Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve unfollowed someone on Instagram, but they still appear in your following list? This can be confusing and frustrating, especially when you’re trying to declutter your feed or maintain a specific followers-to-following ratio.
In this article, we will explore possible reasons for this issue and provide some solutions to make sure you can manage your Instagram following list better.
Users might remain in your followed list even after you’ve unfollow them due to technical glitches, delay in data processing, weak internet or due to bad cache buildup.
So, let’s delve into the details to troubleshoot and find out why someone may still appear on your followed list, despite your efforts to unfollow them.
Keep reading to discover the possible causes and steps you can take to resolve this issue on your Instagram account.
Why is someone still on my followed list when I unfollowed them on Instagram?
We unfollow people on instagram for a number of reasons. Maybe you are not interested in them anymore or had a big fight with a soon-to-be-ex friend or a bad breakup.
Whatever the reason is, when you hit the unfollow button, they should no longer appear in your follower list.
But that’s not always the case.
Sometimes, you might still see them in your follower list despite unfollowing them. So here are some of the common reasons this might happen.
1. It takes time for Instagram to update
From personal experience, I’ve noticed that sometimes when you unfollow someone on Instagram, they might still appear on your following list.
This could be due to Instagram’s algorithm and its data caching. No app is perfect, and there might be some minor glitches or delays in updating your following list.
The popularity of Instagram has led to a vast amount of user-generated content and interactions. As a result, the platform’s algorithms need to manage a massive amount of data processing.
With so much information to process and update, it’s not uncommon for occasional discrepancies in the following list to occur.
In addition to Instagram’s algorithm, another factor that could contribute to this issue is cache memory.
For example, your device might store outdated information about your following list, causing the display of unfollowed accounts even after you have clicked the “unfollow” button.
To resolve this issue, consider clearing the cache of your device or web browser and then checking your following list again.
Ultimately, it’s important to remember that social media platforms are continuously evolving and improving their algorithms. As Instagram receives more user feedback and refines its system, the accuracy and responsiveness of the algorithm should improve over time.
2. Internet Connect is Weak
Another common reason someone is still on your follow list when you have unfollowed them on Instagram is that you had a weak internet connection while you were unfollowing them.
When your connection is weak, your command might not get through to the servers and your friend-cum-nemesis is still on your list.
This is quite common when you are using a mobile internet with varying signal strength.
To remove the person you unfollowed from your follow list on Instagram first you have to make sure your internet connection is rock solid.
If you use mobile data, turn it off and then turn it on again to resolve the networking issue.
If you are using Wi-Fi, switch to mobile data after turning on the Wi-Fi in your device and see what happens.
Once your internet connection is restored, try unfollowing the person again and you will most probably succeed this time.
3. Technical Glitches/Bugs on Instagram
It’s possible that the issue of someone still appearing on your followed list even after unfollowing them on Instagram is due to technical glitches. I have experienced this issue myself, and also found others reporting similar problems on different forums.
At times, Instagram’s servers might not update your following list immediately. This typically happens when there is high user activity or if there’s an ongoing maintenance.
In such cases, it might take a few minutes or even hours for your following list to reflect the changes.
Another reason could be the use of third-party apps or plugins that might interfere with Instagram’s functionality. These apps might be outdated or not working correctly, which leads to inconsistencies in your following list.
If you are facing this issue, here are some potential solutions:
- Wait a while and then refresh your Instagram app or browser page.
- Logout of your account and then log back in.
- Make sure your Instagram app is up to date.
- Clear your browser cache and cookies, or try using a different browser.
- Update or remove any third-party apps or plugins that might interfere with Instagram.
- Uninstall Instagram app and re-install it.
Keep in mind that while these solutions have worked for some users in the past, they might not necessarily work for everyone due to the unique circumstances of each situation.
How to Resolve the Issue
Here are a few simple troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue.
- Reload the page or refresh the Instagram app. It’s possible that the change just hasn’t updated yet on your device.
- Make sure you didn’t accidentally tap the “follow” button twice, as this could cause your action to be interpreted as “unfollow, follow.”
- Another solution you can try is clearing your browser history and cache if you’re using Instagram on a web browser.
- For mobile users, try restarting the app or completely uninstalling and reinstalling it to see if that resolves the issue.
- In some cases, the problem may simply be a temporary glitch on Instagram’s end. Giving it a little time might fix the issue automatically.
If none of these solutions work, and the issue persists, consider reaching out to Instagram’s support team for assistance. You can report any bug on this page.
They may be able to guide you through troubleshooting steps or identify any bugs within the app that could be causing this problem.
How to unfollow someone from Instagram?
If you are new to Instagram, perhaps you don’t know the proper way to unfollow someone on Instagram.
Also, these social media companies keep changing how their app flow works so you might struggle with an updated interface. Whatever the reasons is, below is the proper way to unfollow someone.
1. Open the Instagram app in your account and log in to your Instagram account.
2. Click on the search button below and then search for the username of the person you want to unfollow.
3. If you follow this particular person, it must show “following” on their account.
4. Press the “following” button and select “Unfollow” from the menu.
That’s it! You have unfollowed the person, which should say “follow” on their profile.
Conclusion
At times, you might experience a situation where someone still appears on your followed list on Instagram even after you’ve unfollowed them.
This can be due to various reasons, such as a temporary glitch in the app or a delay in syncing your actions with Instagram’s servers.
One solution to this issue is simply refreshing your app, which can help update the changes you’ve made. Clearing your browser cache or history can also help in ensuring that your actions are correctly synced with Instagram’s servers.
It’s worth noting that Instagram and Facebook, the company that owns the platform, can sometimes demonstrate inconsistencies in user experiences, as mentioned in this Quora discussion.
It’s essential to remain patient and give the platform some time to update your changes.
In conclusion, if you face an issue like this on Instagram, try refreshing your app, clearing your cache or history, and giving it some time.
Remember that both the app and the platform undergo occasional updates and might experience temporary glitches.
By staying patient and trying the troubleshooting steps mentioned, you can effectively manage your followed list on Instagram.