Published by the Zolyp team ·
How do you remove one follower?
Instagram's page describes this for accounts set to private. On any account, you can block someone to stop them following you; people aren't notified when you block them.
- Go to your profile.
- Tap Followers at the top.
- Tap X next to the follower.
- Tap Remove to confirm.
Source: Instagram Help Centre: Remove a follower on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026
How do you remove flagged followers?
Instagram may flag accounts that are potentially spam, bots or irrelevant. Removed accounts leave your follower count and list, and aren't told. Instagram says this is automatically available to public accounts, but may not be available to you yet.
- Go to your profile and tap Followers.
- If Instagram has flagged any, tap the Flagged for review notification.
- Tap Remove all, or tap Remove next to individual accounts.
- If an account isn't spam, tap Options next to it, then Not spam or irrelevant.
- Tap Remove to confirm.
Source: Instagram Help Centre: Manage unwanted followers on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026
How do you remove potential spam followers?
Accounts that are likely to be spam can't follow you without your confirmation. Instagram won't tell them they've been removed.
- Go to your profile.
- Tap your follower list, then Potential spam.
- Tap Confirm to approve an account or Delete to deny it.
- To clear the list, tap Remove all spam followers, then Remove.
Source: Instagram Help Centre: How to remove spam or bot followers on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026
How do you review follows from flagged accounts?
Even on a public account, follows from flagged accounts arrive as requests. Instagram declines them automatically if you don't approve them within 30 days.
- Go to your profile and tap Followers.
- Open the Flagged folder.
- Tap Delete all requests, or delete or confirm each account.
Source: Instagram Help Centre: Manage unwanted followers on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026
How do you turn the spam filter on or off?
Instagram's two pages give different paths, probably because the feature is still rolling out:
- Menu, then Follow and invite friends, then turn Flag for review on or off
- Menu, then Settings and privacy, then Followers, then the Filter spam followers toggle
Sources: Instagram Help Centre: Manage unwanted followers on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026; Instagram Help Centre: How to remove spam or bot followers on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026
Why can't you remove a follower?
Our advice: clear bot followers before you judge your engagement rate, because they inflate the follower count without engaging.
- There's no X next to their name. Instagram documents single removal for private accounts; block them instead, or use the spam tools
- No Flagged for review notice. Instagram hasn't flagged anyone, or the feature isn't available to you yet
- Follow requests are limited. Switching between public and private too often can bring a temporary limit
- They followed again. Block the account; if they have several accounts, you may need to block each one
Sources: Instagram Help Centre: Remove a follower on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026; Instagram Help Centre: Manage unwanted followers on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026; Instagram Help Centre: Manage message requests on Instagram, checked 15 October 2026
Grow the followers you want
Disclosure: this is our product. Real followers come back for regular, useful posts. Zolyp plans, writes and designs your Instagram posts and publishes them once you approve. There's a 3-day free trial, no card required.
Common questions
Does Instagram tell someone when you remove them as a follower?
No. Instagram says people aren't notified when you remove them, and spam followers aren't told either.
Can you remove followers on a public Instagram account?
Instagram's single-removal steps are for private accounts. Public accounts can remove flagged and potential spam followers, or block someone.
How do I remove bot followers on Instagram?
Tap Followers, then Flagged for review or Potential spam, and tap Remove all.
What happens to flagged follow requests I ignore?
Instagram declines them automatically after 30 days.
Does removing followers lower my follower count?
Yes. Instagram says removed flagged followers come off both your follower count and your follower list.