FANS Import Still Fails? What to Send Support

This guide is for an import that keeps failing after the basic FANS import checks. Its purpose is to help you give support enough context to choose the next diagnostic step. It does not promise that every failure can be diagnosed without additional information.

First identify where the failure happens

“It does not work” could mean the file never downloaded, the picker cannot select it, or the app stops after selection. Those are different observations. Record the last step that worked and the first step that failed.

A symptom narrows the investigation; it does not prove a cause. For example, an app closing during import does not by itself establish that the archive is corrupt or too large. If the import succeeds but an entry seems incorrect, use the separate guide to checking an unexpected non-follower result.

Collect file facts without sending the file

Record the export format you requested, whether you included Followers and Following, the date the export was prepared if known, and the archive's approximate size. Describe its storage location as “On My iPhone” or the cloud provider name; a full folder path can expose personal information and usually adds little to an initial report.

Confirm whether the item is the original downloaded ZIP, an extracted folder, or a file you renamed or rebuilt. Be candid if you are unsure. The name ending in .zip does not establish that the download finished or that the contents are the expected export.

You do not need to upload the archive to an online validator to collect these details. Keep the original ZIP intact for FANS. If it cannot be selected, the grayed-out file checklist is a more focused next step than repeatedly changing its extension.

Include versions and a short reproduction sequence

Write down your iPhone model, iOS version, and installed FANS version if you can find it. Apple explains how to find your iOS version in Settings → General → About. Type the relevant values instead of sending a screenshot of the whole About page, which can contain device identifiers.

For the FANS version, use the installed version shown on your device if available; an App Store listing can describe a newer release. If you cannot find it, say “unknown.” Useful reports distinguish checked facts from guesses.

Describe one attempt in order: where the ZIP was saved, how you opened the import picker, which kind of item you selected, and what appeared next. Include any steps you already tried and whether each changed the outcome. An observed wait such as “I watched it for about three minutes” is more useful than “forever”; it is not a recommended timeout or a benchmark for normal imports.

Copy this initial support-report template

Replace the placeholders with your observations. Leave out usernames, passwords, verification codes, session cookies, download links, and the export attachment.

Subject: FANS import fails at [stage]

Device model:
iOS version:
Installed FANS version (or unknown):

Export requested as: JSON / HTML / unknown
Followers and Following included: yes / no / unknown
Export prepared on (if known):
Approximate ZIP size:
Stored in: On My iPhone / cloud provider name
Original ZIP unchanged: yes / no / unsure

Steps I took:
1.
2.
3.

What I expected:
What happened instead:
Exact error text (personal details removed):
Observed processing time, if relevant:
Steps already tried and their results:

I have not attached my Instagram archive.

Use the FANS support page to find the contact route. This template is suggested information for an initial report, not a mandatory support form or a guarantee of a particular response time.

If a screenshot would help, limit it to the error

Often the exact error text is enough to start. If you choose to include an image, crop it to the relevant message and inspect the saved image before sending. Exclude follower lists, account names, profile photos, notifications, file names containing your identity, and other unrelated content. If you cannot cleanly separate the error, type it instead.

Do not post your ZIP in a public issue, forum, or shared document. If a later support reply asks for a sample, first clarify what is needed and whether a smaller, nonpersonal example would answer the question. Manually attaching an export to a message shares that file outside the app's normal local import workflow.

Where FANS fits while you troubleshoot

FANS compares the Followers and Following lists from your official Instagram export on your device. It does not need your Instagram login to perform that comparison, and a failed import is not evidence that your Instagram follow relationships changed. Once the file issue is resolved, follow the standard intact-ZIP import workflow.

A successful import reflects the supplied snapshot; it does not turn an old export into live data or establish exactly when someone unfollowed you. FANS is free to download, and a Pro subscription is required to reveal the complete non-follower list.