Should I follow my crush on Instagram? I think no one in this world hasn’t struggled with this question. I know I have, and the good news is that I’ve come up with a solution.
If you read on, you’ll find the answer to this and other related questions.
Should I Follow My Crush On Instagram?
I’ll be honest with you: there is no universal answer to this question. It all depends on different factors, including the nature of your relationship and many other things.
But that doesn’t mean I won’t help you resolve this dilemma. In fact, I’ll give you 14 yays and nays for doing it.
8 Reasons It’s A Good Idea
If you can relate to most of these things, following your crush on Insta is a must:
1. You’ve met in real life
You two already know each other in real life. It doesn’t matter if they’re your coworker, someone you hang out with in the same crowd, or just someone you’ve met once. In these cases, there is absolutely nothing wrong with adding them on Insta on other social media platforms.
You’re safe from looking like a stalker if you send them a friend request, even if their account is private. You’re not behaving like a groupie, and it doesn’t have to mean that they’re your crush.
Maybe you’re just expanding your network, or they came up as a suggested friend.
Of course, it would be better if you two were good friends. In that case, it doesn’t really matter who followed whom first. They’ll definitely accept your follow request.
On the other hand, if you’re not sure whether they remember you or not and you see that they’re not accepting your request, don’t unfollow them right away. Just slide into their DMs and remind them who you are.
This can come in handy if your profile is private, your user name is not the same as your real name, and your profile pic is kind of unclear.
2. You have a lot of mutual friends
Don’t ask yourself, “Should I follow my crush on Instagram?” if you two have a bunch of mutual friends. The answer is undoubtedly yes!
Even if you don’t know many of these people in person, your crush is likely to accept you and follow you back if they see that you have a lot of mutual followers.
Why? Well, this is proves that you’re not a fake profile trying to catfish them. What are the chances that so many people they know friended you if they didn’t know who you were?
Also, they’ll assume that they know you – they just can’t remember you clearly. It would be best if these mutual friends could be grouped in a way.
What does this mean? Well, these mutual followers should be connected.
For example, if you have a lot of friends from high school, your crush will assume that you went to high school with them as well, and they’ll follow you back without hesitation.
Here’s a pro tip: Even if you’re trying to follow someone you don’t know, make sure to follow some of their followers before. Some of them will accept you, and you’ll give your crush a better first impression when they get a request from you.
3. You follow each other on other social media accounts
Here’s another sign you should definitely follow your crush on Insta: you two are already friends on other social media platforms. You have them on Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, or TikTok.
So, there is absolutely no harm in adding them on Instagram either. After all, we know that is where all the fun and juice is.
There is no doubt about one thing: they’ll accept your request and follow you back right away. However, this is not the best news you could have hoped for.
I hate to be the one to break it to you, but this is probably a sign they don’t have a crush on you. Otherwise, they would have used this opportunity and followed you ages ago.
However, that doesn’t mean the situation can’t change in the future, now that you have this powerful tool (Instagram) in your hands!
4. You know they stalk your profile as well
Some people will watch your Instagram stories, reply to them, and even slide into your DMs from time to time. However, they won’t try following you.
They just think there is no point to it, especially if your account is public. They can see whatever they want to see.
Besides, they’re probably obsessed with the number of people they’re following. They’re scared that you might not send them a follow back, or they just have the policy of never following anyone first.
Foolish, I know. But if your crush is one of these people, be braver than them. Make the first move, and send them a follow request. I promise that you’ll get a follow back the very next day!
5. They’ve asked for your Instagram
What if your crush specifically asked for your Instagram username IRL but never sent you a follow request? Well, on the one hand, you should wait for a notification from them because they’re the one who brought the subject up.
Nevertheless, if you’re too impatient to wait for it, just be the first one to follow them. Don’t worry, it won’t make you look desperate. On the contrary, it will show them that you’re not in the mood for mind games.
6. You two talked about your social media profiles
The same is true for situations when you were just talking about Instagram or other social media profiles. Maybe your crush mentioned the vacation they went on last summer and told you they’d captured some amazing pics for Insta. Or maybe they asked for your advice over an Insta caption.
If that isn’t an invitation to follow them, I don’t know what is.
Isn’t it obvious? They’re clearly beating around the bush because they’re too shy to ask for your Insta profile directly or to follow you first.
This is another situation where you should take the lead and take things into your own hands. Show them that you’re not scared to take the initiative.
7. Your gut feeling tells you so
You keep asking yourself, “Should I follow my crush on Instagram?” But that’s not the end of it. You ask all of your friends the same question. You toss coins and look for signs that they’re thinking about you as well.
But despite everything, you can’t seem to come up with an answer. The moment you decide to follow them, something inside of you stops you from actually hitting that button.
On the other hand, when you think you’ve given up on the idea, a tiny voice appears in the back of your head, telling you that you should have done it.
However, at the end of the day, your gut feeling is telling you to do it! Not only that: your gut feeling is also telling you that you two should be together. And that’s what you should listen to!
Your intuition is rarely wrong, and if it tells you to follow them, there is probably a deeper reason for that. Just wait and see!
8. What is there to lose?
Let me ask you the most important question regarding this issue: what is the worst thing that can happen? I won’t lie to you, it’s possible the’ll decline your request, not follow you back, or even worse – follow you just to see who you are and then unfollow you immediately.
Yes, these are all reasonable fears. But what if all of these things happen? Is it the end of the world? Absolutely not!
I mean, what is there to lose? No, you won’t lose your dignity because you’ve followed someone who didn’t follow you back.
Remember that this is the virtual world, not real life. It’s not like you’ve shown up in front of their house. You weren’t begging them to be with you – you’ve tried following their Instagram account, and that’s it.
Trust me, it’s not such a big deal. BTW, even if the worst-case scenario happens, at least you’ll know you tried.
6 Reasons Not To Do It
Here are five signs that sending your crush a follow request is the worst idea ever:
1. They have no idea who you are
This person is completely unaware of your existence. I’m sorry to say it like this, but it’s only the truth.
They don’t know who you are, you two don’t have any mutual friends, they’ve never watched your Instagram stories, they’ve never sent you a direct message, and you two have never talked IRL.
In that case, the answer to the question: “Should I follow my Crush on Instagram?” is “No, you shouldn’t.” Or at least, it wouldn’t be a good idea to do so.
They’ll just think of you as one of their stalkers and ignore your Insta existence completely.
Here’s some relationship advice: do your best to capture your crush’s attention in real life before adding them on social media platforms.
2. Their profile is private
People mark their accounts as private for a reason: they don’t want to give the entire world the opportunity to gain insight into their lives. They don’t want to rack their brains trying to figure out if their ex is trying to stalk them or if someone is just trying to be nosy.
Basically, what I’m trying to say is not to send your crush a follow request if their account is private. You’re risking your request being denied – especially if your profile is private too.
3. … and they don’t have a lot of followers
There is nothing worse than seeing that someone follows exactly the same number of people following them. Don’t get me wrong – there is absolutely nothing wrong with this type of account. However, it does send you a certain message.
If you can relate this kind of Instagram behavior to your crush, one thing is for sure: you’re dealing with a private person. They use Instagram to stay in touch with their closest friends and family members, and that’s about it.
I mean, they’ve definitely received tons of requests. Nevertheless, it’s more than clear that they don’t accept ones they don’t know.
They don’t even follow their favorite celebrity, so why would you be an exception?
4. You’ve already tried following them, and it didn’t end well
If you’re wondering, “Should I follow my crush on Instagram?” ask yourself this as well: “Is this the first time I’m sending them a request?”
If the answer is yes, there is no problem. On the other hand, if you’ve already tried following them, but it didn’t end well, don’t do it again, even if your life depended on it.
Maybe they declined your request or just chose not to follow you back. In that case, accept defeat and suffer in silence.
What do you think will change this time? They won’t suddenly realize they have a crush on you, will they?
I hate to break it to you, but in this case, you’ll have to find another way to get closer to them and get them to like you.
I know what you’re thinking right now: “They might not have seen my request the last time. I should probably send it again.” Wrong! If you keep following and unfollowing them, you’ll just seem like a lunatic who is stalking them.
5. They’re in a committed relationship
I’ll be honest with you: you have no business following someone who is in a serious, committed relationship. Of course, they’re allowed to have friends, and there is nothing wrong with that.
However, the truth is that you’re not trying to be their friend, are you? We’re talking about your crush here, and your primary goal is to make them like you back.
First of all, that is unfair to their partner. How would you feel if someone was going after your boyfriend or girlfriend? I bet it wouldn’t be pleasant.
But what is more important is that you’ll look desperate. I mean, you’re hitting on someone who is involved in a serious relationship.
Besides, even if you eventually get them to cheat on their SO, what will that tell you about them? Who says they wouldn’t do the same to you?
IDK, but if I were you, I would give up on this until they break up with their current partner.
6. You’ll come out as a stalker
At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter what people think or say. However, if you know there is the slightest chance your crush will think of you as a stalker, you shouldn’t follow them on Insta.
Maybe you’re dealing with the type of person who can’t wait to tell the world that you’re their number one fan. Of course, that is a huge sign of their emotional immaturity and a red flag to run for your life.
So, before you answer the question “Should I follow my crush on Instagram?” make sure to look at things as realistically as possible.
If there are more cons than pros, you know this move isn’t a good idea.
How Do You Get Your Crush To Follow You On Instagram?
Follow this step-by-step guide, and your crush will follow you in no time:
1. Watch their stories
Even if you don’t follow your crush, and their account is not private, you can still watch their stories. No, don’t watch every story of theirs, and don’t do it the minute they post one. If you do, it’ll look like you’re obsessed.
But every once and a while, make them aware of your presence. This is a great way to grab your crush’s attention and make them wonder who you are. I’m sure that they’ll follow you right away.
2. Send appropriate replies and reactions
Another good tip to make your crush follow you on Instagram is to reply to their stories. But before that, you can just send a couple of reactions.
Once again, don’t come out looking like a boring stalker who replies to every one of their stories. Just do it from time to time and make sure to come up with witty responses.
You can send them an appropriate emoji or meme. Both of these things are amazing conversation starters for texting. If your crush is interested, they’ll reply, and voila, you two will start texting!
3. Like some of their old pics
The moment your crush posts a new selfie, your first impulse is to like it right away. Well, don’t do it!
Why? Let me tell you the truth: they won’t notice. They’re getting a bunch of likes now, and yours will likely get lost among the others.
Instead, use one of these two options: you can either wait a couple of days until this photo becomes old. That way, your notification will be the only one. At the same time, they won’t realize that you’re spending all of your free time refreshing their page and waiting for some kind of update.
But what if they’re not posting anything new? In that case, option number two is to randomly like some of their old pics. Don’t go crazy – a couple will be more than enough.
Make sure to like the ones with the least reactions. Yes, they’ll know that you’ve been going through their profile, but so what?
4. Use your mutual friends as your wingmen
If you have a bunch of mutual friends, it’s time to use that to your advantage. No, don’t won’t ask them to hook you up.
But you will start showing up on their stories, posts, and comments. All of a sudden, your crush will feel like they’re following you because you’re on their feed all the time.
Even if they didn’t intend to do so, they will surely follow you.
5. Make your profile public
Should I follow my crush on Instagram? Or should I wait for them to send me a follow request?
Well, I’ll be straight with you: they’re unlikely to follow you out of the blue if your account is private. This is especially true if your profile picture is unclear or you have a funny username that has almost nothing to with your real name,
So, it would be great to make your profile public to increase your chances of getting a follow!
6. Tease them with your posts and pics
Once you’re sure that your crush can see your profile, it’s time to start teasing them with selfies and posts. Keep in mind that they’re more likely to see your feed than your Insta stories, so make sure to post all of your best pictures on your feed.
Don’t be too provocative, but don’t post every bit of nonsense that pops into your mind either.
And here’s the most important part of the process: make sure your selfies have amazing captions!
7. Share their interests
Let me reveal a little secret: Instagram has special algorithms that connect people with similar interests. That is why you have to find out more about what your crush likes and dislikes.
Follow the pages they follow, like the posts they like, and post similar music to what they post. It would be even better if you could visit the same locations they visit.
That way, Instagram will connect the two of you, and you’ll likely show up as a suggested friend to your crush. When they open your profile and see all the shared interests you two have, they’ll assume you’re their soulmate right away!
To Wrap Up:
When I was wondering, “Should I follow my crush on Instagram?” these pros and cons helped me a great deal. And I hope they’ll do the same for you.
But at the end of the day, the choice is all yours. If you want to do it, go for it. On the other hand, if you think this might look desperate, find another way to grab your crush’s attention.
The most important thing is not to overthink it. Just do what feels right at the given moment!