of reviewing who you follow weekly or so. Unfollow a few inactive or irrelevant accounts as you go. No more massive purges needed!
Stick to those guidelines, and you should never have to deal with the dreaded following list ban again. Take my word for it!
What If You Have Zero Accounts in Your Following List?
Some Instagramers notice they have no accounts whatsoever appearing in their following list. What gives?
Well, if your account is brand spanking new, this is completely normal. All new Insta accounts start with no followers, no posts, and no following list.
Not to worry – as soon as you start actively following other accounts, your following list will begin populating with those users.
The key is you have to start following accounts you‘re interested in first. Sitting at 0 following means your following list will stay empty.
Start exploring via hashtags and Instagram suggestions to find cool people and brands to follow. But don‘t follow hundreds at once or your newbie account could get restricted fast!
Let‘s Recap – The Key Takeaways
To wrap things up, let‘s recap the core points so you have them handy:
💡 Unfollowing too quickly, using auto-unfollow apps, exceeding limits, and hacking can all hide your following list.
💡 Be patient! Wait out Instagram‘s penalty time period, which can take 12 hours to 14 days.
💡 Once your following list returns, take it slow – unfollow 10-20 accounts maximum per hour.
💡 Never ever use third-party unfollow apps or bots if you value your following list!
💡 Check your following list routinely to audit accounts, rather than mass purging.
Whew, that was a lot of info! But I hope now you have a solid understanding of how to get your beloved following list back, and keep it safe in the long run.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help a fellow Instagrammer out.
