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How to stop my instagram from following random accounts


Why Am I Following Random Accounts On Instagram In 2022

Home » Social Media » Why Am I Following Random Accounts On Instagram? Two Reasons And How To Fix It

by Michael Duong

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As great and innovative Instagram is, it’s not without its issues. For every pro that Instagram has to offer, there are cons that users must live with – like the app’s vulnerability to scammers, hackers, and bots.

Now, I’m not saying that Instagram has bad security, but you should always keep an eye on your account activity to make sure that nothing is amiss. Maybe there’s a weird photo uploaded to your personal feed. Maybe your friends have been receiving strange messages from you. 

Or, maybe you noticed that you’re following someone you’ve never seen before in your life.

If you’re wondering, “Why am I following random accounts on Instagram?” – I’ve got the answer for you. In this article, I’ll tell you why it happens and what you can do if you find that your Instagram keeps following random accounts.

Contents

  • 1 Why Am I Following Random Accounts On Instagram?
  • 2 How To Fix Instagram Following Random Accounts
    • 2.1 Check Your Instagram Account For Linked Apps (Video)
    • 2.2 Change Your Instagram Password To Prevent Unauthorized Access
  • 3 Security Tip For More Protection: Two-factor Authentication (Video)
  • 4 When Instagram Keeps Following Random Accounts

Why Am I Following Random Accounts On Instagram?

Sometimes, you may notice random people in your following list on Instagram. You probably don’t remember pressing the follow button, much less have any idea about these profiles.

If you’re in this situation right now, don’t worry, your account is not haunted or anything. While seeing random accounts on Instagram may be considered a serious security issue, it’s actually not that difficult to solve. Here are the two most common reasons why this is happening:

  1. Your account has been compromised by third-party apps.
  2. Someone hacked into your account and is manually following people.

How To Fix Instagram Following Random Accounts

Again, regardless of the reason, fixing the issue is quite easy. Just follow these methods below and you’ll be sure to solve the problem in no time at all.

Check Your Instagram Account For Linked Apps (Video)

For most people, the reason why their accounts are following random people on Instagram is because of third-party apps, or apps that are linked to your Instagram account.

When you link a third-party app to your Instagram account, you’re essentially giving the app permission to access your account. Sometimes, this doesn’t happen out of your own volition.

You may have downloaded something or pressed on a suspicious web link, accidentally giving permission to another app or service to access your account.

Some apps, especially suspicious ones, may automatically follow random accounts on Instagram and cause other problems.

Not only is this annoying to you as a profile owner, but it can also get you flagged as a spam account by Instagram’s security system.

If you voluntarily installed and linked this app, be warned.

That said, if you don’t remember linking this app, chances are it’s a spam app or even a malware. In any case, revoking its access to your account should be easy.

  1. Open the Instagram website on your mobile or desktop browser.
  1. Log in to your account and go to your profile.
  1. Click on the gear button at the upper left corner to open the Options menu.
  1. Under Settings, click on Apps and Websites.
  1. Instagram will then show you all of the apps that have been linked to your account.
  1. Remove any suspicious apps that you think might be causing the problem.

Take note that you cannot do this in the official Instagram app. You can only do this fix using your mobile or desktop browser.

Change Your Instagram Password To Prevent Unauthorized Access

If there are no suspicious apps or websites linked to your account, then someone else likely has access to your account. Maybe your account has fallen victim to hackers, or maybe you logged in to another person’s device and forgot to log out. 

Regardless, you need to change your password to revoke their access.

  1. Open your Instagram app and log in.
  2. Navigate to your profile page.
  1. Tap the hamburger button. From there, go to Settings.
  1. You’ll see an option called “Security.” Tap it.
  1. Under Login Security, click the first option, which is “Password.”
  1. You have to type your current password to be able to nominate a new one.

For better security, pick a password that you haven’t used on your other accounts. Don’t choose a common password, like your favorite animal, birthdate, or name. The longer and more complex your password is, the more secure your account becomes.

Security Tip For More Protection: Two-factor Authentication (Video)

Unauthorized access to your account, whether it’s because of a bot, an app, or another person, is a serious matter. As our online and real-life worlds are becoming more enmeshed with the advancement of technology, it becomes more and more of a risk that a user could lose control over their Instagram account.

If you want to be serious about protecting your online Instagram presence, you should turn on two-factor authentication on Instagram.

  1. Log into the Instagram app and go to your profile.
  1. Tap the hamburger icon and click “Settings.”
  1. A new menu will come up. Click “Security.”
  1. From here, tap on “Two-Factor Authentication. ”
  1. You’ll see a button saying “Get Started” if you haven’t activated two-factor authentication before. Click it.
  1. Next, choose a security method. You can toggle only one or both for extra security.
  1. If you haven’t linked your phone number yet to your account, the app will require you to do so.
  2. Instagram will then send a security code to your phone. 
  3. After this, simply type in the code and you’re done.

Keep in mind that Instagram will provide you with Back-Up Codes if you lose access to your phone. Save these codes for the future.

Check our video to see the steps in action:

When Instagram Keeps Following Random Accounts

In short, there are three methods you can try to solve this problem:

  • Revoke access from third-party apps and websites.
  • Change your password.
  • Enable two-factor authentication.

With these three methods, your problem should be fixed. Never again will you think, “Why am I following random accounts on Instagram?” or “Who were those people I didn’t know?”

However, if these methods still don’t work, the situation may be more serious than a normal user can handle. Don’t hesitate to go to the Instagram Help Center and contact their representatives.

Did you like this article? Let us know if these methods worked for you in the comments below!

Michael Duong

Michael is a passionate editor who loves tech. He spends his free time coding open-source projects and playing quiz games on his Android phone.

Stop Auto Following Random Accounts on Instagram

Rubay Sheraz4 days agoLast Updated: October 31, 2022

Have you noticed that you’ve started following a slew of random Instagram accounts recently? In this post, we will explore why Instagram is following random accounts when you follow people. You may have wondered why your account is automatically following accounts that you don’t know and why they are following you back.

How Do Instagram Accounts Get Hacke...

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How Do Instagram Accounts Get Hacked? – How to Protect Yourself

This happens when spammers take over your account. To avoid your Instagram account from automatically following individuals, make sure no one else has access to it. By deleting access to linked apps and changing your password, this article explains how to stop yourself from being followed by random people and random followers on Instagram.

 

Why Am I Following Random Accounts On Instagram?

You may come across random individuals or accounts in your Instagram following list from time to time. You’re probably not aware that you pressed the follow button, and you certainly don’t remember who they are.

Don’t be concerned if you’re in this situation now. While seeing multiple Instagram accounts sullies the platform’s reputation, it isn’t that difficult to fix. The following are the two most prevalent reasons for why does Instagram follow accounts for me:

  • Your account has been infiltrated by third-party software or Apps
  • Someone has illegally obtained access to your account and is manually following individuals.

 

How To Fix Instagram Following Random Accounts

Regardless matter why it occurred, resolving the problem is simple. Follow the three procedures below, and you’ll have the situation under control in no time.

  1. Revoke access to third-party applications and websites.
  2. Change your Instagram password.
  3. On your Instagram account, enable two-factor authentication.

Let’s explore each option in detail.

 

Check Your Instagram Account For third party Linked Apps.

There are so many different ways your social media account may be hacked. And allowing third-party applications access to your account is one of them. That’s how Cambridge Analytica, a well-known data-mining firm, illegally obtained the information of approximately 87 million Facebook users in the notorious case. We’ll show you how to check and delete authorized or prohibited Instagram applications using several methods.

Some of these applications are safe (particularly those from Instagram, such as Boomerang and Layout). Still, third-party apps that aren’t linked to or endorsed by Instagram can’t be trusted entirely. Even Instagram acknowledges the risk some third-party applications may pose. A (malicious) app, for example, might read your direct messages (DMs), obtain information on your contacts, spam your page with material, and so on if given access to your Instagram account.

If you used to connect apps to your Instagram account, it’s okay; you shouldn’t be paranoid. You probably weren’t aware of the security risks of exposing yourself and your contacts because you didn’t know about them. Fortunately, it is simple to see which applications have previously been authorized to access your Instagram account.

We’ll walk you through the steps below. Additionally, we’ll show you how to remove or delete an app from your Instagram account as well.

You may implement any of these techniques on your phone or computer. However, because most Instagram users use their accounts from a mobile device, we’ll begin there. The process is the same on both Android and iOS versions of the Instagram app.

Remove Autho­rized Apps on Instagram Mobile App

  • Tap the profile picture in the lower-right corner of your Instagram app to access your account’s settings.
  • Tap the hamburger menu icon to display additional profile menu choices.
  • Then Tap Settings.
  • From the Settings menu, select Security
  • Select “apps” and “websites” from the data and history section.
  • Click Active.

This will show all of the applications that currently have access to your Instagram account and other information like when they were granted.

 

  • Tap the Remove button to remove access for an app if you discover one you don’t trust or can’t recall authorizing.
  • A dialog box will pop up on the screen indicating that you must confirm your action. To finalize your choice, tap Remove.

It’s as easy as that. You may remove any connected software’s access to your Instagram account using this technique. Now let’s see how to accomplish the same with a web browser.

Remove Autho­rized Apps Instagram on PC

  1. Sign in to your Instagram account on any computer using any browser.
  2. To get to your Instagram profile page, go to the Profile icon on the home page.
  3. On your account/profile page, click the gear icon.
  4. Select ‘Apps and Websites’ from the pop-up menu.

Go to your account’s Access Management page, and you’ll see all the apps and websites you’ve granted access to your Instagram account.

Instagram will display additional information for each app linked to your account, such as the app details and when you authorized the app to use your account.

5. Click the Remove button below the app to remove an authorized application from your Instagram account.

6. Tap Remove on the confirmation alert to go ahead.

That’s all there is to it. The app will no longer have access to any new data or information from your Instagram account after this.

Even after you remove an app from your Instagram account, it may still have access to some (formerly data shared with the app).

 

To avoid unauthorized access, change your Instagram password.

Someone else undoubtedly has access to your account if there are no suspicious applications or websites linked to it. Maybe your account was hacked, or you logged in to someone else’s device and forgot to log out.

Regardless, it would be best if you changed your password to eliminate them from your account.

  • Open your Instagram app and sign in.
  • Go to your profile page.
  • Tap the hamburger button. Then proceed to Settings.
  • In the “settings” tab, you’ll see a drop-down menu called “Security. ” Select it.
  • Under Login Security, select “Password.”
  • To choose a new password, you must first enter your current one.

Choose a password you haven’t used on any of your other accounts for greater Security. Don’t use a popular password like your pet or birthday, for example. The longer and more complex the password you choose, the safer your account will be.

 

On Instagram, Enable two-factor authentication.

You should enable two-factor authentication on Instagram if you want to take your online Instagram presence seriously.

  • Go to your Instagram profile and log in using the address and password while creating your account.
  • Click the hamburger symbol and choose “Settings.”
  • A new menu will appear. Click “Security” to go there.
  • Then click “Two-Factor Authentication.”
  • If you’re new to two-factor authentication, you’ll see a button that says “Get Started.” Click it.
  • Next, pick a security option. For added protection, you may only switch one or both of them on and off.
  • If you haven’t linked your phone number to your account, the software will need you to do so.
  • Next, Instagram will text you a security code on your phone.
  • After this, copy and paste the code to complete your 2FA.

Keep in mind that if you lose access to your phone, Instagram will provide you with backup codes. Save these numbers for future use.

With these three approaches, you should be able to solve your problem. You’ll never wonder again, “why does Instagram follow accounts for me?” or “random Instagram accounts I didn’t know?” However, if these procedures fail to give an answer to why does Instagram follow accounts for me, don’t forget to contact the Instagram Help Center and speak with their representatives.

Related Articles

Instagram: privacy and security settings

Social network accounts, especially popular ones, are a tasty morsel for attackers. And it is easiest to hack what is poorly protected. Therefore, we regularly remind you that it is worth taking care of the security of your accounts, as far as social networks allow it.

  • Set up privacy and security for your Instagram account
    • The most important security settings on Instagram
      • How to change your Instagram password
      • How to set up two-factor authentication on Instagram
      • How to check in the app if you received a real email from Instagram
      • Where to find the list of apps connected to Instagram
    • The most important privacy settings on Instagram
      • How to close your Instagram account and edit your followers list
      • How to control who sees your Instagram stories
      • How to get rid of spam comments on Instagram
      • How to get rid of spam in direct and adding to the left groups on Instagram
      • How to hide your online status on Instagram
      • How to block or restrict a user from your Instagram
      • How to remove unnecessary push notifications in the Instagram app
  • Do not forget to set up security in other social networks

Unfortunately, security and privacy settings are often difficult to understand. Moreover, developers change them from time to time. For example, Instagram settings have recently been updated. We tell you what is useful in them and where to look for this useful.

Setting up account security on Instagram

New Instagram settings allow you to even more securely protect against unauthorized account login and identity theft.

To find your security settings:

  • Open your profile.
  • Click on the three bars in the upper right corner of the screen.
  • Select Settings .
  • Go to section Security .

Where to find the security settings in the Instagram app

The password is the head of everything

The first rule of security for any account is to set a good, long, unique password. Attackers will not be able to quickly pick it up and will not find it in the databases that they managed to steal from other sites, which means they will not be able to hack into your account. At least, if you do not give out your password yourself or it does not leak from the social network itself.

How to set up two-factor authentication on Instagram

Turn on two-factor authentication to ensure that your password is leaked. Every time someone tries to log in on a new device on your behalf, the social network will request a one-time code from SMS or from a special application. Thus, you will always be aware of login attempts, and it will be impossible to hack your account without knowing the code.

To enable two-factor authentication:

  • Select Two-factor authentication .
  • Press Start .
  • Choose how you want to receive codes: via SMS or two-factor authentication app .

How to set up two-factor authentication in the Instagram app

An added bonus - after enabling this feature, the social network will give you backup codes . They will help you log into your profile if you don’t have a phone at hand that should receive SMS or on which an application for generating one-time codes is installed (yes, you can do this too - see this post for more details). Write down the backup codes and keep in a safe place.

How to check in the app if you received a real email from Instagram

Instagram developers figured out how to protect their users from phishing via email. Now in the application settings you can see what letters the social network has sent you over the past two weeks. If you received a letter supposedly from Instagram, but it is not in the application, you can safely send it to spam.

To see which social media notifications are real:

  • Select Emails from Instagram .
  • Look for the letter you are interested in under the Security tab if it concerns login attempts, suspicious activity from your account, and so on. If it's about something else, check if it's on the tab Other .

How to check in the app if you received a real email from Instagram

Where to find a list of apps connected to Instagram

Another source of danger is third-party sites and apps. They are connected to expand the capabilities of the social network, for example, add photo filters or convenient marketing tools. However, if such an application is hacked or its authors are dishonest, your account can be used for criminal purposes. You can view the list of connected applications and sites and remove everything superfluous in the same section Security , in block Applications and websites .

Where can I find the list of apps connected to Instagram

Setting up Instagram privacy?

Instagram allows you not only to keep your profile safe, but also to restrict access to your photos, videos, stories and other data. You can hide personal content from prying eyes, save yourself and friends from offensive comments, and prevent subscribers from sharing your stories and posts with others. For this:

  • Open your profile.
  • Click on the three bars in the upper right corner of the screen.
  • Select Settings .
  • Go to section Privacy .

Where to find the privacy settings in the Instagram app

How to close your Instagram account

If Instagram is not a promotion site for you, but a place to share pictures and videos with friends, you can make your account private:

  • Open Account privacy .
  • Enable Closed account .

How to close your Instagram account

Now only followers you have approved will see your posts and stories. True, there are some nuances. Firstly, everyone who managed to subscribe to you before is automatically considered approved by the social network. If you do not agree with it, then you need to do this:

  • Section Privacy select Accounts you follow .
  • On the Followers tab, find and remove those you don't want to show your posts and stories to.

How to edit your Instagram followers list

Secondly, if you repost an Instagram photo to another social network, it will be seen by everyone who can see your posts on that social network. So if you do this often, don't forget to set up privacy on other social networks as well.

How to control who sees your Instagram stories

If you are an insta-blogger and it is not convenient for you to close your account, you can control access to specific content. For example, Instagram allows you to hide stories from individual users, publish some of them only to your list of close friends, and limit or even turn off the ability to respond to them. All this is done in section Privacy in block History . There you can also prevent readers from sharing your stories in messages and showing your posts in their stories.

How to control who sees your Instagram stories

To protect yourself and your followers from abuse and spam, you can automatically hide inappropriate comments using Instagram filters or your own. You can configure this in section Privacy , in block Comments . There you can also prevent especially gifted spammers from commenting on your photos and videos.

How to get rid of spam comments on Instagram

How to get rid of direct spam on Instagram

The social network allows you to prevent outsiders from writing you private messages and adding you to groups. If you are annoyed by spam in direct or you think that messages are your private space, open in section Privacy block Messages and select Only people you follow for both items.

How to get rid of spam in direct and adding to the left groups on Instagram

How to hide your online status on Instagram

If you don't want your readers to know when you're online, you can hide your online status from them. To do this, select in section Privacy item Network status and deactivate the switch. True, after that you will also not be able to see information about the activity of other users.

How to hide your online status on Instagram

How to hide from specific users on Instagram

Finally, spammers and other annoying readers can be blocked or restricted from accessing your account. To do this, click on the objectionable profile three dots in the upper right corner and select Block or Restrict access .

How to block or restrict someone from accessing your Instagram

Restricted account holders will still be able to view your photos and videos and even leave comments on them, but only you and the author will see these comments.

You can also put the user in silent mode if you are tired of his stories and posts in the feed. This can also be done in his profile:

  • Click the button Subscriptions .
  • Select Switch to silent mode .
  • Enable mute mode for Stories , Posts or both.

Setting the Instagram user to silent mode

Your friend will not know anything about it, and you can take a break from the flurry of his photos and look at them only when you are in the mood - his profile will remain visible to you.

How to remove unnecessary push notifications in the Instagram app

Instagram, like any social network, by default sends more notifications than you need. To avoid annoying pop-up notifications that one of your friends has posted a photo for the first time in a long time, you can turn them off. To do this:

  • Open your profile.
  • Click on the three bars in the upper right corner of the screen.
  • Select Settings .
  • Go to section Notices .
  • Go through the list of push notifications and turn them off for any events you don't want to know about right away. If you don't want to be notified at all, for example when you're playing or watching a series, select Pause all and set how long Instagram will remain silent.

How to remove unnecessary push notifications in the Instagram app

Now you know how to protect your Instagram account and can customize it the way you want. It's time to remember about your accounts in other social networks. Here's what the security and privacy settings look like on Vkontakte, Facebook, Odnoklassniki, and Twitter.

Russian users report “massive” unmotivated blocking of Instagram accounts** / Sudo Null IT News The service “massively” and suddenly blocks Russian accounts, unmotivated or referring to “suspicious activity” in the profile. Users are blocked regardless of the audience. Including the account of one of the journalists of the editorial office of the Durov Code was blocked.

The publication analyzed known cases of blocking and found out that none of the accounts clearly violated the so-called "Terms of Use" and "Instagram Community Guidelines**". The Durov Code suggested several versions explaining the choice of profiles: the use of a VPN, fake geolocations (one of the users, when publishing an archive photo, put a geotag in Ukraine, while being in Russia), or hyperactivity, which was mistaken for cheating or the operation of an automated system.

According to the publication, if VPN were used, all active users of the social network from Russia would be blocked, so this reason cannot be considered 100%.

“This version is possible if, for example, several people use the same account with different VPNs. There is a possibility that the banal use of a VPN (especially a free one) may also seem suspicious to Instagram.

Victims told the publication that the blocking passes without warning. Some users are able to log into the account, but it is displayed as "deleted user". Similar comments can also be found in the reviews on the Instagram** app page in the AppStore, where they also report unmotivated blocking. No less massive complaints relate to problems with logging into the account after the last update of the application. In particular, Russian-speaking users indicate that when entering the social network requires a code that does not come to the phone number.

Durov's Code journalist Vladislav Voitenko, whose account has been blocked, spoke to Kommersant about this issue.

“All the cases we studied are identical. A person simply enters Instagram**, which is banned in the Russian Federation, uses it, and suddenly he is knocked out of the account. As a result, the user can no longer log in, and he already has to communicate with Facebook support.

Other than using a VPN, this cannot be explained. Often people access Instagram from different devices, with different ip-addresses. For example, authorization occurred from one device in Singapore, and then right there, when the user logged in from another with his account, he suddenly ended up not in Singapore, but in Germany. Instagram algorithms immediately decide that this is a hack attempt.

I experienced a suspension of my own account at the beginning of May. Instagram asked me to send a code that was sent to the mobile phone number linked to the profile, they said to wait 24 hours, a day later access to it was never restored, ”Voytenko said.

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