If you want real, engaged followers who actually care about your content, here are five legitimate methods:

After a warning, repeated violations lead to account deletion. All your real photos, DMs, and community vanish overnight.

This is the most common trick. The website advertises "100 free followers" to get you to enter your Instagram username. After a short wait, you receive a handful of low-quality bot accounts. Then, to get the remaining followers or to unlock "real active followers," you are prompted to pay a subscription fee or complete surveys that generate revenue for the site.

Instagram is a search engine. Use relevant keywords in your username, bio, and captions. If you are a baker, don't just post a cake photo—caption it with "Best chocolate cake recipe in [Your City] #NYCBaker."