Sometimes it feels like Instagram used to make our lives easier by showing recent followers and followings in a straightforward, chronological order. Now, in 2025, that feature is almost gone for most users, leaving us to scramble through endless lists, trying to spot new activity. This can be super frustrating if you’re doing anything like monitoring a competitor, tracking influencer growth, or just keeping tabs on a friend’s latest moves. Luckily, there are still a few tricks up the sleeve that can help you get a decent idea of recent followers without wasting hours.
One of the easiest ways is to check out web-based Instagram follower trackers. They’re usually pretty simple — just pop in the username, and they give you recent followers or followings. The best part? Most of them don’t even require you to log into your own account, which is a plus if you’re worried about privacy or account locks. But beware: some sites can be sketchy, so sticking with trusted names is key. Be prepared for some variation in the data, since they rely on Instagram’s public info and algorithms, so it’s not perfect, but it’s often good enough for quick insights.
How to Fix or Find Recent Instagram Followers
Using Online Instagram Recent Follower Trackers
This method helps because it taps into publicly available data without risking your account security. When you notice someone’s recent followers are hard to tell apart because the usual chronological option disappeared, online trackers can still give a snapshot — at least a rough one. It’s handy for quick checks, especially for public profiles where the data isn’t hidden behind privacy settings.
Step-by-step:
- Pick one of those sites — check reviews, maybe avoid shady-looking ones.
- Navigate to the site and find the search bar.
- Type in the username — double-check you got the spelling right because these tools are picky.
- Hit go or search, then wait a few moments — most will process pretty quickly.
- Browse their recent followers or followings. Some give options to export data, which can be handy if you wanna see trends over time.
Using Chrome Extensions for Exporting Followers
If you’re really into hacking this stuff on your desktop, Chrome extensions can pull out followers and sort them, so you don’t have to do it manually. They often let you export CSV files that you can open in Excel or Google Sheets. Be aware though, many extensions ask for access to your Instagram data — so, only install trusted ones and check reviews.
How to use:
- Install from the Chrome Web Store — pick a well-rated extension.
- Pin it to your toolbar.
- Go to Instagram in desktop mode (right-click > Inspect or just switch to the mobile version in Chrome developer tools).
- Navigate to the target profile, then run the extension — input the username, choose followers or followings, and hit export.
- Open your CSV — entries are usually sorted from most recent to oldest, though that can vary.
Manual Checking Through Instagram Website
Hanging around the native platform still works, but it’s kinda hit or miss now. If the account isn’t private, you can see recent followers by clicking the Followers button on the profile, but beware — the order isn’t reliable anymore. Sometimes they’re in chronological order, other times it’s random, and on mobile, Instagram tends to hide the actual order altogether.
It’s best for quick checks, especially for your own account where you get real-time notifications for new followers. For others, especially with big profiles, it’s slow and not really precise.
Third-party Apps and Other Tricks
Some apps like Snoopreport, FollowMeter, and Followflow.app promise to track recent activity. They usually ask for your Instagram login — which kind of defeats the point of privacy, honestly — so use those with caution. Not every app is trustworthy, and sharing your credentials can be risky, especially if you’re not 100% sure about the app’s credibility.
Another sneaky tactic is creating secondary “spy” accounts to monitor certain profiles. Yeah, it’s extra work, and Instagram might flag that if you go overboard, but sometimes it’s the only way to keep tabs without relying on shady third-party services.
Wrap-up
Even though Instagram got rid of the neat chronological follower list, there are still ways to peek at recent followers, especially if the account is public. Web trackers are quick, Chrome extensions for exporting data are handy, and manual checks work in a pinch. Just remember: privacy and security should come first. No method is flawless, but these options can save you a lot of time compared to endless scrolling.