Ever wondered who your friends follow on Instagram? Or maybe you got a follow request from someone new and want to check if you have any mutual connections before accepting?
I’ve been there too. And trust me, checking mutual followers on Instagram is way easier than you think.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about viewing mutual followers on Instagram in 2025. No complex steps, no confusing terms. Just simple, clear instructions anyone can follow.
What Are Mutual Followers on Instagram?
Let me break this down for you.
Mutual followers are people who follow both you and another user on Instagram. Think of them as your shared connections.
For example, if you follow someone named Sarah, and Sarah also follows an account called @fitnessguru, then Sarah becomes your mutual follower when you visit @fitnessguru’s profile.
People also call them IG mutuals or Instagram mutual connections. They’re basically the digital version of having mutual friends in real life.
The cool thing is that Instagram shows you these shared connections right on people’s profiles. This makes it super easy to find common ground with new accounts.
Why Checking Mutual Followers Can Be Useful
You might be thinking, “Why should I even care about mutual followers?”
Well, there are actually several good reasons.
First, it helps you build trust. When you see that someone you trust follows another account, you’re more likely to follow them too. It’s like getting a recommendation from a friend.
Second, mutual followers help you discover like minded people. If your friends follow certain accounts, chances are you’ll enjoy their content too.
Third, it’s great for safety. Before accepting a follow request from a stranger, you can check if you have mutual connections. This gives you peace of mind.
Fourth, businesses and content creators can use mutual followers for networking. Finding accounts with shared connections can lead to collaborations and partnerships.
And finally, it just makes Instagram more fun. You can discover that your coworkers follow the same meme pages, or that your old classmates are into the same hobbies.
How To See Mutual Followers on Instagram
Now let’s get into the actual steps. I’ll show you exactly how to view mutual followers on both mobile and desktop.
Using the Instagram App (Mobile)
This is the easiest way to check mutual followers. Most people use Instagram on their phones anyway.
Step by Step Guide for Android and iPhone:
Open your Instagram app. Make sure you’re logged into your account.
Search for the profile you want to check. You can use the search bar at the top of your screen.
Go to their profile page. Just tap on their username.
Look under their bio section. You’ll see text that says “Followed by” with some usernames listed.
This is where your mutual followers appear. Instagram shows you two or three names of people you both follow.
If you have more than a few mutual connections, you’ll see something like “Followed by username1, username2, and 15 others.”
Tap on that text. This opens up a full list of all your mutual followers.
You can scroll through the entire list. The mutual followers section will be selected automatically.
From here, you can visit any mutual follower’s profile or send them a direct message.
The whole process takes less than 30 seconds. Pretty simple, right?
What the Mutual Section Means on Instagram Profiles:
When you see the “Followed by” section, Instagram is showing you your shared connections.
The names listed are accounts that follow both you and the profile you’re viewing. They’re not just random suggestions.
Instagram usually shows the mutual followers who are most active or relevant to you first. The platform’s algorithm decides which names to display based on your interactions.
If you don’t see any mutual followers listed, it means you don’t have any shared connections with that account. This happens often with completely new profiles or accounts outside your usual circles.
Checking Mutual Followers on Desktop (Web Browser)
Don’t worry if you prefer using Instagram on your computer. You can still check mutual followers easily.
How to View Mutual Followers on Instagram Web:
Open your web browser. Go to instagram.com.
Log into your account. Enter your username and password.
Use the search bar to find the profile you want to check.
Click on their profile to open it.
Look at the area right under their bio. You’ll see the “Followed by” section just like on mobile.
The names of your mutual followers will be displayed there.
Click on the “Followed by” text or the number of followers. This opens the followers list.
The mutual followers will appear at the top of the list. Instagram makes them easy to spot.
You can browse through all your shared connections from here.
Limitations of the Desktop Version:
The desktop version works great, but it has a few small limitations.
First, the interface isn’t as smooth as the mobile app. Some features take an extra click or two.
Second, you can’t view Instagram stories as easily on desktop. The experience is better on mobile.
Third, certain new features roll out on mobile first. Desktop users sometimes have to wait a bit longer.
But for checking mutual followers specifically, desktop works just fine. The information you get is exactly the same.
How To See Mutual Followers Between Two Other Accounts
Here’s a question I get asked a lot. Can you see mutual followers between two people who aren’t you?
Is It Possible To See Mutual Followers Between Two People?
Unfortunately, Instagram doesn’t let you directly check mutual followers between two other accounts.
You can only see mutual followers between yourself and another user. That’s a privacy feature Instagram has in place.
So if you want to know if your friend Alex and your coworker Jamie follow each other, you’d need to check both their profiles separately.
Go to Alex’s profile and see if Jamie appears in the followers list. Then do the same on Jamie’s profile.
It’s a bit more work, but that’s the only way to do it within Instagram.
Third Party Tools and Their Risks:
Some websites and apps claim they can show you mutual followers between any two accounts.
I need to be honest with you. Most of these tools are not safe.
Many third party apps ask for your Instagram login information. This is a huge red flag. You should never give your password to outside apps.
These apps can hack your account, steal your data, or get your account banned. Instagram’s terms of service actually prohibit using third party follower tracking tools.
Some users have reported getting their accounts disabled after using these apps. It’s just not worth the risk.
If you really need to check connections between two other people, stick to the manual method I described above. It takes a bit longer, but your account stays safe.
How To Know If Someone Follows You Back
This is related to mutual followers but slightly different.
How To Check If a User Is Following You:
Go to the person’s profile you want to check.
Look at the area right below their username and bio.
If they follow you back, you’ll see a “Follows you” tag next to their name.
This tag appears on mobile and desktop versions of Instagram.
You can also go to your followers list. Scroll through and search for their username.
If they appear in your followers list, that means they follow you.
Another way is to check if the “Follow” button on their profile has changed. If they follow you back, it will show “Following” or “Message” instead.
Difference Between Followers, Following, and Mutual
Let me clear up these terms because people mix them up all the time.
Followers are people who follow your account. They see your posts in their feed.
Following is the list of accounts that you follow. You see their posts in your feed.
Mutual followers are accounts where you both follow each other. It’s a two way connection.
So if you follow someone but they don’t follow you back, they’re not a mutual follower. They’re just someone you follow.
If someone follows you but you don’t follow them back, they’re your follower but not a mutual.
Only when both of you follow each other does it become a mutual follower relationship.
Can You Hide Mutual Followers on Instagram?
This is a privacy concern for many users.
Privacy Settings Explained:
Instagram doesn’t give you an option to hide mutual followers specifically.
When someone visits your profile, they can see which of their friends also follow you. You can’t turn this off.
However, you can make your entire account private. This gives you more control over who sees your information.
With a private account, only approved followers can see your posts, followers list, and following list.
But even with a private account, mutual followers can still be visible to people who follow you. That’s just how Instagram works.
If you’re really concerned about privacy, you can be selective about who you accept as followers.
What Happens When You Restrict or Block Someone:
If you restrict someone on Instagram, they can still see your public information including mutual followers.
Restricting mostly affects comments and messages. It doesn’t hide your mutual connections.
Blocking someone is more serious. When you block an account, they can’t see your profile at all.
They won’t be able to find you in search results. They won’t see your mutual followers either.
So if privacy is your main concern, blocking is more effective than restricting.
Just remember that blocking is permanent until you unblock them. Choose this option carefully.
How To See Mutual Followers Without Following Someone
You don’t need to follow someone to see your mutual connections with them.
Using Public Accounts:
If an account is public, you can visit their profile anytime.
Just search for their username in the Instagram search bar.
Go to their profile. Look at the “Followed by” section under their bio.
Your mutual followers will be displayed right there. No need to follow them first.
This works on both mobile app and desktop browser.
The only time you can’t see this information is if the account is private and hasn’t accepted your follow request yet.
Safe Alternatives to Third Party Apps:
I mentioned earlier that third party apps are risky.
But I get it. Sometimes you want more detailed information about your followers.
The safest way to track your Instagram connections is to use Instagram’s built in features.
Check your followers list regularly. Take note of new followers and unfollowers manually.
You can also use Instagram Insights if you have a business or creator account. This gives you official analytics without any risks.
Some people keep a simple spreadsheet of their followers. It’s old school but totally safe.
Just avoid any app that asks for your password or promises to show you hidden information. Those are always scams.
Mutual Followers vs Mutual Friends What’s the Difference?
People often confuse these two terms.
Instagram vs Facebook Comparison:
On Facebook, mutual friends are people who are friends with both you and someone else.
Facebook has an actual friends system. You send friend requests and people accept or decline.
Instagram doesn’t have a friends feature. Instead, it has followers.
So mutual followers on Instagram are similar to mutual friends on Facebook, but not exactly the same.
On Instagram, anyone can follow you if your account is public. You don’t need to approve them.
On Facebook, someone needs to accept your friend request before you become friends.
That’s the key difference. Instagram is more open and public by default.
How Mutuals Affect Your Instagram Recommendations:
Instagram uses your mutual followers to suggest new accounts you might like.
When you have several mutual connections with someone, Instagram thinks you might be interested in them too.
That’s why you see recommendations like “Followed by your_friend and 5 others you follow.”
The algorithm assumes that people with shared connections have similar interests.
This actually works pretty well. I’ve discovered lots of great accounts through mutual follower recommendations.
So mutual followers don’t just show you connections. They actively help you find new content you’ll probably enjoy.
Troubleshooting Can’t See Mutual Followers?
Sometimes the mutual followers feature doesn’t work properly. Here’s how to fix it.
Common Reasons Why Mutuals Don’t Show Up:
The account is private and hasn’t accepted your follow request. You can only see mutual followers on private accounts if they’ve approved you.
You actually don’t have any mutual followers with that account. This happens more often than you’d think.
Your Instagram app is outdated. Old versions sometimes have bugs that prevent features from working.
There’s a temporary glitch with Instagram’s servers. This usually fixes itself within a few hours.
Your internet connection is weak. Instagram needs a stable connection to load mutual follower information.
The account has blocked you. If someone blocks you, you won’t be able to see any of their information including mutuals.
How To Fix Instagram App Issues:
First, try closing the Instagram app completely and reopening it.
If that doesn’t work, update your Instagram app to the latest version. Go to your app store and check for updates.
Clear your Instagram app cache. On Android, go to Settings, Apps, Instagram, Storage, Clear Cache. On iPhone, you might need to uninstall and reinstall the app.
Check your internet connection. Try switching between WiFi and mobile data.
Log out of your Instagram account and log back in. This refreshes your connection to Instagram’s servers.
If nothing works, wait a few hours and try again. Sometimes Instagram has temporary issues that resolve on their own.
You can also report the problem to Instagram through the app’s settings. They’re usually pretty responsive to bug reports.
FAQs About How to See Mutual Followers on Instagram
Let me answer the most common questions people ask about mutual followers.
Can I see who my friends have in common with me?
Yes, you can. Just visit your friend’s profile and look at their followers list. The accounts that follow both of you are your mutual followers. Instagram makes this easy by showing mutual connections at the top of the list.
Do mutual followers mean we follow each other?
Not exactly. Mutual followers mean that both you and another user follow the same accounts. It doesn’t necessarily mean you follow each other. For example, if you and your coworker both follow the same cooking page, that cooking page is your mutual follower.
Can you hide mutual followers on Instagram?
No, Instagram doesn’t let you hide mutual followers specifically. If your account is public, anyone can see your mutual connections. Your only option is to make your entire account private, which limits who can see your information overall.
Why can’t I see mutual followers on private accounts?
Private accounts protect their follower information. You can only see mutual followers on a private account if that account has accepted your follow request first. Until then, their followers list remains hidden from you.
Are mutual followers the same as followers who follow me back?
No, these are different things. Followers who follow you back are accounts where you both follow each other directly. Mutual followers are accounts that both you and someone else follow. The first is about your relationship. The second is about shared connections.
Can someone tell if I checked their mutual followers?
No, Instagram doesn’t notify users when you view their mutual followers list. You can browse freely without worrying about the other person finding out. This applies to all follower lists on Instagram.
Do I need to follow someone to see our mutual followers?
No, you don’t need to follow them. As long as their account is public, you can visit their profile and see your mutual connections. Following is not required to view this information.
Conclusion
Checking mutual followers on Instagram is a simple but powerful feature.
It helps you build trust, discover new accounts, and understand your social connections better. Whether you’re using the mobile app or desktop browser, the process takes less than a minute.
Remember to stay safe online. Avoid third party apps that promise to show you hidden information. Stick to Instagram’s official features instead.
Understanding how mutual followers work improves your overall Instagram experience. You can network better, find relevant content faster, and make smarter decisions about who to follow.
At aiconnecto.com, we believe in helping you make the most of social media platforms. Mutual followers are just one piece of the puzzle, but it’s an important one.
So next time you get a follow request from someone new, take a moment to check your mutual connections. You might be surprised by the people you have in common.
Happy Instagramming!
