Instagram has been around for almost a decade so we all know by now that it is a numbers game. The number of your followers matter, and to some degree, so does the number of people whom you follow.
Unless you are a celebrity, the tendency for ordinary users of Instagram to follow back whomever follows them is the norm, and this is the most logical thing to do if you want to grow your account and increase the number of your followers. Some A-list celebrities, though, wear the “0 Following” badge with so much pride.
But chances are, you aren’t a social media influencer trying to get more followers. That’s not meant as an insult! That only means that you do not need to follow people for them to follow you back. Thus, in your case, there truly is a lot of thought that should go into hitting that “Follow” button.
However, there are instances, famous or not, that you would see the need to wipe your follower list clean. You can take the most obvious route, unfollowing each one by one, but what if you already have a sizeable number of followers and unfollowing each of them is no longer a practicable option? Can you mass unfollow on Instagram?
The answer is a resounding “yes”, and we are here to show you how it is done!
Why Unfollow Everyone On Instagram ?
Before we give you a rundown of the apps and tools that make mass unfollowing on Instagram more convenient, let us first look at reasons why there is a need to unfollow people on Instagram. Why are some people compelled to hit that unfollow button even if it seems like a risky move?
Reason 1: You have reached the limit
Perhaps the most obvious reason for unfollowing your followers is if you have already reached the 7,500 mark. You may want to unfollow those who have been inactive, or those whose content does not interest you anymore. You may choose to unfollow people whose posts reflect values that increasingly deviate from yours.
However, doing so manually is time-consuming and Instagram does not allow you to unfollow more than 160 people in an hour. You also do not want the red flag raised on your account and have it banned or blocked if you unfollow too many people at once as what will be discussed towards the end of the article.
Reason 2: Your account was compromised
Another reason behind the need to mass unfollow is if your Instagram account gets hacked. In this situation, you would have to unfollow your following so that the hacker cannot send lewd messages or try to scam the ones you are following.
Reason 3: You do not want to follow those who do not follow you back
It may seem a tad petty, but sometimes, you just want to unfollow everyone who is inactive or those who do not follow you back. I mean, why follow them if they do not do same to you? Ha. Unless they’re Selena Gomez or Ariana Grande that is!
Reason 4: Your feed impacts your well-being negatively
There are instances wherein you might decide to unfollow certain accounts because these make you feel bad about yourself, lower your self-esteem, or make you feel miserable. If there are accounts that stir negative feelings in you, do not think twice and unfollow them immediately.
Reason 5: You no longer find inspiration from your feed
An often-cited reason for mass unfollowing on Instagram is that if your current feed does not inspire you anymore. If you have grown tired of your Instagram feed, if the content of those whom you currently follow does not evoke inspiration anymore, then maybe it is high time to have a clean slate.
Reason 6: You changed your business model
On a more entrepreneurial level, maybe the reason for unfollowing is brought about by a change in business model. Maybe you have changed your product and, as a result, you need to change your target audience. If this is the case, then it is sensible to unfollow users related to your previous business to make room for new ones in your new venture.
Reason 7: Your loved ones’ feeds have gotten lost in a sea of other people’s accounts
Perhaps, another reason is that you cannot seem to view posts from people who matter most like family and friends because of the sheer number of users that you follow. If you find yourself in this predicament, then the best thing to do is to unfollow those you do not really care that much about and save precious feed space to those that truly matter.
Reason 8: You want to get rid of bots and fake accounts
Of course, bot/ fake accounts necessitate unfollowing. You do not want your following roster sprinkled with fake accounts!’
Reason 9: Because Queen Bey does not follow anyone on the Gram!
Interestingly, some people unfollow everyone on their account because a favorite celebrity like Beyonce, Adele, or Taylor Swift, all of whom follow not a single soul on Instagram, inspired them to do the same.
Reason 10: You just want to start over with a clean slate
Some people just want to start over again, maybe because they have grown tired of what they see on their feed, or the content of those users that they follow already seem stale and boring. Some may start feeling that they have outgrown the posts that they see on their feed. Unfollowing is indeed the best way to start from zero and rebuild your following list to reflect your current interests and passions.
Regardless of what your reasons are for unfollowing, these all bring us back to the question which brought us here in the first place- how can you unfollow every single one of your followers on Instagram?
How To Unfollow Everyone On Instagram Using Apps
Here are the apps that can help you conveniently unfollow everyone according to the webste The Droid Guru:
App #1: Crowd Fire
Arguably one of the most popular apps that allow users to manage multiple social media accounts like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. This app works like magic! It helps you find inactive people that you are following and opt for a mass unfollowing! Sounds easy? Because it is!
Aside from that, Crowd Fire also has other useful options like auto-scheduling of posts and auto-replying to direct messages. You can also auto-create posts and even provide insights through reports!
The best part? It is available both on Android and iOS.
App #2: Fast Unfollow
Another tool that is designed to help you mass unfollow on Instagram is Fast Unfollow. And, it is literally fast because it allows you to unfollow everyone with just a single click.
But this convenience does not come free because Fast Unfollow is a paid tool. Some good news, though, you can unfollow 200 people for free. If you are willing to shell out money for the paid tool, you can unfollow up to 1400 people per day.
App #3: Unfollow All For Instagram
This app is about as straightforward as it gets, as the name alone should tell you. This app also happens to be among the most popular ones. Why? Because it is buoyed by excellent customer reviews. Just like Fast Unfollow, Unfollow All for Instagram allows you to remove all followings with just a single click. You can also conveniently unfollow everyone who is not following you back.
How To Unfollow Everyone On Instagram The Old-School Way
If you need to do some spring cleaning of your Instagram account, but you are not the type to try out new apps or tools, then you can do it the old-school way, just follow these steps:
Step 1. Sign in to Instagram.
Step 2. Tap on the “Profile” button.
Step 3. Tap on the “Following” box. This shows the number of people you are following.
Step 4. Tap on the green “Following” button next to the first person on the list to stop following that user. Double check to make sure that the button becomes a blue “Follow” button.
Step 5. You have to repeat the previous steps for up to 200 people.
Step 6. If you want to continue using the Gram, sign out first, and once you sign back in do not follow or unfollow anyone.
Step 7. Wait for about an hour and then repeat the previous steps to unfollow another 200 people until you have unfollowed everyone or a desired number of users on your list.
It sounds tedious, because it is. So it is better if you try the apps that are previously mentioned. It may take some time to learn the ropes, but once you get the hang of it, unfollowing is as quick as just a single tap.
Unfollowing Only A Select Group Of People On Instagram
Some people find unfollowing everyone on their account too drastic. If you find mass unfollowing uncomfortable, then you can opt to unfollow just a select group of people.
Let us say you are not into cosplaying anymore, then you can unfollow cosplay enthusiasts. If you lost interest in photography, then you can unfollow the photographers in your list. Let us say travel photos just make you feel jealous of other people, then go ahead, unfollow users who are always globetrotting if that makes you feel better.
You can do this this by placing their user names in what we call a “whitelist”. You can also do this if you prefer not to unfollow users that have interacted with your content because this will help keep your engagement going. Just make sure to check the boxes that say ‘do not unfollow likers‘ and ‘do not unfollow commenters‘
Under the option User Filters, you will find “Whitelist”. Make sure you have this checked and place the user names you wish to continue following. Once you have done this, you can now toggle the “Status” button to start the process.
A Word of Warning Before You Unfollow Everyone On Instagram!
Sure there are already apps and tools available in the market today that allowsmass unfollowing on Instagram. However, you have to exercise caution if you do not want to compromise your account. Instagram has had several upgrades that may result in a ban if you unfollow everyone in one clean sweep on Instagram. Unfollowing even just 500 may cause your account to be blocked or banned indefinitely. So it is wise to spread the unfollowing spree over the course of a few days just to be safe!
Unfollowing certainly is not among Instagram’s most popular options. That’s because unfollowing sometimes burns bridges and causes ill feelings in those who are unfollowed, especially if you are unfollowing friends or family members. Think about it. How would you feel if, one day, you found out that people who were your close friends actually unfollowed you on the platform? That would not make you feel good, because that tells you that they’re simply not interested to know more about your day. Imagine how quickly that could escalate if you start unfollowing family members. (That’s what the mute option is for, after all.)
Moreover, unfollowing goes against the unwritten basic rule of social media- follow more to gain more followers. If you do not engage, there is a chance that your account would not grow.
But as we enumerated in this article earlier, there are various (and legitimate) reasons why you should consider unfollowing most if not all of those that are on your list. Be it for professional reasons or for the sake of your well being, if you think it will be more advantageous to mass unfollow, then by all means you should. Just be 100% sure before you start unfollowing everyone and starting over with a squeaky clean slate!