Here's how to see sent follow requests on Instagram: your data download lists every request you sent to a private account that hasn't been accepted. Drop the file below and the Requests you sent tab shows them with the date you sent each one, linked to the profile so you can cancel any of them.
1Get your file from Instagram. Export only Followers and following, in JSON, from Meta Account (or Accounts Center). Show me how
2Drop the ZIP here. It is read on this device. Nothing is uploaded, and you never type your password.
Don't have the ZIP yet?Step-by-step help, right here
Processed on your device
Your saved follower lists
Each check saves a copy of your followers list (usernames only) in this browser. Your next upload is compared with the latest copy to show who unfollowed you. Nothing is stored on our servers.
How to see sent follow requests on Instagram when the app hides them
When you follow a private account, the button switches to Requested and stays that way until they accept. Instagram doesn't send you a reminder, and there's no obvious list in the app of every request you've left hanging. Over the years these pile up: old classmates, accounts you tapped by mistake, profiles that went private after you found them.
The data download keeps a file called pending_follow_requests.json with all of them. This page reads that file in your browser, so how to see sent follow requests on Instagram comes down to one export and one drop.
How to see sent follow requests on Instagram and clean them up
Request your Instagram data with Followers and following ticked. Follow our Instagram data download guide if you haven't done it before.
Drop the ZIP above; the list opens on Requests you sent.
Tap a name to open the profile, tap Requested and confirm to cancel.
Other lists in the same file
The same export also shows accounts you unfollowed recently, who doesn't follow you back, and, after a second upload,who unfollowed you on Instagram. Use the tabs above the list to switch.
More checks from the same file
One Instagram export answers all of these. Upload it once on any page; the snapshot is shared across the site.
Exactly which options to pick so the file is small and arrives fast.
Frequently asked questions
How do I see sent follow requests on Instagram?
The Instagram app has no list of requests you sent. Instagram's own answer is the data download: request Followers and following, All time, then drop the ZIP on Unfollowers Tool to see every pending request in a list.
Is there a way to see all my pending follow requests at once?
Yes. Unfollowers Tool lists every pending request from your data download on one page, newest first, with a link to each profile. It's free and needs no login.
Can I see when I sent a follow request?
Yes. The export records the date of each pending request, and this page shows it next to each name.
How do I cancel all my sent follow requests?
Instagram has no cancel-all button. Open each profile from the list here, tap Requested and confirm. Download the CSV if you want to work through a long list over a few days.
Why is the list empty?
Either you have no pending requests, or the export doesn't include them. Make sure Followers and following is selected when you request the export.