Instagram has a built in sort option on the Following list: tap the list, tap the sort icon next to the search bar, and choose "Date followed: Earliest" or "Date followed: Latest." This works on your own following list and on any account's following list that you can already view (public, or private accounts you follow). It shows order, not exact timestamps, and it only covers accounts still being followed right now – unfollows disappear from the list entirely. SnoopInsta is a separate iOS app that watches a username going forward and emails you when a new follow shows up, which is different from sorting what's already there.
How do I sort the following list by date in Instagram?
Open the profile, tap "Following," then tap the three-line sort icon in the top right of that list. Pick "Date followed: Latest" to see the most recent follows first, or "Date followed: Earliest" to see the oldest. The order updates based on Instagram's own record of when that account followed each person.
- Go to the profile (yours or one you already have access to)
- Tap "Following" to open the list
- Tap the sort icon next to the search bar
- Select "Date followed: Latest" or "Date followed: Earliest"
This sort is native to the Instagram app and works the same for your own account or for someone else's following list, as long as the account is public or you already follow it. Instagram's Help Center covers the privacy settings that control who can see a following list in the first place.
What still doesn't show up when you sort by date?
The date sort only reorders people who are still being followed right now. If an account unfollowed someone, that name is gone from the list, sorted or not. There's also no exact timestamp, no notification when a new follow happens, and no way to sort a private account's following list unless you already follow it.
Instagram removed the old "Following" activity tab, which used to show likes and comments by people you follow, back in 2019 ( TechCrunch ). That tab is gone and sorting the following list by date doesn't bring any of that activity data back. If the actual question is when a specific follow happened relative to other events, or who followed whom first between two accounts, those are narrower questions with their own answers:
- How to see when someone followed someone on Instagram
- How to see who someone followed on Instagram (history)
- How to see who followed who first on Instagram
Where does SnoopInsta fit in?
Sorting by date tells you the order of an existing list the moment you look at it. It doesn't tell you anything new unless you keep opening the app and checking manually. SnoopInsta is built for the part that sorting can't do: watching a username over time and sending an email when a later check finds a new follow.
- Add the username you want to watch (public, or a private account you already follow)
- The app starts watching from that day forward, not before
- You get an email when a later check finds a new follow, or you can tap "Check Now" yourself
It doesn't read DMs, comments, or story mentions, and it can't find a secret account if you don't already know the username. The person being watched is not notified. You can download the SnoopInsta iOS app to try this on one or more profiles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the date sort work on private accounts?
Only if you already follow that private account. If the account is private and you don't follow it, you can't open the following list at all, so there's nothing to sort.
Does sorting by date show exact times?
No. It shows order (earliest to latest or latest to earliest), not a timestamp. Instagram doesn't display the exact minute or hour a follow happened in this view.
Will sorting tell me about a new follow right away?
No, sorting only reorders the list at the moment you open it. If you want to know when a new follow shows up without checking manually every day, that's what an email alert from an app like SnoopInsta is for.
Can I see who someone unfollowed using the date sort?
No. Once an account unfollows someone, that name is removed from the list completely, so sorting by date won't bring it back or show when the unfollow happened.