Instagram is testing a profile update that replaces the “Following” count with “Friends,” showing only people who mutually follow each other. The change, first spotted by app researcher Radu Oncescu, is part of a small experiment confirmed by Instagram to see how users respond to highlighting reciprocal connections instead of total follows.
According to Instagram, “Friends are central to the Instagram experience,” and the test reflects how much engagement now happens in DMs rather than public feeds. In that context, mutual follows may better represent who you actually interact with, rather than just the accounts you choose to follow.
Still, the shift could change how people use profile numbers. “Following” has long doubled as a discovery tool, a way to find similar creators or interests through someone’s network, and replacing it with “Friends” might reduce that. It would also reshape how follower-to-following ratios signal influence, potentially shifting attention from popularity to community closeness instead.
Whether this becomes a permanent change isn’t clear yet, but it reflects Instagram’s broader move toward more private, connection-driven engagement over public broadcasting.
The Takeaway
Instagram is experimenting with emphasizing mutual connections over raw follow counts, signaling a possible shift from influence metrics to relationship-driven engagement but it’s unclear whether users will find that more useful or just more confusing.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
