Threads Follow Suggestions Stuck on Old Instagram Contacts: Fix

Your Threads follow suggestions still show people you followed on Instagram years ago and no longer interact with. This happens because Threads pulls its follow recommendation data directly from your Instagram connections and cached account history. The suggestions do not refresh automatically when you remove followers or unfollow accounts on Instagram. This article explains why the suggestions get stuck and provides the exact steps to clear old contacts from your Threads follow list.

Why Threads Follow Suggestions Show Old Instagram Contacts

Threads does not maintain its own separate contact list for follow suggestions. Instead, it uses the following data from your linked Instagram account. When you first connect Threads to Instagram, the app imports your entire Instagram Following list and a subset of your Instagram Followers. This imported data becomes the initial pool of suggested accounts in Threads.

The problem occurs because Threads only syncs this data during the initial connection and during periodic background updates. If you unfollow someone on Instagram after the initial sync, Threads may not remove them from your suggestion pool for days or weeks. Similarly, if you remove a follower on Instagram, Threads may still show that person as a suggestion because the follower removal event is not sent to Threads.

Instagram caches your following history for up to 30 days. During this period, even after you unfollow someone, Threads can still show them because the cache has not expired. The only way to force an immediate refresh is to break and reestablish the connection between the two apps.

Steps to Remove Old Instagram Contacts from Threads Suggestions

1. Open Instagram and go to your Following list
   Tap your profile picture in the bottom right. Tap the Following number below your bio. Scroll through the list and find any account you no longer want to see suggested in Threads.
2. Unfollow the old contact on Instagram
   Tap the Following button next to their name and confirm Unfollow. Repeat this for every old contact you want removed from Threads suggestions. This step removes them from Instagram’s active following list but does not immediately affect Threads.
3. Open Threads and go to your profile
   Tap the profile icon in the bottom right corner of Threads. This shows your Threads profile with your bio, posts, follower count, and following count.
4. Tap the Followers count on your Threads profile
   This opens a list of everyone who follows you on Threads. Look for any old Instagram contact who still appears here. Tap the three dots next to their name and select Remove follower. This removes them from Threads entirely and stops them from appearing in your suggestions.
5. Disconnect Threads from Instagram
   Open Instagram. Go to your profile, tap the three-line menu in the top right, then tap Settings and privacy. Scroll to Accounts Center and tap it. Tap Connected experiences. Find Threads in the list and tap Remove. Confirm the removal. This breaks the data link between the two apps.
6. Reconnect Threads to Instagram
   Open Threads again. You will see a prompt to log in or connect to Instagram. Tap Connect with Instagram and log in with the same Instagram account. Threads will perform a fresh sync of your current Instagram Following and Followers lists. Only the accounts you still follow on Instagram will appear as suggestions.

After reconnecting, give Threads up to 24 hours to fully rebuild its suggestion algorithm. During this period, you may still see a few old contacts because of residual cache data. The suggestions will normalize after the cache expires.

If Threads Suggestions Still Show Old Contacts After the Main Fix

Threads Suggestion Cache Has Not Expired Yet

Instagram and Threads both use server-side caching that can persist for up to 30 days. If you unfollowed someone on Instagram but still see them in Threads suggestions, wait 24 hours and check again. If the problem persists beyond 48 hours, repeat the disconnect-reconnect steps and ensure you are using the latest version of both apps.

Threads Shows Contacts You Never Followed on Instagram

Threads sometimes suggests accounts that are popular in your region or that your Instagram contacts follow. These suggestions come from Instagram’s recommendation engine, not your personal Following list. To reduce these suggestions, go to Instagram and mute or restrict those accounts. Threads will deprioritize them over the next few days.

Threads Keeps Suggesting a Deleted Instagram Account

If someone deleted their Instagram account, Threads may still show them because the account data is cached. The only fix is to wait for Instagram to fully purge the deleted account from its servers, which can take up to 90 days. You cannot manually remove a deleted account from Threads suggestions. Block the account on Threads if you want to hide it immediately.

Threads vs Instagram: Follow Suggestion Sources Compared

Item	Threads	Instagram
Data source for suggestions	Instagram Following list (imported)	Your activity, contacts, location, and interests
Refresh frequency	Only on initial connection and periodic background sync	Real-time updates based on your interactions
Manual removal method	Remove follower on Threads or unfollow on Instagram then reconnect	Unfollow, mute, or restrict directly on Instagram
Cache duration	Up to 30 days	Up to 30 days for some recommendation data
Effect of Instagram unfollow on Threads	No immediate effect; requires reconnect	Immediate

You can now clear old Instagram contacts from your Threads follow suggestions by unfollowing them on Instagram, removing them as a follower on Threads, and reconnecting the two accounts. If the suggestions still show outdated contacts, wait for the server cache to expire or block the account directly in Threads. As an advanced tip, periodically review your Instagram Following list and remove inactive accounts to keep your Threads suggestion pool clean without needing to disconnect and reconnect.