Don’t know how to watch Instagram stories anonymously? Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. Instagram stories are a fun and engaging way for users to share updates and visual content with their followers.
However, some people prefer to watch stories anonymously without the poster knowing they viewed them. You can use a few technical tricks and workarounds to remain incognito while enjoying others’ Instagram stories.
In this article, we will tell you various methods available to view Instagram stories anonymously without them knowing. We will cover methods using both the Instagram mobile app and web browsers on a desktop so that everyone can take advantage of these.
Some methods require logging in, while some let you watch stories without an account, so read about all to find one that suits your needs.
How To Watch Instagram Stories Anonymously On PC And Mobile:
Viewing stories on Instagram anonymously is not rocket science, and you can do it easily by some tricks or by using third-party services. We recommend not submitting your account’s password to third-party services you don’t trust. Even if you do, consider changing your password after using the service and enable two-factor authentication for an additional layer of security.
1. Create A Secondary Account:
A separate Instagram account to watch stories without notifying the original profile can ensure anonymity. However, creating fake accounts goes against Instagram’s policies and could result in your secondary account getting flagged or banned.
However, viewing someone’s story as often as you want is currently the best method without revealing your main account. There are a few things to remember while following this method; else, it won’t work.
- Create a new account with VPN to stay completely anonymous.
- If the account is private, request a follow from your new account.
- You can use your mutual friend’s account to view the story.
- Do not send the story from the new account to the old one (the one you want to keep anonymous).
- Do not use Instagram MOD applications claiming to keep your account anonymous.
2. Switch To Airplane Mode:
Turning on aeroplane mode before viewing an Instagram story claims to prevent the poster from knowing you saw it. However, numerous tests have shown that Instagram still notifies the account even while in aeroplane mode so that you can try it.
This method does not provide true anonymity, but many claim it has worked for them. The chances are very less, but there’s nothing wrong with trying it as long as you have the option to do that.
- Log in to your Instagram account.
- Now open the profile whose story you want to watch.
- Wait for their story to appear (but don’t tap on it).
- Use the Action Center or Notification Panel to put your device on Airplane Mode.
- Wait for everything to turn off (Wi-Fi, Mobile Network, and Bluetooth).
- Once done, you can click on the users’ story to view it.
- When you’ve watched it, close the Instagram app.
- Alternatively, you can also Force Stop the Instagram app.
- Turn off the Airplane mode and start using your device as you do.
3. Slide And View Frame:
Another great way to view Instagram stories without letting them know is by quickly sliding to the next story frame but not swiping completely. According to some people, Instagram still adds your profile to the viewer list once any frame from a user’s story is seen, even if it’s just for a split second.
If you can combine this method with the one we’ve mentioned above, they both can do wonders. Here’s how you can follow this method.
Instead of tapping on the person you want to watch anonymously, you need to watch the story of the profile just before it. Since stories are added back-to-back, you can keep swiping left until you reach the profile just before it. Now, HOLD the story and swipe left while holding it but do not swipe completely.
When you drag the story, it will reveal the next story’s preview. Your frame doesn’t matter; you can always drag to view other profiles’ story previews. YOu can keep holding it like that and read everything in the story. When you are done, you can swipe right to load the previous story again and close the app.
NOTE: This method will not work if the story you want to watch anonymously is a video. Instagram does not play the video in the preview, so if you want to watch the Instagram video story anonymously, then this is not for you.
4. Use Third-Party Services:
Hundreds of anonymous Instagram story viewers are available that claim to let you view Instagram stories without notifying them. However, these apps and sites are against Instagram’s terms and often lack functionality.
Such services do not guarantee anonymity and could compromise your account’s security. We have mentioned a few services below, and you can try them as they are completely safe.
The first step is choosing the Instagram story viewer tool that best suits your needs. We have mentioned some of them above, and you can select one among them. Each comes with features like browser-based viewing, free or paid access, installation requirements, etc.
The next step is finding the Instagram account whose story you want to view. While you can search by username, remember that multiple profiles may share the same name. Be sure to enter the exact username of the profile whose stories you want to view.
Enter the username or URL in the tool you’ve chosen, and along with the story, you can get insights like their posted content, hashtags, profile descriptions, highlight features, and many more.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Whether you are starting with Instagram anonymous browsing or have been using it for years, you still might have some questions. We have answered some of the most commonly asked questions, and you can go through them to get an answer if you have something similar to ask.
Yes, Instagram does notify the person even if you are not connected as friends on the app. The viewer’s profile photo will appear in the list of people who saw your story and the time they viewed it. There is no way to view someone’s story through the default Instagram app anonymously.
Instagram does not reveal how often a specific viewer has seen your story. The viewer list only shows each account once, even if they view the story multiple times via the app or website. So there is no way to determine the frequency at which someone is watching your story based on the viewer list alone.
According to some reports, this was a feature, but now Instagram has removed it. So, you can screenshot or even record anyone’s story, and they will not be notified about it. Though your name will appear in the story viewers list, we recommend you do it only when you have permission to share or store the photo/video.
Anonymous story viewers are third-party apps or web viewers that claim to allow you to view Instagram stories without notifying the account that posted them. However, most of these services are not legit and do not provide anonymity. The only true way to anonymously view stories is through techniques like using an incognito browser on a desktop.
Yes, Instagram reveals the profile photos of everyone who views your story, even accounts you are not connected with as friends on the app. The viewer list shows all accounts that saw your story, giving you visibility into who is watching your content.
Final Words:
So, these were some of the best ways to view someone’s Instagram stories anonymously, and we hope you can do that too. These strategies can offer a more private Instagram story viewing experience if utilised ethically and respectfully. Don’t forget to follow every method mentioned here to see which works best for you.
There might be more apps, websites, tools, or methods available to do that, but we have mentioned only the proven ways here. You can keep visiting this page as we will keep adding more methods to do that. Don’t forget to share your views via the comments below if you know another way to watch Instagram stories anonymously.
Hi, I am Anshul Mathur. A Cisco Certified Network Associate and Blogger from Sikar, Rajasthan. I love digging deep into the technology world, therefore I write about it on this blog.
