GUIDE · SAVED SNAPSHOTS
A snapshot preserves a report, not a motive.
Saving two reports can show how their supplied records differ. The result is only as comparable as the account identity, collection dates and source scope recorded with both snapshots.
Save time and source time are different
MutualLens records when you save a snapshot in the browser. That timestamp does not say when Instagram collected the relationship files. Historical comparison needs known, ordered source collection dates; the date you downloaded, opened or imported a file cannot substitute for a missing source date.
Label the account before saving
Basic upload comparison does not require a username. Snapshot comparison does need evidence that both reports describe the same account. Add the same optional account label before saving when a stable account ID is not available. Username-only matching still carries rename, reactivation and username-reuse uncertainty.
Compare compatible sources
- Choose the genuinely earlier collection as the first snapshot and the later, non-overlapping collection as the second.
- Keep source formats and adapter versions compatible. Uploaded-file and automatic-source reports describe different evidence scopes.
- Uploaded-file comparisons preserve any skipped-row, missing-part or ambiguous-identity warnings from both reports.
- Automatic-source history needs complete, terminal lists in both directions. A partial automatic scan cannot establish a confirmed negative.
Read the four change groups literally
| Group | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Followers present later | Absent from the earlier supplied followers list; present in the later one. |
| Followers absent later | Present in the earlier supplied followers list; absent from the later one. |
| Following present later | Absent from the earlier supplied following list; present in the later one. |
| Following absent later | Present in the earlier supplied following list; absent from the later one. |
“Absent later” is not an exact unfollow timestamp. A platform-side change, username change, account state, incomplete source or collection-window difference may also explain the observation. The checker does not assign a reason or intent.
Know where local copies live
Nothing is saved automatically. When you choose to save, the snapshot is stored in IndexedDB on the checker’s browser origin. Other people using the same browser profile may be able to view it. Browser cleanup, private browsing or a different checker address can make it unavailable.
Export a snapshot if you need your own backup. “Delete all local snapshots” removes the app-controlled copies on that checker origin, but it cannot remove files you already downloaded or browser-managed backups.