InstagramUnfollowers: A Browser Console Tool to Find Non-Followers

What It Does and Why It Is Browser-Based

Instagram does not provide a public API endpoint that returns a user's full following and follower lists in a single call. InstagramUnfollowers solves this by running as a script inside the browser session where you are already logged in to instagram.com. The script accesses Instagram's internal data endpoints using your existing session cookies, retrieves the following and followers data, and computes the difference. Because it runs inside the browser rather than on an external server, no credentials leave your machine and no OAuth connection to a third-party service is required. The README states that all data is stored locally in your browser's localStorage. This architecture also means the tool cannot be used without being physically present in a logged-in browser session on Instagram; there is no command-line mode or server-side scheduled scan.

Step-by-Step: Running the Script on Desktop

The README describes the full desktop workflow. Navigate to davidarroyo1234.github.io/InstagramUnfollowers/ and click the COPY button to copy the script. Then open instagram.com in the same browser and log in to your account. Open the developer console: on Windows, Ctrl + Shift + J; on Mac, Cmd + Option + I. Paste the copied code into the console and press Enter. The interface appears inside the page. Click RUN to start the scan. The README notes that accounts will not appear immediately due to Instagram API requirements: the tool first retrieves following and followers data to accurately identify who does not follow back, and all accounts appear once the scan reaches or nears completion. The README asks users to be patient while the scan runs. After the scan completes, select users with the checkboxes to unfollow them, or click a profile image to add that account to your whitelist. The README emphasizes patience during the scan because Instagram requires the tool to request data in batches to avoid rate limits.

Whitelist and Settings: Protecting Specific Accounts

The whitelist lets you mark accounts you want to keep regardless of whether they follow you back. Clicking a profile image during the results view adds that account to the whitelist. The Settings menu exposes three actions for managing the whitelist: Export saves the list as a JSON backup file, Import restores or merges a previously exported file, and Clear removes all whitelist entries. The README states that whitelist data persists automatically between sessions using localStorage. This means the whitelist survives closing the browser or navigating away from Instagram; it does not survive clearing browser data or switching to a different browser profile. The Settings menu also exposes customizable timing settings that control how quickly the script moves between API calls. The README notes this is relevant for avoiding rate limits, though it does not document the specific default timing values.

Mobile Usage with the Eruda Browser

The script requires access to a browser developer console, which most mobile browsers do not expose. For Android users, the README describes a workaround: download the Eruda Android Browser from GitHub (liriliri/eruda-android), open instagram.com through that browser, and follow the same steps as on desktop. The Eruda icon provides the console. The README notes the script takes a few more seconds to load on mobile. No equivalent process is described for iOS. The script works on both Chromium-based and Firefox-based browsers on desktop, according to the README. The interface is described in the README as having a clean, minimalist design inspired by Apple design, and the project page states the interface is fully responsive for both desktop and mobile layouts.

Technical Structure and Build Process

The source code in the repository is a TypeScript project using Preact as its only runtime dependency. The project targets Node.js version 16.14.0, specified in the .nvmrc file; if you use nvm, run nvm use to switch to the correct version. After modifying src/main.tsx, run the build command to produce the final distributable:

npm run build

For development with automatic rebuilding on file changes:

npm run build-dev

The final output is injected into public/index.html by the update-index script, which is the hosted page at davidarroyo1234.github.io/InstagramUnfollowers/. The CHANGELOG.md file in the repository documents version history. The webpack configuration compresses and bundles the TypeScript and JSX source into a single file for injection into the page. The devDependencies in package.json include the @babel/plugin-transform-react-jsx plugin, TypeScript, ESLint with React-specific plugins, sass, and webpack. These are all build-time tools; the only runtime dependency is Preact at approximately 3 KB, which is significantly lighter than React. The choice of Preact over React for the injected script reduces the size of the code that runs in the user's browser, which matters because the entire script is pasted into a browser console.

Legal Considerations and Real Operational Limits

The README states clearly that InstagramUnfollowers is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or officially connected with Instagram. Using it may violate Instagram's terms of service, which restrict automated or scripted access to the platform. The README includes the warning 'use at your own risk.' The tool does not perform any action on Instagram on your behalf automatically; unfollowing is a manual action you take after reviewing the results. Processing time increases with the number of accounts being checked; large following lists will take proportionally longer and run a higher risk of hitting Instagram's rate limits, which may pause or interrupt the scan. The README does not document what happens if the scan is interrupted mid-way. The script is licensed under the MIT License, which permits use, copying, and modification without restriction.

Comparison with Third-Party Instagram Management Apps

Third-party Instagram management apps that track unfollowers typically require connecting your Instagram account via OAuth and run scans on their own servers. The trade-off is convenience versus privacy: those services gain persistent access to your account data and may store it on their servers, while InstagramUnfollowers accesses no data beyond your current browser session. The practical disadvantage of the browser-console approach is that it cannot run in the background or send notifications; you must actively run the scan each time. For users comfortable with the browser developer console who want to avoid granting any third-party service access to their Instagram account, InstagramUnfollowers is a functionally equivalent alternative that leaves no persistent external access. The whitelist feature also gives it an advantage over apps that require paid subscriptions to protect specific accounts from automated unfollowing: in InstagramUnfollowers, the whitelist is a free, locally stored JSON structure that persists between sessions and can be exported to a file for backup.

Editorial conclusion

InstagramUnfollowers suits users who want a one-time or occasional check of their Instagram following list without installing a third-party app or granting OAuth access to an external service. It is not suitable for automation, scheduled checks, or accounts with very large following lists where rate-limit delays make the scan impractical. The tool is unaffiliated with Instagram, operates through the browser console, and carries the risk of account actions that violate Instagram's terms of service; the README notes that use is at your own risk. Before unfollowing anyone in bulk, review the whitelist feature to protect accounts you want to keep regardless of their follow status.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

1. davidarroyo1234/InstagramUnfollowers on GitHub
2. Issues
3. License: MIT
4. README