Did you accidentally unfollow someone on Instagram then follow them again?
Maybe you did it really fast, but does the person still get a notification?
This mistake can be really awkward at times because the person might think that you’re stalking them.
But don’t worry, this mistake is really common and it happens all the time on Instagram, so you’re not alone.
In this article, I will answer both of these questions, and more.
Let’s get right into it.
If You Unfollow Someone on Instagram Then Follow Them Again, Do They Get a Notification?
The answer is yes — if you unfollow someone on Instagram then follow them again, the person will get a follow notification.
Unfollowing then following someone on Instagram will result to a follow notification.
If you unfollowed someone by accident and then followed them again, the person will get a follow notification.
This means that the person will get an “x started following you” notification on their activity page.
To prove this theory, I tested it using an alternate account.
I used an alternate account to unfollow then follow my main account again.
The main account got a follow notification from my alternate account, which proves the theory.
This mistake can be cringeworthy, especially if you did it to someone that you know.
They might be thinking, “Didn’t he/she already followed me?”.
Unfortunately, you’re going to have to live with the fact that someone knows you’ve been stalking them.
Regardless, it’s a small mistake and the person might even miss the notification or forget it afterwards.
What happens if you unfollow then follow really fast?
So what happens if you unfollow then follow someone really fast (in a second), will they still get a notification?
Unfortunately, the person will still get a follow notification from you even if you unfollow then follow them quickly.
If you unfollow then follow someone really fast, they will still get a notification.
The speed of which you unfollowed then followed does not matter.
Either way, the user is still going to get a follow notification each time you follow them.
How about the other way around (following then immediately unfollowing)?
What happens if you go about it the other way around? Following, then immediately unfollowing someone.
Will the person still get a follow notification?
This time, the answer is no — the person will not get a follow notification if you follow then unfollow them right after.
If you follow then immediately unfollow someone, the follow notification will not be shown to the person.
I’ve tested this theory using an alternate account once more.
Using an alternate account, I followed then quickly unfollowed my main account.
The main account received a follow notification for a split second.
Afterwards, the notification was removed right after I unfollowed it using the alternate account.
So, the next time you accidentally followed someone, unfollowing them right after will remove the follow notification from them completely.
Myths about the following notification
There are lots of misconceptions about the following notification.
Find out the truths about the following notification and what’s false in this section.
Myth 1: If you unfollowed then followed someone, they will not receive a notification.
If you unfollowed then followed someone, they will receive a notification.
Each time you follow someone, they will receive a notification that you have followed them on their activity.
Hence, the person will know that you’ve accidentally unfollowed them (if both parties are previously mutual followers).
Myth 2: If you unfollowed then followed someone really fast, they will not receive a notification.
Even if you unfollow then follow someone in a split second (e.g. tapping unfollow then follow right after), the person will still receive a notification that you have followed them.
So the speed in which you unfollow/follow someone does not matter.
This myth is tested using a main and an alternate account and it is proven to be untrue.
Myth 3: If you follow then unfollow someone right after, they will still receive a notification.
Following then unfollowing someone right after will not send a notification to them.
This is because by unfollowing someone, you are no longer in their list of followers.
Once you unfollow them, the notification will be removed.
However, the notification will still be shown for the period of time that you remain followed.
So if the person is online, the notification will be shown to them for a second or more depending on the speed in which you unfollowed.
How to prevent unfollowing someone on accident
The most common way you can unfollow someone on accident is by scrolling through your followers/following list.
This is because the following button is directly on the screen.
There will be no warning pop-up if you’re unfollowing someone from your followers/following list.
No warning pop-up will be shown if you unfollow someone through your followers/following list; unless their account is a private one.
On the other hand, if you visit their profile, tapping on the following button will open more options (e.g. add to close friends list, notifications, mute).
To avoid unfollowing someone on accident, make sure to scroll on the left side of your screen whenever you’re browsing your followers/following list.
Further reading (related articles)
> Hot ? How to Unfollow People On Instagram Fast
> How to Unfollow Users on Instagram Who Don’t Follow You Back
> Couldn’t Load Users on Instagram (How to Fix)
Conclusion
Unfollowing someone by accident is a common mistake on Instagram.
It can be quite awkward especially if you make the mistake on someone that you know.
Unfortunately, the person will receive a notification no matter the speed of your unfollow/follow action.
So, the next time you’re browsing your followers/following list, make sure to scroll on the left side of your screen.
This prevents you from unfollowing someone on accident.
P.S. If you liked this article, feel free to join our follow for follow community for Instagram: https://www.followchain.org — it’s free!
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Author: Lim How Wei. Lim How Wei is the founder of Followchain, a community that simplifies growth and networking for Instagram users. Feel free to follow him on Instagram.
