# Are Instagram tracker apps safe? Canonical: https://instagram-follower-tracker.com/guides/are-instagram-tracker-apps-safe/ **Short answer:** tracker apps that ask for your Instagram username and password are the risky ones. Instagram can flag those logins as suspicious and lock or restrict the account, and you’re trusting an unknown company with full access. Trackers that only read public profiles never touch your account, so the main risks there are price and accuracy. ## Two kinds of tracker, two kinds of risk **Apps for your own account** (unfollowers apps) need you to sign in with Instagram. They then read your followers and following lists on a schedule, from their servers or your phone. This is where the account risk sits: Instagram doesn’t offer these apps an official way to read follower lists, so they act like a logged-in user, and Instagram’s systems look for exactly that. **Trackers for other public accounts** look up a public profile by its username. You don’t give them any login. They can’t lock your account, but some promise things that aren’t possible, and some bill weekly. ## Why giving an app your Instagram login is risky - **Locks and verification loops.** A login from a server in another country, or an app requesting your follower list every few minutes, looks like a hijacked account. The most common complaint in login-based apps’ reviews is being logged out, asked for codes over and over, or warned about suspicious activity. - **Restrictions.** Instagram limits accounts that behave like bots. If an app also follows or unfollows for you, the risk goes up. - **Full access.** Your login lets the app read your messages and post as you. You’re relying on its promise not to. - **Leaks.** Stored credentials are only as safe as the company storing them. ## Red flags of a fake or risky tracker - **“See who viewed your profile.”** Instagram doesn’t share profile views with anyone, so these numbers are invented. - **“View private accounts.”** Nobody can see a private account’s followers or posts without being an approved follower. - **No price until after you sign up**, or a “free scan” that ends in a weekly subscription. - **No company name, address or privacy policy.** - **A website login form that asks for your Instagram password** instead of sending you to Instagram. - **Ratings on its own site that don’t match the App Store or Google Play.** ## Which trackers need your login Here’s how the tools we’ve reviewed compare. The safety score is one of five criteria in [our method](https://instagram-follower-tracker.com/methodology/). ToolNeeds your Instagram loginTracksSafety score[The Ick](https://instagram-follower-tracker.com/reviews/theick/)No Instagram loginUp to 5 public accounts you don’t own★ 5.0[Snoopreport](https://instagram-follower-tracker.com/reviews/snoopreport/)No Instagram login; just the usernames to trackPublic accounts you don’t own★ 5.0[DolphinRadar](https://instagram-follower-tracker.com/reviews/dolphinradar/)No, a DolphinRadar account (email, Google or Apple ID)Public accounts, one per subscription★ 5.0[IGDetective](https://instagram-follower-tracker.com/reviews/igdetective/)No Instagram login; an IGDetective account is neededPublic accounts, including ones you don’t own★ 4.5[FollowSpy](https://instagram-follower-tracker.com/reviews/followspy/)No Instagram login; a FollowSpy account is neededPublic accounts; 2 on Starter, unlimited on Premium★ 5.0[Recent Follow](https://instagram-follower-tracker.com/reviews/recentfollow/)No Instagram login; email account for paid plansPublic accounts you don’t own★ 4.5[FollowMeter](https://instagram-follower-tracker.com/reviews/followmeter/)Yes, your Instagram accountYour own account only★ 2.0[Reports+](https://instagram-follower-tracker.com/reviews/reports-plus/)Yes, your Instagram account (via Instagram’s web login)Your own account only★ 2.0 ## Already gave an app your Instagram password? - Change your Instagram password, and the password of any other account where you used the same one. - Turn on two-factor authentication. - In Accounts Center, open “Password and security”, then “Where you’re logged in”, and log out any sessions you don’t recognise. - Check the apps and websites connected to your account and remove the tracker. - Cancel the subscription in the App Store or Google Play. Deleting the app doesn’t cancel it. ## Tracking someone else: what’s fair Public follows are public, and checking them isn’t against the law in most places. Still, constant monitoring of a partner or ex rarely makes anyone feel better, and a follow is weak evidence of anything. If you’re worried about a relationship, a conversation will tell you more than a follow list. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can Instagram ban you for using a tracker app? Instagram can restrict or disable accounts that share their login with third-party apps that automate activity. Trackers that only look up public profiles don’t use your account at all. ### Does the person know if I track them? Instagram doesn’t notify anyone when a third-party tool looks up their public profile. Viewing their stories through Instagram itself does show your name in the viewer list. ### Is there a safe way to see who unfollowed me? Yes. Download your data from Instagram (Accounts Center, “Your information and permissions”, “Download your information”) twice, some time apart, and compare the followers lists. It takes longer but doesn’t share your login with anyone. ### Are apps that show who viewed my profile real? No. Instagram doesn’t share profile visits with users or apps. Story viewer lists are the only “who looked” data Instagram shows, and only for your own stories.