Understanding Instagram Follow Requests and Unfollow Actions

Hello and thank you for reaching out. Instagram's follow system can sometimes be confusing, especially when you request to follow someone and then decide to undo the request. This article will clarify what happens in these situations, ensuring that there's no confusion and all users are informed about the follow and unfollow process.

What Happens When You Request to Follow Someone on Instagram and Then Undo it Before They Accept?

When you request to follow someone on Instagram and then undo it before they respond, the person you requested to follow will still receive a notification that you have requested a follow. However, if the person does not see this notification, they won’t be able to accept it. As a result, your account will not show up in their list of follow requests, and they won’t be able to accept the request.

Consequently, you won't be able to see their posts since the follow process hasn't been fully completed. Both parties should be aware that if you choose to undo the follow request before the other person sees the notification, the follow request will be gone, and no further actions will be taken by the receiving user.

Follow Notification and Unfollow Actions

If someone follows you on Instagram, you will be notified, and if you proceed to unfollow the person, no further notifications will be sent to the account you unfollowed. Below are the scenarios broken down:

Scenarios When Follow Notifies Are Seen:

When you follow someone, they receive a notification that they have a new follower. When you unfollow someone, they will not receive any notification that you have unfollowed them. They will still see the notification on their phone if they’ve recently checked for new notifications outside of the app, but the app itself won’t display any changes related to your unfollow action.

What Happens If You Unfollow Someone Before They Accept the Request?

In the case of a private account, if you request to follow a user and then undo the request (acting as if you’re unfollowing), you will effectively remove that follow request. This means that the user's follow request list will not show your account, and they won’t be able to accept it. As a result, if the user looks at their follow requests, they won’t see your account listed.

Generic Account Behavior

For a non-private account, if the user has not yet seen the follow notification, they may still see a notification on their phone notification bar, but not within the app itself. Once the user sees the notification, they will see that you are no longer their follower and can remove you accordingly.

Conclusion: Instagram’s follow and unfollow actions are designed to provide clarity on both ends. It's important to communicate clearly and manage expectations. If you have any further questions or need additional clarification, feel free to reach out!