Instagram Following Tab: What Was the Following Tab on Instagram?

Following Tab on Instagram is a much-remembered and talked about feature of Instagram. It is nowhere to be seen now, as Instagram removed this feature 4 years ago. But many new users who joined Instagram after October 2019 don’t know what this feature was about. Therefore, in this article, I will tell you what the Instagram Following tab was and what purpose it used to serve on Instagram, along with why it was removed. Why wait, then? Let’s begin!

Instagram has many interesting features, out of which many features have been upgraded time and again. In the very beginning, Instagram was launched as a photo-sharing platform, which gradually added more features, like IGTV and Reels, direct messaging feature, and Twitter-like feature Notes. Though the Notes feature made a comeback on the platform after being removed with an upgradation, there is no coming back for the Following activity tab

So, without further ado, let’s jump into the article and learn about the Instagram  Following Tab. Why wait, then? Let’s begin!

What was the Following Tab on Instagram?

4 years ago today, Instagram removed the ‘Following’ tab which allowed you to see what other users were doing on the app. pic.twitter.com/fogDCT3sxi

— Pop Base (@PopBase) October 8, 2023

The Instagram Following tab used to be a separate section under the Activity feed (heart icon) that used to display what your friends were liking, commenting on, and following on Instagram. This feature was launched on the platform in the year 2011, long before the Explore tab was launched. Instagram released the Following tab feature to allow its users to explore new content and connect with more users based on their friend’s activity, which can be accessed from this tab.

Why was the Following Tab on Instagram Removed?

Instead of serving the purpose the Following tab was released for, the feature was giving rise to conflicts by giving unwelcoming surprises to people. And as a Twitter user writes, “When hasn’t the Instagram “following” tab ended in heartbreak!” while another writes, “A dramatic problem..: “Instagram should really remove the Following tab. It really hurts when someone close is ignoring you, but they are busy liking and following other people,”

Therefore, when Explore Tap was released, Instagram finally decided to take away this feature.  One reason stated by Instagram’s head of product, Vishal Shah, for removing this tab was that “People didn’t always know that their activity is surfacing. So you have a case where it’s not serving the use case you built it for, but it’s also causing people to be surprised when their activity is showing up”.

Now, after knowing about this feature, you must be wondering if is there any way to see what someone likes, comments on, or follows on Instagram. Read what follows next.

How to Check Someone’s Activity on Instagram?

You know the Following tab is nowhere to be seen on Instagram now. Therefore, there is no straightforward way to find out about your friend’s activity on Instagram. But if you still want to know about someone’s activity, like which posts are they liking and commenting on or which new account they have recently followed, you need to do a little bit of hustle. For this, you need to put your stalker’s mask on and start stalking the other person you want to keep an eye on. By checking someone’s profile inside out, you can know about their activity on Instagram.

To check someone’s profile, you need to follow the below stated steps:

Step 1: Go to that specific person’s profile.
Step 2: Go to the person’s Following tab and see the account they are following.
Step 3: Open the profile of any account they are following to check if they have liked their posts.
Step 4: Go through that person’s post and see if you find that person’s name next to likes. You can also search for their name in the search bar in the Likes list.
Step 5: Next, you can check the comments.

In this way, you can find out a person’s activity on Instagram. This method is indeed tiring, but you can always endure a little trouble if you are really curious to find out a person’s activity on Instagram.

Wrapping Up

With this, I come to the end of this blog, and I hope you now know what the Instagram Following Tab was. This feature was launched in 2011 but has been removed from Instagram back in 2019. So now you cannot find this tab under Activity and no longer can find your Frinds’s activity in a straightforward way. But you can always try out the workaround mentioned in the article above to find your friend’s activity. And yeah, for any further queries related to Instagram and its features, you can comment in the comments section below.

So, guys, that is it for today. Take care! And keep visiting our website, Path of EX, for more such queries related to Social media, Gaming, and Technology. Till then, Bye! Bye!

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