How to download your Instagram following list
Your following list is one of the most useful files in the Instagram export. With it, you can check who does not follow you back, audit old follows, and save a clean record without giving a third-party app your password.
All methods compared
| Method | Best for | How to do it |
|---|---|---|
| Official Instagram export | Safest and most complete | Use Accounts Center, Some of your information, Followers and following, All time, JSON if available. |
| Manual profile review | Small accounts or spot checks | Open Following in Instagram and review manually. This is slow but does not require any third-party tool. |
| Third-party tools | Only when they avoid login | Prefer export-based tools. Avoid tools that ask for your Instagram password or automate actions. |
Recommended export settings
- 01Open Instagram Accounts Center.
- 02Choose Download your information, then Download or transfer information.
- 03Select Some of your information.
- 04Choose Followers and following.
- 05Pick All time and JSON if Instagram offers format selection.
- 06Download the ZIP when Instagram says it is ready.
Turn the following list into an audit
Upload the original ZIP to Unfollio. The browser extracts followers and following, then the app shows accounts you follow that do not follow back. Later exports can reveal exact unfollower changes.
FAQ
Can I download my Instagram following list?
Yes. Instagram lets you request a data export that includes Followers and following. Choose JSON if the format option appears.
Can I download someone else’s following list?
Not safely through an official export. The clean export workflow is for your own account data, not bulk public scraping of other accounts.
What can I do with the following list?
You can compare following against followers to find accounts that do not follow you back, or save snapshots over time for later audits.