Curiosity is a funny thing. You’re scrolling through a profile, maybe an ex-partner’s or a competitor’s, and you find yourself wondering: "Who did they follow most recently?" It feels like a small piece of digital detective work. For years, the last follow on Instagram was easy to spot because the app basically laid it out on a silver platter. You’d click that "Following" list, and there they were—the newest accounts right at the top. But then, things got weird.
Instagram changed the rules. If you’ve noticed that the list looks different every time you refresh it, you aren't crazy. The platform moved away from a simple chronological order for public viewing, leaving a lot of people frustrated and searching for workarounds that honestly mostly don't work anymore.
The Reality of the Instagram Last Follow Order
Let's get the technical stuff out of the way first. When you look at your own following list, you have control. You can sort by "Earliest" or "Latest." It’s a toggle. Easy. But the second you try to look at someone else’s list? That toggle vanishes. You’re stuck with whatever "Default" order Instagram decides to show you.
Most of the time, that default isn't chronological. It’s algorithmic.
Instagram’s engineers, including Adam Mosseri who often discusses these pivots on his own Reels, have shifted the focus toward "meaningful interactions." This means the list you see when looking at a third party is usually ranked by mutual followers, frequency of interaction, or accounts that Instagram thinks you personally would find relevant. It’s no longer a timeline of their social activity.
Why You Can’t Trust Those Third-Party "Trackers"
You've probably seen the ads. Websites promising to show you the exact last follow on Instagram for any public account if you just "enter their username here."
Don't do it.
Honestly, most of these sites are either phishing scams or they’re scraping data in a way that violates Instagram's Terms of Service. Ever since the Cambridge Analytica scandal and subsequent API lockdowns, Meta has been incredibly protective of user data. In 2026, the walls are higher than ever. These "trackers" often ask for your own login credentials to "verify" you, which is a massive red flag. You're basically handing over your account to a stranger just to see if a celebrity followed a new brand. It isn't worth it.
There are some legitimate social listening tools like Sprout Social or Hootsuite used by businesses, but even those are limited. They track aggregate growth and major shifts, not the specific "second-by-second" following habits of individual users.
The "Snoop" Era vs. Modern Privacy
There was a time—back in 2019—when Instagram had a "Following" tab in your activity feed. You could see exactly what your friends were liking and who they were following in real-time. It was chaos. People lost friendships over accidental likes. Instagram eventually nuked the feature, citing privacy concerns.
Since that move, the platform has doubled down on hiding user behavior. The disappearance of the chronological last follow on Instagram for public viewing is just an extension of that philosophy. They want users to feel "safe" browsing without feeling like every click is being monitored by their social circle.
Does the Web Version Work Differently?
A common "hack" people talk about is using the desktop browser version of Instagram. The theory was that the web code hadn't been updated as quickly as the app, so the list stayed chronological there.
That was true for a while. Not anymore.
Instagram has synchronized its web and mobile architectures. Whether you’re on Chrome or the app, the "Default" sorting algorithm remains dominant. Occasionally, you might see a list that looks chronological, but it's usually just a coincidence of the algorithm prioritizing new accounts that also happen to be high-engagement profiles.
How to Actually Monitor Following Trends (The Manual Way)
If you're a brand manager or just someone who really needs to know about a specific profile's growth, you have to go old school. There is no "magic button."
- Manual Snapshots: Take a screenshot of the following count. If it goes from 500 to 501, you know a new account was added.
- Mutual Follower Check: Check the "Mutuals" section. Often, new follows appear here first if you share a social circle.
- Check the Following List (Bottom to Top): Sometimes, in very specific cached versions of the app, the newest follows appear at the very bottom, though this is rare and inconsistent.
It’s tedious. It’s slow. But it’s the only way that doesn't involve compromising your digital security.
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The Algorithmic "Sorting" Factors
When you look at someone's following list today, what determines the order? It’s a mix of variables.
- Mutual Connections: If you and the target person both follow "User X," User X will likely appear at the top of the list when you view it.
- Engagement Levels: Accounts that the person interacts with most—likes, comments, DMs—tend to bubble up.
- Verified Status: High-profile, blue-check accounts are often pushed to the top of the list because the algorithm deems them more "important."
- Recent Activity: While not a strict chronological list, sometimes very recent follows will appear near the top simply because the engagement level with a new follow is temporarily high.
Actionable Next Steps for Tracking and Privacy
If you are trying to manage your own brand or just understand the last follow on Instagram mechanics better, focus on these steps:
Audit Your Own List: Go to your profile, click Following, and use the "Sort by Latest" feature to see your own history. This is the only 100% accurate chronological list you will ever see. It's a great way to unfollow accounts that no longer serve your interests.
Ignore "Follower Export" Extensions: Many Chrome extensions claim to export a list of followers in chronological order. Most of these are detected by Instagram's "automated behavior" sensors. Using them can result in a "shadowban" or a temporary lockout of your account. Use them at your own risk.
Focus on Content, Not Lists: If you're a business trying to see who your competitors are following to find new leads, look at their "Tagged" photos instead. People who tag a brand are often more valuable leads than someone the brand just followed back.
Respect the Privacy Shift: Understand that Instagram is moving toward a more private experience. If you can't see a chronological list, it's by design. Instead of trying to break the system, use the "Suggested for You" feature on a competitor's profile; it often reveals more about their niche than their latest follow does.
Stop looking for a "hack" that doesn't exist. The algorithm is the gatekeeper now. If you need to track someone's digital footprint for professional reasons, stick to verified social listening tools and avoid any site that asks for your password. Privacy is the new standard, and the chronological list is a relic of an older, less filtered internet.