Short answer: Threads followers are separate from your Instagram followers, even though you sign in to Threads with your Instagram account. Your username and verification carry over, and you can follow everyone you follow on Instagram in one step, but people only become your Threads followers when they follow you on Threads themselves.
Threads launched in July 2023 as Meta’s text-based companion to Instagram, and it still leans on Instagram for logins and early growth. That link causes a lot of confusion about follower numbers. Here is what carries over, what doesn’t and how the fediverse fits in.
How is a Threads profile linked to Instagram?
You create a Threads profile by signing in with your Instagram account. Meta set it up this way so you don’t start from nothing:
- your Instagram username and verification badge carry over;
- you can import your bio and profile picture, or customise them for Threads;
- accounts you have blocked on Instagram are blocked on Threads automatically;
- during setup you can choose to follow the same accounts you follow on Instagram.
Because Threads is tied to your Instagram login, think carefully before changing or removing the Instagram account behind it. If you ever want to step away from Threads, look in the Threads app’s account settings for the deactivate and delete options and read what each one does before confirming.
Why is your Threads follower count different from Instagram?
The import works in one direction only: it lets you follow the people you already follow on Instagram. It does not move your Instagram followers across. Each of them has to open Threads and follow you there.
Meta helped this along at launch. When you followed someone who hadn’t joined Threads yet, they were told that you had followed them, which gave many accounts an early boost. But plenty of Instagram followers never use Threads, and some who do choose not to follow every account they follow on Instagram. That is why a profile with tens of thousands of Instagram followers can have a much smaller Threads audience.
| Feature | Threads | |
|---|---|---|
| Login | Instagram account | Same Instagram account |
| Username and verification | Your own | Carried over from Instagram |
| Follower list | Instagram followers | Separate list of Threads followers |
| Accounts you follow | Your Instagram list | Can be imported in one step at setup |
| Blocked accounts | Your block list | Blocks carry over automatically |
| Privacy setting | Public or private | Set separately; private profiles approve each follower |
Do private profiles work differently on Threads?
Yes, in the same way they do on Instagram. If your Threads profile is private, people have to request to follow you and you approve each one, so your follower count grows more slowly. Meta places under-16s (under-18s in some countries) on a private profile by default.
You can sort your follower list by newest or oldest, which is handy for spotting a sudden burst of new followers after a post takes off.
What does fediverse sharing mean for your followers?
Threads supports the fediverse, the network of independent social apps such as Mastodon that talk to each other through a shared protocol. Since March 2024, Threads users aged 18 or over with a public profile who are located outside the European region can opt in through Account settings and Fediverse sharing.
When you turn it on:
- your posts can appear on other fediverse servers, and people there can follow you;
- since June 2024 you can see and like replies from people on those servers;
- polls and posts with reply controls aren’t shared to the fediverse.
Meta has said that follows from the fediverse weren’t shown inside Threads when the feature launched, so don’t expect your visible follower count to include everyone who follows you from another server.
How do you grow Threads followers?
Threads rewards conversation more than broadcasting. Meta’s own creator advice is to reply to other profiles, because replies help people in a conversation discover you. A few practical habits help:
- Join conversations early: thoughtful replies on popular posts put your profile in front of new people.
- Post text that invites answers: questions, opinions and short how-tos tend to start threads rather than end them.
- Cross-promote carefully: since February 2026 you can share Threads posts straight to your Instagram story, which reminds your Instagram audience that you are on Threads.
We cover the wider strategy in our article on underrated growth channels for 2026, which includes Threads, so we won’t repeat it here. For how Threads compares with milestones on other networks, see our guide to follower milestones.
If you are thinking about Threads followers to give a new profile some starting social proof, keep the number modest and in proportion to your activity; our guide to real vs fake followers explains what to look out for.
Frequently asked questions
Do my Instagram followers get notified when I join Threads?
Not automatically. Your followers only see you on Threads if they use the app and follow you or come across your posts. When Threads launched, people were notified if someone they followed on Instagram followed them on Threads, which is how many accounts gained early followers.
Can I see my Threads followers on Instagram?
No. Your Threads follower list lives in the Threads app. Instagram shows your Instagram followers only, so the two counts need to be checked separately.
If someone unfollows me on Instagram, do I lose them on Threads?
No. The follows are independent. Someone can follow you on Threads and not on Instagram, or the other way round, and unfollowing on one app doesn’t change the other.
Why can’t I turn on fediverse sharing?
The option is only available to users aged 18 or over with a public profile who are located outside the European region. If your profile is private, you are under 18 or you are in the European region, the setting won’t be offered.
Sources: Meta Newsroom: Introducing Threads (with updates), Instagram for Creators: Threads, TechCrunch: sharing Threads posts to Instagram Stories, Instagram Help Centre: Threads fediverse sharing