That setting does not exist
Straight to the point. Instagram does not let you hide the following list alone while leaving everything else visible. There is no such toggle in the privacy settings or anywhere else.
The list follows the same rule as the rest of the page. Profile public, list visible to anyone. Profile private, list visible only to approved followers. There is no state in between.
So where does the feeling of a hidden list come from
- The whole profile is private. The most common reason by far. Nothing is hidden selectively.
- You were blocked. The page then looks empty to you while everyone else sees it fine.
- The account was deleted or disabled. The lists went with it.
- The app failed to load it. An ordinary glitch, fixed by reopening.
What a public profile shows
A public account has no hidden follows at all. Both lists are available to anyone who looks: who the person follows, and who follows them.
The order is not random. Instagram returns lists by addition, newest on top. That order is the only way to tell what happened recently, because the lists carry no dates.
Open both lists in full, with name search and CSV export. No login, no password.
See the following listFive ways to view a list, and what is wrong with each
Open the list through our serviceOur method
Enter a public username and get both lists on a separate page: following and followers, in full.
UpsideThe list arrives complete and in the order entries were added. Name search and file export included. No Instagram login needed.
DownsidePublic profiles only. A private account shows its lists to nobody, and that is the platform’s limit, not ours.
Scrolling in the app
Open the profile, tap Following, keep scrolling.
UpsideFree and immediate.
DownsideThe list loads in chunks and snaps back to the top. At a thousand people it becomes an evening of work, and you will still miss half. There is no search inside the list.
Apps that require a login
The program asks for a username and password, then shows the lists.
UpsideThey promise a nicer view and notifications.
DownsideThe password goes to someone else’s server. Instagram sees a login from an unfamiliar address and often locks the account pending identity confirmation.
Asking a mutual acquaintance
If the profile is private and they follow it, they can look.
UpsideThe only legitimate route to a private account.
DownsideThat person now knows you are interested, and can say so.
Services promising private profiles
They offer to show the lists of an account that is private.
UpsideNone.
DownsideShowing a private profile is technically impossible. Such services either invent the data or harvest passwords. There is no third option.
A one-minute test: make your own profile private and ask such a service to show your following list. If it shows anything, the data is invented.
What nobody will show you
- Lists of a private profile. Only approved followers see them.
- The follow date. Instagram neither stores nor serves it; there is only order.
- Who viewed your page. No such list exists at all.
- Messages and likes. Unrelated to lists, but often promised in the same bundle.
Why a follow has no exact time is covered in why Instagram shows no follow date. If you want the opposite, to hide your own list from strangers, see how to hide your following list.
Common questions
Can I see a hidden following list on Instagram?
There is no such thing as a separately hidden following list: Instagram has no such setting. If a list is not visible, the whole profile is private, you were blocked, or the account is gone. A public profile shows its lists to anyone.
Is there a “hide following” setting?
No. Instagram privacy works with a single switch for the whole account. Hiding only the following list while leaving posts public is not possible.
How do I see a private profile’s following list?
You cannot, unless you are an approved follower. Services promising otherwise show invented data or collect passwords.
Do I need a password to view a public profile?
No. Instagram shows a public account’s lists to any visitor. A login request means the service wants access to your account rather than a way to show you a list.
Will the person know their following list was viewed?
No. Instagram has no notification for list views, and we perform no actions on the profile at all.