- Where incoming requests show up and how to answer them
- The limit that hits accounts flipping public and private
- Requests from accounts Instagram thinks are spam
- Removing a follower after you've approved them
- Auto-confirming people who follow you back
- Which tool to use for which job
- The rest of Help's follower toolkit
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
When your Instagram account is private, anyone who wants to see your photos or videos has to send you a follow request, and on a computer you'll find them by clicking Notifications on the left, then Follow requests, then Confirm to approve or Delete to deny. Instagram Help warns that switching an account between public and private too many times can bring a temporary limit on how many requests you can approve per day.
That's the short version, as of Nov 2026. This page is about the requests coming in to you: where they sit, what happens when you approve or deny, the spam filter that quietly holds some back, and the limit that catches accounts that keep changing their mind. If your question is whether a request runs out, I've answered whether Instagram follow requests expire separately.
Where incoming requests show up and how to answer them
Requests only exist because the account is private. Instagram Help puts it plainly: if your account is set to private, anyone who wants to see your photos or videos has to send you a follower request. On a computer, as of Nov 2026, the route is:
- Click Notifications on the left-hand side.
- Click Follow requests.
- Click Confirm to approve a request, or Delete to deny it.
There's no undo on Delete. Help's only advice if you deny someone by accident is to ask the person to request to follow you again. For a business running a private account, say a members-only community or a client-only content feed, that's worth knowing before you clear a long list in a hurry. A misplaced click means a slightly awkward message to a customer.
The limit that hits accounts flipping public and private
This is the insight most people don't expect. Instagram Help says that if an account switches between public and private too many times, temporary limits may be placed on it. Help names two:
- A limit on the number of follow requests you can approve per day.
- Removal of existing follow requests if you try to change the account from private to public again.
Help's reason is that accounts repeatedly switching between public and private can create poor sharing experiences for others, and the behaviour is discouraged to help protect the community from inauthentic activity.
The second limit is the painful one. Picture a business that goes private for a closed launch, builds up a queue of pending requests, then flips back to public. Help says those existing requests can be removed. If you're weighing up going private in the first place, read my guide on making a business account private on Instagram and settle the decision once.
Requests from accounts Instagram thinks are spam
Not every request lands in the main list. Instagram Help says accounts that are likely to be spam can't follow you without your confirmation, and they're filtered to a separate list called Potential spam in your Followers tab. On the phone app, you review them like this:
- Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right.
- Tap your follower list, then Potential spam.
- Tap Confirm to approve a request, or Delete to deny it.
If the list is long and you're sure, Help gives a quicker route to clear it, and says the accounts you remove aren't told:
- Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right.
- Tap your follower list, then tap Potential spam.
- Tap Remove all spam followers, then tap Remove.
The filter itself can be switched on or off. Go to your profile, tap Menu in the top right, then Settings and privacy, then Followers, and use the toggle next to Filter spam followers. I'd leave it on: a real customer caught in there only needs one tap on Confirm.
Removing a follower after you've approved them
Approving someone isn't permanent. If your account is private, Instagram Help says you can remove people from your followers list. On a computer:
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- Click your profile picture on the left to go to your profile.
- Click Followers at the top.
- Click Remove to the right of the follower, then Remove again to confirm.
Help says the person isn't notified that you've removed them. If you need someone to stop following you for good, blocking is the stronger step, and Help says people aren't notified when you block them either.
Auto-confirming people who follow you back
Instagram Help has a feature that auto-confirms follow requests from people you already follow who want to follow you back. As of Nov 2026, Help says it isn't available on computers, only on the app, so you'll need your phone to switch it on. For a business that follows its suppliers, partners or regular customers first, it saves approving the same familiar names one at a time.
Which tool to use for which job
| I want to | Where | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Approve a request | Notifications, then Follow requests, then Confirm | They can see your posts |
| Deny a request | Notifications, then Follow requests, then Delete | No undo; they have to request again |
| Check likely spam | Followers, then Potential spam | Confirm or Delete each one |
| Clear all likely spam | Potential spam, then Remove all spam followers | All removed; they aren't told |
| Stop spam being filtered | Settings and privacy, then Followers, then Filter spam followers | Filter switched off |
| Remove one follower | Your profile, then Followers, then Remove | Removed quietly, on private accounts |
| Stop someone following you | Block them | They aren't notified |
The rest of Help's follower toolkit
Instagram Help groups follow requests with a wider set of follower tools: making your account private, restricting or unrestricting someone, temporarily limiting people from interacting with you, blocking and unblocking, and collecting contact information from your followers. If what you want is to keep your lists out of view rather than control who's on them, there's a guide to hiding your followers and following list.
My verdict
I'd start by making the private or public call once and sticking to it, because Help is clear that flipping between the two is what triggers the daily approval cap and the loss of pending requests. Then I'd check Potential spam weekly rather than switching the filter off. Skip Delete when you're unsure about a request: a wrong Delete means asking the person to start again, and a pending request can wait until you've checked who sent it.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find follow requests on Instagram?
On a computer, click Notifications on the left, then Follow requests. Instagram Help says you click Confirm to approve a request or Delete to deny it.
Can I undo a denied follow request on Instagram?
No. Instagram Help says that if you deny a follow request by accident, you can ask the person to request to follow you again.
Why can't I approve more follow requests today?
Instagram Help says accounts that switch between public and private too many times can get temporary limits, including a cap on how many follow requests can be approved per day.
What is the Potential spam list on Instagram?
It's a separate list in your Followers tab. Instagram Help says accounts likely to be spam can't follow you without your confirmation and are filtered there.
Does someone know if I remove them as a follower?
No. Instagram Help says people aren't notified when you remove them as a follower, or when you block them.
