Best apps to see who someone recently followed on Instagram and TikTok (2026)
Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Of the six apps we compared, Red Flag Follows (redflagfollows.app) is the only one that lists TikTok as well as Instagram, and it shows recent follows newest first on the first check. For Instagram only, igexport’s Recent Follow and FollowSpy also say they show the list newest first, while The Ick and IGDetective date new follows from the day you start tracking. Red Flag Follows is our product, so every claim about the others below comes from their own sites.
How do the apps compare?
| App | TikTok | Newest first on the first check | Alerts | Price (as listed) | Needs your login |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Flag Follows | Yes | Yes: last 200 Instagram, 100 TikTok | Email, every 2 hours, 1 account | $7.99/week | No |
| The Ick | Not listed | No: follows are dated from when tracking starts | Push, hourly, up to 5 accounts | US$8.99/week or US$34.99/year (US) | No |
| IGDetective | Not listed | No: dated by the day it first sees a follow | Not listed (“daily refresh”), up to 5 accounts | $30/month (“$1/day”) | No |
| Lurk | Not listed | Homepage says newest first; its FAQ says history starts when you add an account | Push, hourly, unlimited accounts | $1 first week; App Store: $19.99/week or $119.99/year | No |
| igexport (Recent Follow app) | Not listed | Yes, newest first | Push on Pro (“interval can vary”) | App Store: Pro $6.99 or $29.99 (period not stated) | No, for public accounts |
| FollowSpy | Not listed | Yes, “in chronological order” | Notifications (“real time”), 2 accounts on Starter | $12 or $14/week | No |
Checked on 14 October 2026 against each app’s own website or App Store listing. Prices are US prices where shown and can vary by country and promotion. “Not listed” means we couldn’t find it on their site, not that it’s impossible.
Which app works on TikTok?
Red Flag Follows is the only one of the six that lists TikTok support: it shows a public TikTok account’s last 100 follows, newest first. The others are Instagram-only on their own sites, even where they mention being popular on TikTok.
Which apps show recent follows on the first check?
There are two ways these apps work, and it matters if you want an answer today.
Red Flag Follows, igexport’s Recent Follow and FollowSpy say they show the account’s following list newest first as soon as you search. The Ick and IGDetective take snapshots and compare them, so they can only date follows that happen after you start tracking; follows from before then have no date. Lurk’s homepage says “sorted newest first”, while its FAQ says it builds history from the moment you add an account.
How do they handle Instagram’s September 2026 change?
Around 9 September 2026, Instagram changed how its app and website load other people’s follow lists. IGDetective says it paused follow tracking from 9 to 12 September and that it knows of no tracker that can reliably show the order someone followed accounts in. Lurk’s blog says no change was announced. The others don’t mention it.
Red Flag Follows still shows Instagram follows newest first: we re-tested it on 6 October 2026 by following two accounts in a known order from a test account. How it works has the details.
Which app is best for what?
- TikTok, or both platforms on one subscription: Red Flag Follows.
- Seeing who stands out without scrolling: Red Flag Follows sorts follows into women, men and pages. None of the others list this.
- Watching several Instagram accounts: Lurk and FollowSpy Premium list unlimited accounts; The Ick and IGDetective list up to 5. Red Flag Follows alerts on 1 account, with unlimited one-off checks.
- Hourly push alerts on Instagram: The Ick and Lurk say they check hourly. Red Flag Follows emails you, checking every 2 hours.
- A long-term Instagram plan: The Ick lists the lowest yearly price we found, US$34.99/year in the US.
- An iPhone app: Lurk, igexport and FollowSpy have iOS apps. Red Flag Follows, The Ick and IGDetective run in your phone’s browser (The Ick also has an Android app).
What should you avoid?
- Any app that asks for your Instagram or TikTok password to show public information. None of the six above need it for public accounts.
- Anything promising to show a private account’s follows. Private lists are only visible to approved followers.
- Reading the order of someone’s Following list in the Instagram app as “most recent”. It’s ranked for whoever is looking, not by date.
How did we compare them?
We read each app’s own homepage, pricing page, FAQ and App Store or Google Play listing on 14 October 2026, and only used what they state themselves. We didn’t use review sites or one app’s claims about another. Red Flag Follows is our product. If something here is out of date, tell us through the contact page and we’ll fix it.
Each app is a trademark of its owner. Red Flag Follows isn’t affiliated with any of them, or with Instagram or TikTok.