Watch a full scan
This recording goes from the Chrome Web Store to finished results.
A full scan from install to results. Scans usually take 45 seconds to 1 minute, depending on follower count. Usernames are blurred in this recording.
1. Install from the Chrome Web Store
Add FollowerSpotter to Chrome from its Chrome Web Store listing. There is nothing to configure, and no Instagram data file to download or username list to paste in.
2. It uses the Instagram session you already have
Open instagram.com in Chrome and sign in the way you normally do. FollowerSpotter works from that open session, so you never enter your Instagram password into the extension.
- Free scans don't require a FollowerSpotter account.
- Pro is verified by a one-time email code. There is no FollowerSpotter password.
For the full detail on what is and isn't stored, see Privacy & Security.
3. Scan
With Instagram open, click the FollowerSpotter icon and start a scan. FollowerSpotter collects your Followers list, then your Following list, and compares them in your browser. The accounts that appear in Following but not in Followers are the people who don't follow you back.
Scans usually take 45 seconds to 1 minute, depending on how many followers and accounts you follow. You can stop a scan at any time.
Why scans pause on purpose
Instagram limits how quickly a single session can request data. If a tool hammers it, Instagram may slow or block that session. So FollowerSpotter deliberately slows itself down: it paces its requests and takes short cooldowns during a full scan.
It reduces the chance of hitting Instagram's rate limits. It can't guarantee you never will, because Instagram sets and can change those limits. If a scan is interrupted, give the session a rest before trying again.
4. Your results
When the scan finishes you'll see your counts at the top, followed by three views:
- Don't follow back: accounts you follow that don't follow you.
- You don't follow: accounts that follow you that you don't follow back.
- Mutuals: accounts that follow you and that you follow.
Search by username, sort the list, and use Open to jump to a profile on Instagram so you can decide for yourself. Your latest results are saved locally so you can come back to them, and you can clear them any time with Clear local data.
Free vs Pro
| Free | Pro ($1.99/month) | |
|---|---|---|
| Complete scans | 2 per week | More frequent than Free, so you can scan whenever you need |
| Full non-follower list | Yes | Yes |
| Search and sorting | Yes | Yes |
| CSV export | — | Yes |
| Account | None needed | Email verification code |
What it doesn't do
- It doesn't ask for your Instagram password.
- It doesn't upload your Followers or Following lists to FollowerSpotter's servers.
- It doesn't mass-unfollow accounts. It shows you the list; you decide what to do.