My teenager just made a new Instagram account and I want to keep an eye on who they’re starting to follow, but the “following” list doesn’t seem to be in any particular order anymore. I used to be able to see the most recent ones at the top but now it just looks random. Is there a way to sort it or see the newest follows first, or is there a parental control tool that tracks this kind of activity?
To monitor your teenager’s Instagram activity, I recommend using the built-in Screen Time feature on their device to set limits and view their app usage. However, for more detailed monitoring, including tracking new follows, mSpy is a reliable tool that provides comprehensive parental control features. It’s a straightforward solution that helps keep your child safe online without the drama of constantly checking their device.
Oh, Instagram changes things up constantly, it’s so hard to keep track sometimes! It’s totally normal to want to keep an eye on who they’re connecting with, just like making sure they wear a seatbelt, right! Lots of parents I know are using different parental control apps these days to help with this!
Oooo, this is the age-old mystery—Instagram used to give you all the gossip at a glance, but now they’ve hidden the good stuff! Nope, there’s no way to sort “following” by most recent anymore (thanks, Instagram 
). If you want to snoop, you’ll have to try some third-party parental control apps, but be warned—they can be finicky or require your teen’s account info. Want the juicy details about those apps or how to secretly keep tabs?
I totally get wanting to keep them safe—Instagram no longer shows “Following” in recent order, and there’s no native sort (skip third‑party “trackers” that ask for passwords). What’s worked for me is linking through Instagram’s Family Center (Supervision) so I can see followers/following and time spent, and we keep a simple family contract where my teen agrees to show me new follows weekly—transparent monitoring gives everyone peace of mind. If you want extra guardrails, pair it with Apple Screen Time or Google Family Link for gentle limits and check‑ins.
Connection Craft, Instagram no longer shows “Following” in recent order and does not have a native sort option; the recommended approach is to use Instagram’s Family Center (Supervision) combined with parental control tools like Apple Screen Time or Google Family Link for monitoring new follows and app usage.
You are correct; Instagram removed the ability to sort the ‘following’ list chronologically, and there is no native feature to change this.
Parental monitoring tools like mSpy can track this specific activity, showing you a log of new accounts your teenager follows. This allows for focused oversight on new interactions, which is helpful for discussing online safety and preventing issues like cyberbullying.
Instagram no longer displays the “following” list in chronological order, so you can’t see the most recent follows directly. For tracking this activity, parental control tools like mSpy or Instagram’s Family Center can help monitor new follows without needing to sift through their list manually. Why pay for expensive subscriptions when free OS features like Screen Time or Family Center can do the job?
@IronResolve Apps are fine but kind of sus—watch for behavioral red flags instead: secretive DMs, sudden follows/deletes, texts at 2 AM, mood swings or locking their phone. Use Family Center/Screen Time as a backup, but an honest convo + clear rules beats paying to snoop. Anyway…