The lifespan of pending requests to follow private Instagram accounts is not explicitly defined by a set expiration date. Once a user submits a follow request, it remains active until the account owner either accepts or declines it. The requester receives no notification if a request is implicitly denied due to inaction. The request simply persists in the account owner’s pending follow requests list indefinitely.
Understanding this behavior is important for both account owners and those seeking to follow private accounts. For account owners, managing pending requests effectively ensures control over their audience and content visibility. For requesters, recognizing the absence of a formal expiration means that if access is not granted in a timely manner, alternative strategies, such as engaging with the account owner through other channels, may be considered.
