How to See When Someone Started Following Someone on Instagram: A Comprehensive Guide

Instagram, with its ever-evolving interface and algorithms, often keeps certain pieces of information tucked away. One such piece of information is the exact date when someone started following another user. While Instagram doesn’t provide a direct, built-in feature to reveal this, there are several methods and workarounds you can employ to get a reasonable estimate. This comprehensive guide will walk you through each of these techniques, providing detailed steps and considerations.

## Why Would You Want to Know When Someone Started Following Another Person?

Before diving into the *how*, let’s briefly consider the *why*. There are various reasons why you might be curious about this information:

* **Relationship Tracking:** You might be interested in seeing when a romantic relationship blossomed or when a friendship solidified on social media.
* **Business Analysis:** Businesses might want to understand when competitors started following each other to gain insights into potential collaborations or market movements.
* **Social Research:** Researchers could use this information to study social network dynamics and patterns of influence.
* **Personal Curiosity:** Sometimes, it’s simply a matter of personal curiosity.

Regardless of your reason, understanding the available methods is key.

## Method 1: The Scroll-and-Search Technique (The Manual Approach)

This is the most basic and readily available method, but also the most time-consuming and potentially inaccurate. It involves manually scrolling through a user’s following list and looking for the person you’re interested in. The position of the profile in the list can offer a *very rough* estimate.

**Steps:**

1. **Open Instagram:** Launch the Instagram app on your smartphone or visit the Instagram website on your computer.
2. **Navigate to the Profile:** Go to the profile of the person whose following list you want to examine. You can do this by searching for their username in the search bar.
3. **Access the Following List:** Tap or click on the “Following” count located at the top of their profile. This will open a list of all the accounts they follow.
4. **Start Scrolling:** Begin scrolling down the list. Instagram typically orders the list with the most recent follows appearing towards the top. Keep in mind that Instagram’s algorithm can sometimes influence the order, so this isn’t always a perfect indicator.
5. **Look for the Target Profile:** As you scroll, keep an eye out for the profile of the person you’re interested in. The further down the list the profile appears, the longer it’s likely they’ve been followed.
6. **Contextual Clues:** Pay attention to other profiles around the target profile. Are there any accounts that you know were followed around a certain date? This can help you triangulate a more accurate estimate.

**Limitations:**

* **Time-Consuming:** If the person follows a large number of accounts, this method can take a very long time.
* **Inaccurate Ordering:** Instagram’s algorithm doesn’t always present the following list in chronological order. Factors like engagement and mutual connections can influence the ranking.
* **Impractical for Large Following Lists:** If the person follows thousands of accounts, this method becomes practically impossible.
* **No Exact Dates:** This method only provides a relative estimate, not a precise date.

## Method 2: Leveraging Mutual Follower Lists

This method relies on the assumption that if you and the person in question both follow the target individual, the position of the target individual in *your* following list might offer some insights. This is a slightly more refined version of the scroll-and-search, but still requires manual effort.

**Steps:**

1. **Identify a Mutual Follower:** Find an Instagram user that *you* follow and that *also* follows the person whose follow date you are trying to ascertain.
2. **Access Your Following List:** Go to your own Instagram profile and tap or click on “Following”.
3. **Find the Target Profile:** Scroll through your following list and locate the profile of the person whom the person you are investigating also follows.
4. **Note the Position:** Observe the position of this target profile within *your* following list. The logic here is that, if you have followed the target person for a known or easily estimated amount of time, and the person of interest follows them too, then, depending on where the target person appears in *your* following list, you can make an educated guess.
5. **Compare and Deduce:** Consider how long *you* have been following the target person. If the target person appears relatively high up on your following list, it suggests that the person you are investigating has likely been following them for a similar amount of time (or less). Conversely, if the target is near the bottom of *your* list, it means your follow is relatively recent, offering fewer clues about when the other person started following.

**Limitations:**

* **Dependence on Mutual Followers:** This method only works if you have a mutual follower with the person you’re investigating and the target individual.
* **Indirect Inference:** You’re still relying on indirect inference and position within a list, which are not always reliable.
* **No Precise Dates:** Again, no precise follow dates are revealed.
* **Potentially Time-Consuming:** Still involves manual scrolling.

## Method 3: Checking Older Posts and Interactions (The Content-Based Approach)

This method involves examining the older posts of the person being followed and looking for interactions (likes, comments, tags) from the person you’re investigating. The presence of such interactions can indicate that they were following each other at that time.

**Steps:**

1. **Go to the Target Profile:** Navigate to the profile of the person who is being followed.
2. **Scroll Through Their Feed:** Start scrolling down their feed, going back in time. The further back you go, the more likely you are to find older posts.
3. **Look for Interactions:** As you scroll, look for likes, comments, or tags from the person you’re interested in. Pay close attention to the dates of these interactions.
4. **Analyze the Interactions:**
* **Likes:** A like suggests they were following each other at the time the post was made.
* **Comments:** Comments provide stronger evidence, as they require more deliberate action.
* **Tags:** If the person you’re investigating is tagged in an older post, it’s a strong indication that they were connected at that time.
5. **Establish a Timeline:** By analyzing the dates of these interactions, you can establish a timeline of when they were likely following each other. The earliest interaction provides a potential starting point.

**Example:**

Let’s say you’re trying to figure out when Alice started following Bob. You go to Bob’s profile and scroll down his feed. You find a photo from January 1, 2023, that Alice liked. This suggests that Alice was likely following Bob on or before January 1, 2023. If you find a comment from Alice on a post from December 15, 2022, that’s even stronger evidence that they were following each other around that time.

**Limitations:**

* **Requires Active Interaction:** This method only works if the person you’re investigating has actively interacted with the target’s posts. If they’re a silent follower, you won’t find any evidence.
* **Limited by Post Frequency:** If the target person doesn’t post frequently, it can be difficult to establish a precise timeline.
* **Time-Consuming:** Scrolling through a large feed can be time-consuming.
* **Privacy Settings:** If the target person has restricted who can see their posts, you might not be able to see the interactions.
* **Deleted Comments/Posts:** Interactions may have been deleted, skewing the results.

## Method 4: Using Third-Party Instagram Analytics Tools (Use with Caution!)

Several third-party Instagram analytics tools claim to provide insights into follower data, including when someone started following another person. However, it’s crucial to exercise extreme caution when using these tools, as they often violate Instagram’s terms of service and can compromise your account security.

**Risks of Using Third-Party Tools:**

* **Violation of Instagram’s Terms of Service:** Using unauthorized third-party tools can lead to your account being suspended or banned.
* **Security Risks:** These tools often require you to grant them access to your Instagram account, which can expose your personal information and login credentials to potential security threats.
* **Inaccurate Data:** The data provided by these tools may not be accurate or reliable.
* **Phishing and Malware:** Some tools may be disguised as legitimate services but are actually designed to steal your information or install malware on your device.

**If You Choose to Use a Third-Party Tool (Despite the Risks):**

1. **Research the Tool Thoroughly:** Before using any tool, research it carefully. Read reviews, check its reputation, and make sure it’s from a reputable source.
2. **Understand the Risks:** Be fully aware of the potential risks involved before granting the tool access to your account.
3. **Use a Strong, Unique Password:** Use a strong, unique password for your Instagram account to minimize the risk of unauthorized access.
4. **Enable Two-Factor Authentication:** Enable two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your account.
5. **Grant Limited Permissions:** Only grant the tool the minimum permissions it needs to function.
6. **Monitor Your Account Activity:** Keep a close eye on your account activity for any signs of suspicious behavior.
7. **Revoke Access After Use:** After you’ve finished using the tool, revoke its access to your account.

**Examples of Third-Party Tools (Use at Your Own Risk):**

* **Social Blade:** While primarily known for tracking follower counts and engagement rates, Social Blade *might* offer some insights into historical data, depending on the account’s settings and the tool’s capabilities. However, it’s unlikely to provide precise follow dates.
* **Iconosquare:** Iconosquare is a more comprehensive social media analytics platform that *could* potentially offer data related to follower activity, but again, precise follow dates are unlikely.
* **Other Instagram Analytics Tools:** Numerous other tools are available, but their reliability and safety vary greatly. Always exercise extreme caution when using any third-party tool.

**Disclaimer:** We do not endorse or recommend the use of third-party Instagram analytics tools due to the inherent risks involved. Use them at your own discretion and be fully aware of the potential consequences.

## Method 5: Looking at Older Direct Messages (DMs)

If the two individuals have exchanged Direct Messages (DMs) on Instagram, you can examine the dates of those messages to get an idea of when they might have started following each other. This method assumes that people are more likely to DM each other if they are already following each other.

**Steps:**

1. **Access the Direct Messages:** Open your Instagram app and navigate to your Direct Messages inbox.
2. **Search for the Conversation:** Look for the conversation between the two individuals you are interested in. You might need to ask one of them to check their DMs if you do not have access.
3. **Scroll Through the Conversation:** Start scrolling up through the conversation to view older messages.
4. **Note the Dates:** Pay attention to the dates of the messages. The date of the earliest message can give you a rough estimate of when they might have started following each other.

**Limitations:**

* **Requires DM History:** This method only works if the two individuals have exchanged DMs on Instagram.
* **No Guarantee of Following:** Just because they exchanged DMs doesn’t necessarily mean they were following each other at the time. They could have messaged each other without being followers.
* **Limited Information:** This method only provides a rough estimate, not a precise follow date.
* **Privacy Concerns:** Accessing someone else’s DMs without their permission is a violation of privacy.

## Method 6: Using Instagram API (For Developers)

If you have programming knowledge, you can potentially use the Instagram API (Application Programming Interface) to access more detailed data about follower relationships. However, the Instagram API has strict limitations and requires developer access.

**Challenges of Using the Instagram API:**

* **Requires Developer Account:** You need to have a registered Instagram developer account to access the API.
* **Rate Limiting:** The Instagram API has strict rate limits, which means you can only make a limited number of requests per hour. This can make it difficult to retrieve data for a large number of users.
* **Data Restrictions:** The Instagram API has restrictions on the type of data you can access. It may not provide precise follow dates.
* **Technical Expertise:** Using the API requires programming knowledge and technical expertise.
* **Compliance with Terms of Service:** You must comply with Instagram’s terms of service when using the API.

**General Steps (If you have the necessary expertise):**

1. **Register as an Instagram Developer:** Go to the Instagram Developer website and register for a developer account.
2. **Create an App:** Create an app within your developer account to obtain API credentials.
3. **Use API Endpoints:** Use the appropriate API endpoints to retrieve follower data. You’ll need to consult the Instagram API documentation for details.
4. **Process the Data:** Process the data returned by the API to extract the information you need.

**Disclaimer:** Using the Instagram API is a complex process that requires technical expertise. This method is not suitable for the average user.

## Important Considerations and Ethical Implications

Before attempting to find out when someone started following another person on Instagram, it’s important to consider the ethical implications of your actions.

* **Privacy:** Respect people’s privacy. Accessing someone’s personal information without their consent is a violation of their privacy.
* **Legality:** Be aware of the legal implications of your actions. In some jurisdictions, it may be illegal to access someone’s social media data without their permission.
* **Trust:** Consider the impact of your actions on your relationships with others. Snooping on someone’s social media activity can damage trust and create conflict.

## Conclusion

While Instagram doesn’t offer a direct way to see when someone started following another person, the methods described above can provide you with some insights. Remember to use these methods responsibly and ethically, and be aware of the limitations and risks involved. The manual scroll and content-based approaches are the safest and most readily available, while third-party tools and the API should be used with extreme caution due to potential security and privacy risks. Ultimately, the most reliable approach is often to simply ask the people involved, respecting their right to privacy if they choose not to share the information.