Knowing Instagram username can I follow a user using only the API?

Question

This question is asked a lot, but last updated answer is from 3-4 years ago. I want to know if I am able to use the PHP API of Instagram made by mgp25 ( https://github.com/mgp25/Instagram-API ) and follow a user on my business Instagram account knowing his Instagram username for example this username - girlinred.band

I saw there is unfollow code, but I can't find the follow one:

/**
 * Remove one of your followers.
 *
 * @param string $userId Numerical UserPK ID.
 *
 * @throws \InstagramAPI\Exception\InstagramException
 *
 * @return \InstagramAPI\Response\FriendshipResponse
 */
public function removeFollower(
    $userId)
{
    return $this->ig->request("friendships/remove_follower/{$userId}/")
        ->addPost('_uuid', $this->ig->uuid)
        ->addPost('_uid', $this->ig->account_id)
        ->addPost('_csrftoken', $this->ig->client->getToken())
        ->addPost('user_id', $userId)
        ->addPost('radio_type', 'wifi-none')
        ->getResponse(new Response\FriendshipResponse());
}

Answer 1

I just found how it could be done. If you know the username you have to find first the Instagram ID (numbers) with this code:

$id = $ig->people->getUserIdForName('girlinred.band');

then when you have the ID you can simple run this code to follow a member

$ig->people->follow($id);

and here is the full method taken from the API itself in case you need it:

/**
 * Follow a user.
 *
 * @param string $userId Numerical UserPK ID.
 *
 * @throws \InstagramAPI\Exception\InstagramException
 *
 * @return \InstagramAPI\Response\FriendshipResponse
 */
public function follow(
    $userId)
{
    return $this->ig->request("friendships/create/{$userId}/")
        ->addPost('_uuid', $this->ig->uuid)
        ->addPost('_uid', $this->ig->account_id)
        ->addPost('_csrftoken', $this->ig->client->getToken())
        ->addPost('user_id', $userId)
        ->addPost('radio_type', 'wifi-none')
        ->getResponse(new Response\FriendshipResponse());
}