Guide · Updated July 2026
1. Export your official data
From the Instagram app, go to Accounts Center → Your information and permissions → Export your information, and request your followers and following lists (JSON or HTML). This is the official, permitted way to get your own list data — avoid third-party apps that ask for your Instagram login, since that violates Instagram’s terms and puts your account at risk.
2. Turn the export into plain lists
Open the exported file and copy just the usernames into two plain lists, one per line: Followers and Following.
3. Compare the two lists
Paste Following into List 1 and Followers into List 2, then compare:
- Only in List 1 (Following) — accounts you follow that don’t follow you back.
- Only in List 2 (Followers) — accounts that follow you but you don’t follow back.
- Intersection — mutual follows.
4. Track changes over time
To see who unfollowed you, export your followers list again after some time has passed, then compare last month’s export against this month’s. The Only in List 1result (last month’s followers not in this month’s list) is exactly who unfollowed you. Keep dated exports as plain text files so you can repeat this whenever you want a fresh comparison.
Everything runs in your browser, so exported follower data is never uploaded anywhere — it’s pasted, compared, and stays on your device.
Worked example
| Following | Followers |
|---|---|
| @ana | @ben |
| @ben | @finn |
| @cleo | @drew |
| @drew | @gia |
Paste Following into List 1 and Followers into List 2. Only in List 1 (@ana, @cleo) is who you follow that doesn’t follow back. Only in List 2 (@finn, @gia) is who follows you that you don’t follow back. Intersection (@ben, @drew) is your mutual follows.
Compare your follower and following lists now.
Open the follower checkerFrequently asked questions
How do I see who unfollowed me on Instagram?
Export your followers list now and again later, then compare the two exports — accounts only in the older list are the ones who unfollowed you.
Is it safe to use a third-party app to check unfollowers?
No — apps that ask for your Instagram login violate Instagram's terms and risk your account. Use Instagram's own data export instead.
What's the difference between followers and following?
Following is who you follow; followers is who follows you. Comparing the two shows mutual follows and one-directional follows in each direction.
How often should I export my follower list?
Weekly or monthly exports give a clean before/after comparison without the noise of daily follow/unfollow activity.
Does DiffLists store my Instagram data?
No. Usernames are compared entirely in your browser and are never uploaded or stored by DiffLists.