Instagram is a well-known social networking platform with over one million active users using this platform to share life experiences. Every second, a new story or post is uploaded on Instagram. Instagram is very well-liked by people of all ages, from young children to senior citizens, because it allows users to engage. Are you already an Instagram user and wondering whether Instagram randomly follows accounts or not? And why do spam accounts keep following me on Instagram? If you are someone looking for more information related to spam bots and fake followers on Instagram, this article is for you. It will help you resolve all your queries regarding IG, like how to stop getting fake followers and how to stop spam bots on Instagram.
Does Instagram Randomly Follow Accounts?
Read this article till the end to learn whether does Instagram randomly follow accounts in a detailed manner.
Does Instagram Make Random People Follow You?
Yes. You must have noticed that some random accounts follow you on Instagram, this is because Instagram’s algorithm makes random people follow you. When you are a new user, Instagram recommends you to other users with shared interests and they might follow you. Also, when you use popular hashtags in your posts, your account is shown to other users and they might follow you too.
Does Instagram Follow Accounts without You Knowing?
No, Instagram doesn’t follow accounts without you knowing.
Does Instagram Randomly Follow Accounts?
No, Instagram doesn’t automatically follow accounts without your wish. But Instagram does suggest similar accounts to follow when you follow someone on Instagram. You can also disable this feature from the Instagram website or Android or iOS apps.
Also Read: How to Hide Messages on Instagram
Does Blocking Someone on Instagram Remove Them from Your Followers?
Why is My Instagram Account Automatically Following People?
If Your Instagram account automatically started following other users, the reason behind this could be that any hacker or someone else has gained access to your account and they are following users from your account. To stop this, make sure only your devices have access to your Instagram account and remove all other devices logged in to your Instagram account.
Why Do Spam Accounts Keep Following Me on Instagram?
Spam bots are fake profiles created by a computer program, and they work without any human instruction. They are programmed to create fake profiles and follow other users to create fake interactions. Mostly, they are used to accomplish malicious goals, like increasing follower count, swaying public opinion, corrupting financial markets, meddling in elections, and phishing scams.
How Do Strangers Find Me on Instagram?
We all get requests from strangers from out of 1.386 billion accounts on Instagram and most of these accounts look strange. And there could be a few reasons how do strangers find your Instagram account and follow you.
Reason #1: Through Spam Bots
Spam Bots are computer programs that create fake profiles that mimic real accounts. They are used to spread and promote content on social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and Twitter. Most operate with little to no human input and are powered by computer programs used to carry out a variety of malicious goals, like influencing public opinion, corrupting financial markets, intervening in elections, and carrying out phishing scams. So, there could be chances that the stranger who followed you on Instagram could be a spam bot. Some creators use spam bots to follow and unfollow accounts to create fake interactions, extend their reach, or harass other users.
Reason #2: Using Instagram Suggestion Feature
Reason #3: By Hashtags on Posts And Reels
A hashtag is a series of characters, letters, numbers, and/or emoji that is prefixed with the # symbol; For example, #TechCult. They help to increase discoverability. Earlier Hashtags were just used to look cool. But now, with the new algorithm, if you use hashtags properly, more individuals who could be interested in your items or business will notice your posts. So, if you use popular hashtags in your Instagram posts, someone may have discovered your profile from that hashtag and might have followed your IG account.
Reason #4: Blind Search
If you have a common name or a common IG name, then some users on Instagram just search for the name of the user they were searching for and will automatically follow every account with the same username. This could also be a reason why strangers find your IG account.
Hopefully, reading this part you got clarity on the reasons why strangers find you on Instagram.
Also Read: Can You Follow Someone on Instagram without them Knowing?
How Do I Stop Spam Bots on Instagram?
Spam Bots can impact your Instagram page or business adversely as they have low or no interactions, which results in reduced brand conversions and lower ranks in feeds. If you want to stop these bots from affecting your Instagram page, here is a guide on how can you stop spam bots on Instagram.
Method 1: Remove Spam Followers
Firstly, you should consider unfollowing the bot accounts from your profile. Let’s see the steps explaining the same:
1. Launch Instagram on your device.
2. Tap on the profile tab > Followers.
3. Locate the desired spam IG profile you want to remove and tap on Remove next to it.
Sure, you could have lost a follower but ultimately, your security and privacy are much more critical.
Also Read: How to See What Someone Likes on Instagram
Method 2: Set Your Profile to Private
You can set your IG profile to private to stop spam bots to follow you.
Note: For both Android and iOS Instagram users.
1. Launch the Instagram application on your Android or iOS smartphone.
2. Then, tap on the profile tab from the bottom bar.
3. Tap on the hamburger icon.
4. Tap on Settings.
5. Then, tap on Privacy > Private Account to toggle the switch ON to the right.
Read this article from the start to learn why does Instagram randomly follow accounts.
Method 3: Block Spam IG Profiles
Below are the steps to block spam IG profiles:
1. Open the Instagram app on your phone.
2. Tap on the Magnifying Glass icon and search for the spam profiles you’re looking for.
3. Locate and tap on the desired spam IG profile.
4. Then, tap on the three-dotted icon from the upper right corner.
5. Tap on Block.
Also Read: How to See Who Viewed Your Instagram Posts
Method 4: Turn Off Similar Account Suggestions
We all follow influencers’ and celebrities’ Instagram accounts to know more about their lives. And you must have also noticed that once you follow an Instagram account, you are offered recommendations for other accounts you might also like to follow. Likewise, other users, especially spam bots might find your account by searching for it. This function is abused by spam bots to find recommendations for Instagram accounts and then follow them. Thankfully, only the Instagram Desktop version has a feature to disable suggestions. So, you should disable similar account suggestion features because it’s not that useful and makes your Instagram account vulnerable to spam bots.
1. Visit the Instagram website on your browser.
Note: Make sure you are logged into your account.
2. Click on the hamburger icon > Settings from the left pane.
3. Click on the Edit profile tab.
4. Turn off the checkbox for the Similar account suggestions option from the bottom.
How Do I Stop Getting Fake Followers?
Fake followers can have a negative effect on your Instagram page or business because they have few or no interactions, which lowers their rank in feeds and reduces brand conversions. If you now know if Instagram randomly follow accounts and want to stop fake followers from following you, follow the methods mentioned above to stop getting fake followers on your Instagram account.
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With this guide, we hope you now know everything about spam bots and fake followers on Instagram and got all of your questions successfully answered, like why Instagram randomly follow accounts and stop spam bots on Instagram. You can let us know any queries or suggestions about any other topic you want us to make an article on. Drop them in the comments section below for us to know.