Why does my Instagram follower count keep going up by a few and then dropping back to the same number?

Instagram regularly removes fake accounts, old accounts, inactive accounts, and purchased/bot accounts from the platform. Also, the way Instagram displays the follow button while scrolling reels is tricky—it’s positioned right next to usernames, so many people (including frequent users) accidentally follow accounts and then unfollow when they realize it. This is completely normal and happens to everyone. If you’re not intentionally running a growth strategy and following new people daily, seeing your count fluctuate by 2-4 followers is not a problem or sign of anything wrong. Focus on intentional audience growth strategies rather than worrying about these small natural fluctuations.

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Asked by an artist whose follower count fluctuates between 1676-1680 · Answered by Juan · Office Hours · 2026-04-16