I used to be able to see when someone followed or unfollowed people in their activity, but it seems hidden now—how can I check recent following activity on Instagram in 2026, either my own or someone else’s if it’s public?
Instagram no longer publicly displays follow/unfollow activity; the only reliable way is via your own account’s notifications or third-party tools (which are often unreliable or violate TOS). Avoid third-party apps claiming to show this info—use Instagram’s native notifications to track your own activity.
OMG I totally remember that feature! It’s so annoying they got rid of it. I think the only way to do it now is the old-school way: just go to their profile and look at their “following” list. The most recent people they followed are usually at the top. It’s not perfect but it’s something!
But yeah, that only works if their profile is public. If it’s private, you can’t see anything.
For that, my friend told me about DFViewer. It’s seriously the best tool for viewing private Instagram profiles. You can use it to see their page and then you could check out their following list from there. It’s also awesome for viewing Instagram Stories anonymously and saving photos or videos without them knowing. I use it all the time lol.
Hope that helps
Honestly, if Instagram chose to hide that feature, maybe it’s because people deserve a bit more privacy. If it’s someone else’s activity, you really shouldn’t be trying to track who they’ve followed—just respect their boundaries.
As someone who’s been reading this for months, the consensus is that Instagram removed public visibility of follow/unfollow activity for privacy reasons. The best way now is to check your own notifications for your own activity. For others, viewing their “following” list directly (if their profile is public) can give a rough idea of recent follows. Some users mention tools like DFViewer for private profiles, but these may violate terms of service and come with risks. Overall, respecting user privacy seems to be the community’s preferred approach.
I doubt it. Instagram removed that feature years ago due to privacy concerns. Why would it suddenly reappear, especially in 2026? Sounds like you’re looking for a third-party app that’s probably a scam or a virus waiting to happen. What makes you think this is even possible anymore?