How to See Sent Follow Requests on Instagram

The most reliable way to see every follow request you sent that nobody has accepted is to download your data from Instagram: the file pending_follow_requests.json lists them all, each with a date. It works the same on iPhone, Android and desktop, because what you download is a ZIP. With the NomeSigueApp tool you open that ZIP without unzipping it and read the requests in a sorted tab.

What a pending request is

When you follow a private account, Instagram does not let you follow it straight away: it sends a request and the account decides whether to accept. Until it answers, the request stays pending. If accepted, the account moves to your following list; if not, it stays there, sometimes for a long time.

Instagram does not publish how long it keeps an unanswered request or whether requests ever expire. What we do know is that while the request exists, it shows up in the export.

How to request the export with your requests in it

1. Open Instagram, go to your profile and tap the menu (three lines) → Accounts Center.
2. Go to Your information and permissions.
3. Tap Download your information, then Download or transfer information.
4. Select your account and choose Some of your information.
5. Tick only Followers and following.
6. Choose Download to device.
7. Select JSON format and the All time date range, then create the files.

On a computer you can go straight to https://accountscenter.instagram.com/info_and_permissions/dyi/. Instagram emails you when the file is ready and you download it as a ZIP. If you request only followers and following, it is usually ready in minutes and at most in about 48 hours; we cover this in how long Instagram takes to send your data.

Pick JSON, not HTML: the HTML format cannot be analyzed. The details are in the JSON or HTML guide.

Where the file sits inside the ZIP

The path is:

connections/
  followers_and_following/
    followers_1.json
    following.json
    pending_follow_requests.json

The third file holds the requests you sent that have not been accepted yet. Every file in that folder is explained in what is inside the Instagram ZIP.

If you open the file in a text editor, each request looks like this:

{
  "string_list_data": [
    {
      "href": "https://www.instagram.com/username",
      "value": "username",
      "timestamp": 1700000000
    }
  ]
}

The timestamp value is an invented example, not real data. The fields mean:

• value: the username of the account you asked to follow.
• href: the link to their profile.
• timestamp: when you sent the request, in Unix format (seconds since 1970).

Depending on the export version, the list may come bare or wrapped in the key relationships_follow_requests_sent. The tool understands both.

The easy way: view them in NomeSigueApp

Reading that JSON by hand is awkward, especially with dozens of requests. With the tool the process is:

1. Open the tool on your phone or computer.
2. Upload the ZIP exactly as you downloaded it, without unzipping.
3. Open the Pending requests tab, which shows the count.

Each row shows the @username, the date you sent the request and a link to open the profile on Instagram. You can sort by oldest or newest, search by name, copy the list or download it as CSV. Everything runs in your browser: the file is not uploaded to any server and no password is requested.

How to cancel a request

The export tells you which requests you have, but it cancels nothing, and neither does the tool, because it never touches your account. To withdraw a request, open the profile using the link in the row and tap the button that shows the request has been sent; that cancels it. In the English app that button reads Requested; the wording changes with the app language.

Before cancelling in bulk, think about what each one is for. An old request to a profile you no longer care about is a good candidate; one to a friend who may not have logged in for months might not be.

Common mistakes

• Requesting the export in HTML. It cannot be analyzed; request it again as JSON.
• Expecting incoming requests. This file holds the ones you sent, not the ones sent to you.
• Assuming an accepted request is still listed. The export is a snapshot: if it was accepted before you requested the data, the account is already in your following list.
• Unzipping with third-party apps. Not needed; the tool reads the ZIP directly.

Frequently asked questions

Can I see my sent requests in the app, without an export?

Instagram has moved this option between menus more than once, and many guides still point to screens that no longer exist. The export is the route that keeps working. What is confirmed is that the export includes pending_follow_requests.json with all of them.

Does this work on iPhone and on a PC?

Yes. The procedure is the same: request the export, download it and upload it to the tool from your browser. Nothing needs installing.

Will the other person know I checked my requests?

The tool only reads your own file in your browser and does not interact with Instagram or those accounts. Nobody is notified when you look at the list.

Why has a request gone unanswered for months?

We cannot know: the account may not have logged in, may have ignored it or may not have seen it. Instagram does not publish whether requests expire.

Get your data and check in a minute

If you have requests hanging, open NomeSigueApp, upload your ZIP and check the pending requests tab. To also find out who does not follow you back, the main guide walks through it step by step.