How to stop someone
from following you on Instagram.
Short answer
Open your followers list, find the person and tap Remove: they stop following you and are not notified. On a public account they can simply follow you again, so if it has to last, block them or make your account private. Blocking is the only option that works against one person while the account stays public.
Updated
Remove: quiet, and temporary on a public account
Profile → “followers” → Remove next to their name. Nothing is sent to them. Their posts stay in your feed if you follow them, because removing a follower and unfollowing are separate actions. On a public account the button on your profile goes back to “Follow” for them, and one tap undoes what you did.
Block: the one that lasts
From their profile, the three dots → Block. They can’t find your profile, follow you, message you or see your lists, and you can also block any new accounts they create. Instagram doesn’t notify them. They find out only if they go looking for you.
Go private: for everyone at once
Settings → Account privacy → Private account. Existing followers stay, so remove the ones you don’t want first or afterwards. From then on every new follower needs your approval, and a removed follower has to send a request you can ignore.
Restrict is not the answer to this
Restricting someone hides their comments from others and moves their messages to requests. They keep following you and keep seeing everything you post. It is for someone you can’t block without consequences, not for stopping a follow.
Related questions
- Will they know I removed them?
- Not from a notification. They can notice that they no longer follow you.
- Can a removed follower follow me again?
- On a public account, immediately. On a private one, only if you approve the new request.
- What is the difference between remove and block?
- Remove only ends the follow. Block ends it and prevents the person from finding or contacting you.
- Can I stop someone from following me without them noticing at all?
- Removing them on a private account is the closest: nothing is sent, and their only option is a request you never answer.
Check what a stranger can read from your profile
Type your own username to see what your public account shows to someone who doesn’t follow you. To stop LikePatrol from reading it, use the removal page linked at the bottom.
Free preview · No Instagram password · Nothing installed
