How many accounts should I follow on Instagram?

There is no magic number, but most social media strategists recommend following fewer accounts than follow you. For personal accounts, 200-500 following is a comfortable range for a manageable feed. For business/creator accounts, keeping your following count low (under 500) while maintaining a high follower count signals authority and selectiveness. Focus on quality over quantity.

Will cleaning up my following list affect my reach?

Yes — positively. Unfollowing irrelevant accounts does not directly affect your reach, but the cleaner feed means you spend more time engaging with accounts that matter. Your own engagement increases, which signals to Instagram that you are an active user, indirectly boosting your content's distribution.

How often should I audit my following list?

Quarterly is ideal for most users. Every three months, run through the non-reciprocal filter, inactivity filter, and keyword filter to catch new dead weight. If you frequently follow new accounts (events, conferences, trends), consider monthly audits to prevent list bloat.

Can I see a history of who I unfollowed?

Instagram Unfollow Pro maintains a log of bulk unfollow actions within the extension. You can review which accounts were removed in each session. This is useful if you accidentally unfollow someone and want to re-follow them. The log persists in your browser's local storage.

Updated Feb 2026

How to Clean Up Your Instagram Following List

Your Instagram feed is only as good as the accounts you follow. Audit your following list, find the dead weight, and curate a feed that is actually worth scrolling through.

Beginner

15 minutes

7 steps

Before You Start

Google Chrome browser (desktop)
An Instagram account (logged in via web browser)
Instagram Unfollow Pro installed from the Chrome Web Store

Install Instagram Unfollow Pro

Visit the Chrome Web Store listing and click "Add to Chrome." The extension works directly with Instagram's web interface using your existing session. No API keys or third-party authentication required.

Chrome Web Store page for Instagram Unfollow Pro

Screenshot the Chrome Web Store listing with the 'Add to Chrome' button highlighted.

Take stock of your current following list

Go to instagram.com, navigate to your profile, and click the "Following" count. Note your total number — if you are following 500+ accounts, there are almost certainly many that no longer serve you. Open the Instagram Unfollow Pro panel by clicking the floating PlugMonkey button to see your full following list with metadata.

Instagram profile showing high following count

Screenshot your Instagram profile showing the Following count prominently, then the Unfollow Pro panel open with the full list loaded.

Start with non-reciprocal follows

Enable the "Does not follow back" filter. This shows accounts you follow that do not follow you in return. Review this list and ask yourself: would I follow this account today if I were starting fresh? If the answer is no — if you followed them out of obligation, a follow-for-follow scheme, or impulse — they are candidates for unfollowing. Whitelist any non-reciprocal accounts you genuinely enjoy following (celebrities, creators, news sources).

Pro Tip

Non-reciprocal does not automatically mean 'should unfollow.' You probably follow some accounts purely for their content (news outlets, photographers, thought leaders) and do not expect a follow back. The filter is a starting point for review, not an automatic unfollow list.

Non-reciprocal filter showing accounts that don't follow back

Screenshot the filter panel with 'Does not follow back' enabled and the resulting list of non-reciprocal follows displayed.

Filter for inactive and abandoned accounts

Next, filter for accounts that have not posted in 90+ days. These dormant accounts clutter your feed with nothing. They contribute zero content and take up space in your following list. Some may be abandoned entirely. Scroll through and whitelist any that you know are temporarily inactive (accounts on hiatus who announced they would return). The rest can safely be unfollowed.

Inactivity filter showing dormant accounts with last post dates

Screenshot the inactivity filter set to 90+ days, showing accounts with their last activity dates (e.g., 'Last post: 6 months ago').

Clean up by interest categories

Use the keyword filter to search bios for categories that no longer interest you. For example, if you followed many fitness accounts during a New Year resolution but no longer care, search for terms like 'fitness', 'gym', 'workout' in bios. Or search for old interests, former hobbies, or topics from a previous career. This category-based cleanup ensures your feed reflects your current interests, not who you were three years ago.

Pro Tip

Think about what you want your Instagram experience to be. If you use Instagram for professional inspiration, unfollow accounts that are purely entertainment (and vice versa). If you want less anxiety-inducing content, unfollow news and controversy accounts. Be intentional about what fills your feed.

Keyword filter searching for interest-based terms in bios

Screenshot the keyword filter with a term entered (e.g., 'crypto') and the resulting filtered list showing accounts with that keyword in their bios.

Whitelist your must-keep accounts

Before running any bulk unfollow, go through your following list one more time and whitelist accounts you never want to unfollow: close friends and family, business contacts, favorite creators, and accounts that consistently post content you love. The whitelist persists across sessions, so once an account is protected, it stays protected even if you run different filters later.

Whitelisted accounts showing protected status

Screenshot showing several accounts with the protected shield badge, indicating they are whitelisted and safe from bulk actions.

Run the bulk unfollow with safe pacing

After filtering and whitelisting, click "Bulk Unfollow." The confirmation shows exactly how many accounts will be removed. Confirm to start. Instagram Unfollow Pro processes unfollows with randomized delays to stay within Instagram's rate limits. For large cleanups (200+ unfollows), the extension spaces them out automatically. Monitor the progress bar and let the process complete without interruption.

Important

Do not manually unfollow accounts on Instagram while a bulk operation is running. Do not use other unfollow tools simultaneously. Stick to one session per 24-hour period. Instagram Unfollow Pro's pacing is designed to keep your account safe — trust it.

Bulk unfollow in progress with safe pacing indicator

Screenshot the bulk unfollow progress view showing accounts being processed with the rate-limit-safe pacing indicator and estimated completion time.

Summary

Your Instagram following list is now curated and intentional. By removing non-reciprocal follows, inactive accounts, and interest mismatches, your feed should feel immediately more relevant and enjoyable. A smaller, curated following list means: a better feed experience (only content you care about), improved follower-to-following ratio (signals authority), and less algorithmic noise competing for your attention. Make this a quarterly habit — every few months, run through the same filters to catch new accounts that have gone dormant or no longer align with your interests. Your Instagram experience is a direct reflection of who you follow, so curate deliberately.

Need More Help?

Get personalized AI assistance with additional tips and troubleshooting.

Ask ChatGPT Ask Perplexity Ask Claude

AI responses are generated independently and may vary

Frequently Asked Questions

Curate a Following List You Actually Enjoy

Instagram Unfollow Pro helps you find and remove dead weight from your following list. Smart filters, safe pacing, whitelist protection. Free to install.

Install Free — Chrome Web Store Learn More

Ready to Get Started?

Install Instagram Unfollow Pro free from the Chrome Web Store. No credit card required.

Install Free — Chrome Web Store View All Guides