Tech Reference

How to remove followers on your Instagram account without them finding out

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It's easy to remove specific followers from your followers list on Instagram. d3sign/Getty Images
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If you want to prevent certain people from viewing your Instagram content, your best move is to set your account to private, to approve everyone who requests to follow you. 

A public account does offer the chance to garner more followers, though, and might be necessary if you post on social media for work, to share art, or for other such purposes. 

Also, even with a private account you might still want to boot certain people whom you no longer wish to see your content.

The good news is that Instagram makes it easy to remove followers without the follower being notified. 

Here's how to remove a follower from your Followers list or from the user's profile on the Instagram mobile app. 

How to remove followers on Instagram from your Followers list

1. Open the Instagram app on your iPhone or Android

2. From the app homepage, tap your profile icon in the bottom-right corner.

3. At the top of your profile page, tap on Followers.

Screenshot of Instagram profile page
Tap on your "Followers."  Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

4. Scroll down to find the follower you want to remove, or use the search bar at the top of the screen to find them. You can also select the categories Accounts You Don't Follow Back or Least Interacted With at the top to find a follower. 

5. Tap the word Remove next to the follower you want to remove. 

Screenshot of Followers list on Instagram app
Select "Remove" next to a follower.  Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

6. Select Remove again in the pop-up. 

How to remove followers on Instagram from the follower's profile

1. Open the Instagram app on your iPhone or Android

2. Go to the follower's profile you want to remove, either by searching for their account, scrolling through your followers list, or tapping the name of an account that appears on your timeline. 

3. From their profile page, tap the icon of three horizontal dots in the top-right corner. 

Screenshot of Instagram profile three-dot icon
Tap the three-dot icon.  Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

4. In the pop-up menu, select Remove Follower.

Screenshot of Instagram three-dot icon pop-up menu
Tap "Remove Follower."  Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

5. Then select Remove again in the next pop-up. 

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Steven John has been a freelance writer for more than a dozen years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His work includes a focus on the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He also reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes general interest pieces.Steven also writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he also wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and other outlets. He runs his own outdoor lifestyle site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast with his son. He has had two novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College with a degree in communications focused on filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and can be frequently found in a kayak or on a mountain trail, often with his family along for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is a major entertainment force. Here's the platform's history, plus how to create a channel and upload videos.Inside the life and career of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook net worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is a simple process. Here's what's involved, plus how you make money and get paid.