Instagram Makes Stalkers Happy by Adding a 'Follows You' Feature

Instagram Makes Stalkers Happy by Adding a 'Follows You' Feature

Until a few months ago, you could know who was following you, or not, as well as tons of other useful information on your following base for all stalkers and communication gurus out there by simply using apps such as InsTrack. However, as Instagram is trying to have third-party apps comply with their rules, such apps are slowly disappearing or being reduced to more basic specs. Instead of leaving those tools alone, the photo-sharing app is now bringing a feature of their own called "Follows you" that let you know if someone is indeed following you or not. 

The new "Follows you" feature is currently only available to Android users. But it seems like iOS devices owners should be able to catch up with the very next update. Until then, only some Instagram users will be able to know who follow them or not. The info is shown by just accessing someone’s profile and looking under their bio where you can already see the "Followed by" feature on some profiles.

Obviously, this doesn’t change much as people were already able to get this information by accessing the following section and type in someone’s profile. The difference it makes is that people will have access to this information much more directly when browsing one’s profile. It may entice more users to unfollow others if they see that they aren’t followed back though.

For now, it’s unclear if the new feature will translate into tons of unfollowing in the next couple of weeks or if it’s only a way for Instagram to calm down stalkers since they brought down InsTrack and similar apps. Only the future will tell what this new feature will change… or not.

What do you think? Will it change anything in your everyday use of Instagram? Would you be more prone to unfollow someone if you saw they weren't following you back? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

[via HelloGiggles]

Quentin Decaillet's picture

Quentin Décaillet is a photographer and retoucher based in Switzerland specializing in portrait and wedding photography.

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8 Comments

Creepy....

Finally. Twitter has had this forever.

What do you find interesting about this feature? Have you used it on Twitter for specific applications?

Pretty much what Jeff Walsh says below. A problem with Instagram is the technique of following a large amount of accounts so you get a large amount of follow-backs, then one week later (or whatever) you unfollow those people because you were never interested in their content anyways, only your follow count. Seeing if someone follows you (still) will help remedy this I'd say.

For Twitter someone has to follow you in order for you to DM them, unless you open your DMs, don't know if that's the case on Instagram as I don't Instagram all that often. In terms of how I've used this feature on Twitter is pretty much stated above, see if people follow me then unfollow me.

This is handy when it comes to certain accounts that will follow you, comment a couple times in order to get a follow back, then bounce out of following to build their followers.

Can't you do this quite more efficient and since always if you just get on your profile page and click on "followers"?!
You get a handy list who is following you, whereas this article describes how you have to click on every person separately, from which you want to know.

simply don't follow people just because they follow you.