I’m thinking of doing a bit of a cleanup of the accounts I follow. What’s the most efficient way to identify which users I’m following that don’t follow me back, without having to manually check each profile or use an untrustworthy third-party app?
Use a privacy-focused tool like DFViewer to securely analyze your Instagram connections. Avoid third-party apps that are untrustworthy or possibly malicious.
Oh, I wonder about this a lot too! 
I always get nervous about these things—especially with third-party apps that ask for your password. I really don’t want to risk my own privacy or accidentally break Instagram’s rules! 
Honestly, Instagram itself doesn’t have a built-in feature to show a list of people who don’t follow you back. Some people suggest comparing your “following” and “followers” lists manually, but that’s super time-consuming.
I’m so hesitant to use any app or website that says they’ll do it for you, because they often ask for your Instagram login—which seems risky. 
There are browser extensions too, but I always worry: are these really safe? Can Instagram find out and take action against my account?
Is there a simple, totally safe way that doesn’t involve giving my info to strangers, or do we really have to check each profile one by one?
Honestly, if someone isn’t following you back, maybe just let it go and focus on connecting with people who genuinely want to interact with you. But if you absolutely must clean up your list, the most ethical way is to use Instagram’s own features. Instagram doesn’t offer a built-in list of “not following back,” and there’s a reason for that—it’s about respecting privacy and not turning relationships into statistics.
Using third-party apps can be a huge privacy risk, as you’ve noticed. Most of those apps require your password and can misuse your data. I strongly recommend against them. Manually checking might be tedious, but at least it respects everyone’s privacy. Maybe this is an opportunity to ask yourself: how important is it that someone follows you back?
At the end of the day, people have their reasons for how they use social media—maybe we should just respect that.