You lose Instagram followers when people unfollow you or accounts disappear. Are fewer new followers joining than are leaving? Then your total decreases. First, check your numbers over several days and compare them with the past 30 days, if you have that data. One lower figure does not show why you are losing followers.
Below, you will learn how to recognise the possible cause and what you can do next.
Measuring Instagram follower loss: look at several days
For a week, record how many followers you have each day at roughly the same time. There is no need to check every hour. One measurement per day gives you a better view of how your number changes.
Note whether you posted anything and what was different from usual. Do you have older data? Then also look at the past 30 days. That is a useful period for comparison, not a fixed Instagram rule.
Can you see separately in your insights how many followers join and leave? Record those numbers too. If necessary, read how to view your Instagram insights. If you cannot see that data, only track your total number. This shows how much your total decreases, but not how many people joined and left.
Your decrease is not the same as your number of unfollows
A hypothetical calculation example: you start the week with 1000 followers. You gain 15 followers and 35 people unfollow you. At the end of the week, you have 980 followers:
1000 + 15 − 35 = 980 followers.
Your total has decreased by 20 followers. To calculate that decrease as a percentage, divide the loss by your number at the beginning. Then multiply by 100:
20 ÷ 1000 × 100 = 2% decrease.
So you have 2% fewer followers than at the beginning. However, 35 people unfollowed you, not 20. The 15 new followers make the difference.
There is no fixed percentage that tells you when follower loss is always normal. Therefore, compare it with your own previous weeks. Pay particular attention to whether your number drops once or continues to fall week after week.
Which cause fits your declining number of Instagram followers?
Do not only look at your follower count. Also check your reach, changes in your posts and notable accounts in your follower list. Reach is the number of different accounts that have seen your content. It is not the same as the number of views.
Use this table to choose what to check first. A pattern gives you a clue, not proof of the cause.
| How is your number decreasing? | Your reach | Posted different content? | Seen suspicious followers? | What should you check first? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suddenly | Roughly the same | No | Seen frequently before | Check whether it remains a single decrease. Accounts may have disappeared, but this does not tell you that for certain. |
| After a post | The same or higher | Yes | Nothing noticeable | Compare the subject, tone and amount of advertising with your earlier posts. |
| Gradually | Lower | No | Nothing noticeable | Check whether fewer new followers are joining in particular. |
| Gradually | Roughly the same | Yes | Nothing noticeable | See whether your new topics still fit what people followed you for. |
| Suddenly | Unknown | No | Unknown | First, track your numbers for several days. Your total alone does not show the cause. |
Lower reach does not by itself make followers disappear. It can, however, occur alongside fewer new followers. If the same number of people continue to leave in the meantime, your total may decrease as a result.
Follower loss also does not prove a shadowban. People usually use that word when they suspect Instagram is making their posts less visible without clearly saying so. A lower follower count alone is not proof of this.
Losing Instagram followers because accounts disappear
Not every follower who disappears has deliberately pressed unfollow. The account may also have disappeared. FollowNow refers to removing spam accounts as a possible cause of follower loss. That does not mean this also happened to your profile.
Did you suddenly gain many followers with empty profiles or unusual names? Record that as a clue. An empty profile may also belong to an ordinary user. You cannot reliably tell whether an account is fake from a name or profile photo alone.
Do not immediately remove large groups of followers. This makes your own number decrease and makes it harder to understand the original decrease. First, check whether the loss continues.
Losing Instagram followers after different posts or a break
Look at the posts you published just before the decrease began. Did you start posting about a different topic? Did you post much more often? Or did you suddenly share mainly offers? You can compare this with your earlier posts without having to guess how Instagram distributes your posts.
A fictional example: you usually share walking routes and nature photos. Then, for a week, you mainly post discount codes. Some followers may find that change less interesting. In that case, try a few posts with routes and photos instead of immediately changing your entire profile.
Did your number decrease after one post? That does not yet prove that the post caused it. Check whether you see the same decrease more often with similar posts. Do not delete a post just because you have fewer followers afterwards.
After not posting for a while
After a break, fewer new followers may join. If people do leave, your total decreases. That does not have to be an Instagram penalty. Start posting again at a rhythm you can maintain and track what changes.
Following, unfollowing or sending the same posts frequently
Posting the same response repeatedly or sending unsolicited messages can annoy people. If you do this, stop. Also do not follow and unfollow many accounts to quickly restore your decrease. It then becomes harder to see how your number changes without those actions.
Can you no longer follow new accounts yourself? That is different from losing followers. For that, read the Instagram help about the follow limit.
Can purchased Instagram followers disappear?
Yes, purchased followers can also disappear. Those accounts may unfollow you later or may no longer exist. Without more information about those accounts, you do not know why they are gone.
Are you considering buying Instagram followers? A higher number is not the same as people consciously choosing your posts. A purchase does not guarantee that followers will stay, respond to your posts or that your posts will automatically reach more people. To compare quantities and prices, explore our Instagram services, including packages for followers and likes.
Did the decrease begin after a purchase? Record the purchase date and compare your number before and after it. Check your order terms if you have questions about this. Buying more followers does not explain the decrease. It also makes your measurements less clear.
What can you do if you keep losing Instagram followers?
Use your measurements to choose one next step. Do not change your topics, posting frequency and entire profile at the same time. Afterwards, you will not be able to see which change made a difference.
- Check whether fewer new followers are joining. Compare new followers and unfollowers if you have that data. Are fewer people joining, or are more people leaving instead?
- Choose one adjustment that fits. For example, share fewer sales posts or return to a topic you posted about often before.
- Keep everything else as consistent as possible. Keep posting at a rhythm you can maintain. This allows you to compare your posts more effectively.
- Continue tracking your numbers for another one or two weeks. Record your total, the insights you can see and the posts you published. This is a practical testing period, not a promise that your number will recover afterwards.
- Compare how your number changes. Alongside your final total, also look at new followers, unfollowers and reach. Is the cause still unclear? Collect data for longer instead of continually trying something different.
Are there also unknown posts on your profile? Or are you receiving notifications about logins you do not recognise? Check your security through Instagram itself. This is a separate account issue. Never give your password or login code to a service that promises to find out who unfollowed you.
You cannot prevent someone from unfollowing you. You can, however, consciously choose your topics and rhythm and compare your numbers at set times. Look at several days, not only the latest number on your profile.
