Building up a feed of content curated to your individual taste and the community of friends and family around you can take time, but you’ll never be able to take those first steps without first learning how to follow someone on Instagram.
To learn how to do so, simply follow our step-by-step guide below. For any additional information (such as how to unfollow users), please see our FAQs at the end of this article.
Table of Contents
How to follow someone on Instagram (iOS/Android)
- Open up the Instagram app on your mobile or tablet device and sign in if necessary
- Next, search for the user you wish to follow (maybe a friend or family member, or even a celebrity) – simply tap the magnifying glass icon along the bottom, and then begin typing the person’s name (or Instagram handle, if you know it) in the search bar
- Instagram will automatically populate a list of people best matched to your search. Locate the correct account from the list and tap on it.
- Lastly, hit that blue ‘Follow’ button below the user’s name and profile bio. If the user’s account is public, you will have successfully followed them; if it is private, you will have to wait for them to accept your request to follow before becoming an official follower.
How to follow someone on Instagram (Website)
- Open up your preferred web browser and navigate to the Instagram website. Sign into your account if necessary.
- Next, search for the user you wish to follow (maybe a friend or family member, or even a celebrity) – simply start typing their name (or Instagram handle, if you know it) into the search bar at the top of the page.
- Instagram will automatically populate a list of people best matched to your search. Locate the correct account from the list and click on it.
- Lastly, click that blue ‘Follow’ button to the right of the user’s name. If the user’s account is public, you will have successfully followed them; if it is private, you will have to wait for them to accept your request to follow before becoming an official follower.
And there you have it! It’s super simple to start following people on Instagram, and we’re sure you’ll get the hang of it in no time if you just follow our step-by-step guides above.
For any additional information, or if you still have unanswered queries, see our FAQs below.
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean to follow someone on Instagram?
If you’re new to Instagram, you might not have quite grasped yet how it works. Maybe you’ve set up an account but aren’t seeing anything of relevance in your homepage feed, or know that your friends and family use Instagram, but don’t know how to see what they’re posting.
In comes ‘following’ and ‘followers’. To follow someone on Instagram is akin to subscribing to their channel. When you follow another user, their posts are integrated into your homepage feed. You’ll also be able to watch their Instagram ‘stories’, which are displayed along the top of the homepage.
The more users you follow, the bigger the portfolio of content you build up and have access to from your homepage. But more than that, following people gives them a boost in numbers of followers, exposes their content to a wider audience, and also makes it easier for you to find them via the search bar, or to tag them in a post.
Will users know if I follow them on Instagram?
Yes. When you follow someone on Instagram, they will receive a notification informing them that you’ve done so. This is actually quite a handy feature since it brings you to their attention, thus potentially leading to them following you (which may either be the direct goal of your following spree, or a happy extra). Note that users are not notified if you unfollow them, so no need to worry in that department.
Can I still follow someone even if their account is set to private?
Yes! Absolutely. When someone sets their account to private, no matter how many followers they have, or how popular they are, all that it means is that nobody who doesn’t currently follow them can access their page or view their posts. It doesn’t mean you can’t still become one of their followers.
If you come across a private page, you’ll still be able to tap that ‘follow’ button beneath their profile pic and info, however instead of then instantly becoming a follower, the private user will instead be sent a ‘request to follow’ notification, which they will have to either approve or deny.
Only when a private user ‘approves’ your request to follow will you be made a follower of theirs. Note: if you were to unfollow a private user, you would then have to make another request to follow before being allowed back on their profile.
How can I stop people following me on Instagram?
If you’re happy to follow lots of other users but wish to monitor the people who follow you, then your best bet is to make your account private. This is your right and is absolutely fine to do, no one will begrudge your right to privacy.
To make your account private, you can either do so when setting up your Instagram account in the first place, or you can do so later by navigating to Profile > Settings > Privacy > Private account toggle ON.
How do I unfollow someone on Instagram?
If you’ve had enough of someone’s posts (maybe you’re beginning to find them offensive or annoying), or you’re just cleaning up a profile with too large a ‘Following’ list, then you’ll want to know how to ‘Unfollow’ someone. It’s a pretty easy process, but there are two ways you can do it.
1) You can visit the profile page of the person you don’t want to follow anymore, and once there tap on the badge which reads ‘Following’. Next, tap ‘Unfollow’ (note there are other options, such as ‘Mute’ and ‘Restrict’). You will be asked to confirm your choice if the user is private, otherwise, you will immediately unfollow them.
2) Head to your Profile and once there tap the number of people you’re ‘Following’. Find the unwanted user in the list of people you follow and simply tap the ‘Following’ badge next to their name. You will be asked to confirm your choice if the user is private, otherwise, you will immediately unfollow them.
