How to View the List of People You Have Requested to Follow on Instagram
Instagram, a platform built on visual storytelling and social connection, has become an integral part of our daily lives. From sharing personal moments to discovering new brands, the app facilitates a wide range of interactions. A core function of Instagram is following other users, allowing you to stay updated on their content. However, what happens when you send a follow request to a private account, and you’re left wondering if it was accepted or still pending? Instagram doesn’t prominently display a list of your pending follow requests, but it *does* exist. This article will provide detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to access this list, giving you insight into your follow request activity.
Why Would You Need to See Your Pending Follow Requests?
Before we dive into the how-to, let’s consider why you might want to view this list. There are several valid reasons:
* **Curiosity:** You might simply be curious about the status of follow requests you’ve sent.
* **Account Management:** You might want to revoke follow requests to accounts that haven’t accepted them in a while, especially if you no longer have an interest in their content.
* **Privacy Concerns:** You might have accidentally sent a follow request to someone you didn’t intend to follow, or you’ve changed your mind.
* **Troubleshooting:** If you’re experiencing issues with your Instagram feed or seeing content you don’t expect, reviewing pending follow requests can help you identify potential problems.
* **Audit:** It can be useful to audit your follower requests after a social media clean-up exercise.
Whatever your reason, Instagram provides a way to access this information, albeit somewhat hidden.
Accessing Your Pending Follow Requests: A Step-by-Step Guide
Instagram doesn’t offer a direct, easily accessible button or menu option to view your pending follow requests. Instead, you’ll need to use the ‘Download Your Information’ feature, which is designed to let you export a copy of your Instagram data. This includes posts, stories, comments, messages, and, importantly, the list of accounts you’ve requested to follow.
Here’s a detailed walkthrough:
**Step 1: Accessing the Settings Menu**
1. **Open the Instagram App:** Launch the Instagram app on your smartphone (iOS or Android). Ensure you are logged into the account you want to check.
2. **Go to Your Profile:** Tap on your profile picture in the bottom right corner of the screen. This will take you to your profile page.
3. **Open the Menu:** Look for the three horizontal lines (the “hamburger” menu) in the top right corner of your profile page. Tap on it to open the options menu.
4. **Go to Settings and Privacy:** In the menu that appears, tap on “Settings and privacy”.
**Step 2: Navigating to “Download Your Information”**
1. **Find “Account Center”:** In the “Settings and privacy” screen, scroll down until you find “Account Center”. Tap on it.
2. **Access “Your Information and Permissions”:** Within the Account Center, find and tap on “Your information and permissions”.
3. **Select “Download Your Information”:** On the “Your information and permissions” page, you will see several options. Choose “Download your information”.
**Step 3: Requesting Your Information**
1. **Choose Your Account:** If you have multiple Instagram accounts linked to your Account Center, select the account for which you want to download information.
2. **Select the Information Format:** You will be presented with two options:
* **Complete Copy:** This option allows you to download all of your Instagram data.
* **Select types of information:** This option allows you to choose specific categories of information to download, which is the recommended approach for viewing pending follow requests since it significantly reduces the download size and processing time.
3. **Choose “Select types of information”:** Tap on “Select types of information” to proceed.
4. **Select “Followers and Following”:** From the list of categories, tap on “Followers and following”.
5. **Choose “Following”**: Here, you’ll see options related to followers and following. Select the option that allows you to download information about accounts *you* are following or have requested to follow. It may be specifically labeled as “Pending Follow Requests” or something similar. If there isn’t a distinct “Pending Follow Requests” option, look for a broader option related to your follow requests, or you may need to download all “Following” information and filter it later. The wording may vary slightly depending on Instagram updates.
6. **Set the Date Range (If Applicable):** You might be given the option to specify a date range for the data you want to download. If you only want to see recent requests, you can narrow the date range. Otherwise, leave it as the default.
7. **Choose the Format and Media Quality:** You’ll be asked to choose the format of the downloaded file (HTML or JSON) and the media quality (if applicable). For viewing pending follow requests, either HTML or JSON will work. HTML is more human-readable, while JSON is better for programmatic processing. Medium quality is usually sufficient, as you’re primarily interested in text data.
8. **Submit Your Request:** After configuring the options, tap on “Submit request”. Instagram will then start preparing your data for download.
**Step 4: Waiting for Your Download**
1. **Check Your Email:** Instagram will send an email to the address associated with your account once the data is ready to download. The email subject will typically be something like “Your Instagram Information is Ready.” The processing time can vary depending on the amount of data you’re requesting. It could take a few minutes to several hours.
2. **Be Patient:** Avoid repeatedly requesting the same information, as this can slow down the process. Just wait for the email notification.
**Step 5: Downloading and Accessing the Information**
1. **Open the Email:** Once you receive the email, open it and look for the download link or button. It will typically say something like “Download Information” or “Download Your Data.”
2. **Download the File:** Click the download link. You may be prompted to log in to your Instagram account again for security reasons.
3. **Extract the File:** The downloaded file will likely be a ZIP archive. Extract the contents of the ZIP file to a folder on your computer or smartphone.
**Step 6: Finding the Pending Follow Requests List**
This is where the process can get a bit tricky, as the exact file name and structure may vary. However, the following steps should help you locate the information:
1. **Locate the ‘Followers_and_Following’ Folder:** Look for a folder within the extracted files with a name like “followers_and_following” or similar. The exact name may differ, but it will generally be related to followers and following.
2. **Look for a File Related to ‘Pending Follow Requests’ or ‘Follow Requests Sent’:** Inside the “followers_and_following” folder, look for a file that specifically mentions “pending follow requests,” “follow requests sent,” or something similar. The file name might be `pending_follow_requests.html`, `follow_requests_sent.json`, or something along those lines.
3. **If a Specific File Doesn’t Exist:** If you don’t find a file specifically labeled for pending requests, you may need to look in a more general file related to your following list. This file might be named `following.html` or `following.json`.
**Step 7: Viewing the List**
The method for viewing the list depends on the file format:
* **HTML File:** If the file is in HTML format (e.g., `pending_follow_requests.html`), simply double-click it to open it in your web browser. The browser will display the list of accounts you’ve requested to follow.
* **JSON File:** If the file is in JSON format (e.g., `pending_follow_requests.json`), you’ll need a text editor or a JSON viewer to open and read it. A text editor like Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac) will work, but a JSON viewer will format the data in a more readable way. You can also use online JSON viewer tools. Look for a section in the JSON file that contains a list of usernames or account IDs representing the pending follow requests.
**Step 8: Taking Action (Optional)**
Once you have the list of pending follow requests, you can decide what to do with it.
* **Revoking a Follow Request:** If you want to cancel a follow request, go back to the Instagram app, search for the user, and tap the “Requested” button. This will cancel your follow request.
* **Leaving the Requests Pending:** You can also choose to leave the requests pending if you’re still interested in following those accounts.
Important Considerations and Troubleshooting
* **Data Privacy:** Be mindful of the information you’re downloading. While it’s your own data, treat it with care and avoid sharing it with unauthorized individuals.
* **Instagram Updates:** Instagram’s interface and data structure can change over time. The exact steps and file names described above might vary slightly depending on the version of the app and any recent updates.
* **No Pending Requests:** If the file you download is empty or doesn’t contain any pending follow requests, it simply means that you don’t have any outstanding requests at the moment.
* **Large Datasets:** If you’ve been using Instagram for a long time, the downloaded file might be quite large. Be patient when downloading and extracting the data.
* **Third-Party Tools:** While there are third-party apps and websites that claim to show your pending follow requests, be cautious about using them. Many of these tools are unreliable or could compromise your account security. It’s always best to use the official Instagram method described above.
* **Regular Review:** It’s a good practice to periodically review your pending follow requests and cancel any that are no longer relevant. This helps keep your Instagram experience clean and focused.
Alternative Methods (Limited Effectiveness)
While the “Download Your Information” method is the most reliable way to view your pending follow requests, there are a couple of other approaches you can try, although their effectiveness is limited:
* **Manually Checking Profiles:** You can manually search for the profiles you suspect you might have requested to follow. If the button on their profile says “Requested,” it means you’ve sent them a follow request. This is a tedious process, especially if you’ve sent many requests.
* **Reviewing Activity Log (Limited):** In some cases, Instagram’s activity log might show recent follow requests. However, this log is not comprehensive and may not include all requests, especially older ones.
Conclusion
While Instagram doesn’t make it obvious how to view your pending follow requests, the “Download Your Information” feature provides a reliable way to access this data. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can gain insights into your follow request activity, manage your account effectively, and maintain a clean and relevant Instagram experience. Remember to be patient, protect your data, and adapt to any changes in Instagram’s interface. Regularly reviewing your pending follow requests can help you stay in control of your social connections and ensure that you’re only following accounts that you’re genuinely interested in. Happy Instagramming!