Instapy: unfollow users

[wrhsescp]

InstaPy configuration

all_unfollowers, active_unfollowers = session.pick_unfollowers(username="XXXXX",compare_by="earliest", compare_track="first", live_match=True, store_locally=True, print_out=True)
sleep(200)
session.unfollow_users(amount=len(active_unfollowers), customList=(True, active_unfollowers, "all"), style="RANDOM", unfollow_after=None, sleep_delay=600

after picking the data and sleeping i get this :

Pow! Error occurred while dumping follow restriction data to a local JSON:
b'Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)'

[sionking]

I do also

[sionking]

WARNING [2018-12-08 16:01:05] [123]  Maybe 'b'shoshykogman'' has changed the username!    ~verifying through the user ID
INFO [2018-12-08 16:01:05] [123]  Trying to find the username from the given user ID by loading a post
INFO [2018-12-08 16:01:16] [123]  Failed to get the username from 'https://www.instagram.com/p/BrGmmU_HVQK/' page
INFO [2018-12-08 16:01:16] [123]  Trying to find the username from the given user ID by a quick API call
ERROR [2018-12-08 16:01:17] [123]  Unfollow loop error:  Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)

INFO [2018-12-08 16:01:17] [123]  --> Total people unfollowed : 0

[sionking]

@uluQulu @CharlesCCC as I thought so any non-human call is a fail to the system and can be worst as a way to detect bot.
the "https://i.instagram.com/api/v1/users/198566306/info/" call is not working anymore.

Moreover it log you out.... isn't it was the https://www.instagram.com/web/friendships/249229606/follow/
that logged you out ?

What is the solution ?

[sionking]

I have a solution:

1. save all users we can't get username to a file (we have it in a form of uncertain unfollow list).
2. once in a week grab all following of running user (sync).
3. compare id from file == id from sync, if id match - > the username is in the sync.

[CharlesCCC]

@sionking Yea, you are right, i believe the second link is the one kick you out. but apparently now is the reverse. (I just tried both). I guess Instagram is playing with their URL APIs

As for your solution, how does that gonna solve the problem, what happen if the id didn't match ?

[uluQulu]

@sionking
It rather a workaround than a solution.

So, the only solution left to find the username from a user ID is by loading a post.
Obviously it can't help if user has no any posts or if is private or has blocked you.

I am out of news but as @CharlesCCC says I don't know what is going on and it might be we have lost that API call for ever. And there may be a new endpoint to replace it or not.

I think it is time to think on having external sessions and use the method using graphql 'Follow' endpoint (_@CharlesCCC's initial solution with random log outs_) safely [BIG work].

Earlier there were no any username to user ID conversion and I think the last alive method will serve more than 70%. So I don't think it might be a problem considering less than %14 of people ever change usernames.
Me, users like me WHO is a big fan of unfollow non-followers, literally will not need that conversion, at all costs.

---

Cheers 😁

[cormo1990]

Thanks friends for the work, let us know please when a solution or workaround is ready or simply if you need some tests.
Thanks again

[w4ngel]

I suggest if a work around is quite big work for this we implement a fix in the mean time that skips that user and moves onto the next one rather than stopping unfollows completely, @sionking @uluQulu would you agree?

[uluQulu]

@w4ngel
It should not stop the loop unless there is other bug(s).

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