If you’re looking for official ways to view someone’s Instagram Stories anonymously, you’re out of luck. Currently, there is no built-in feature that allows users to view Stories anonymously.
The way Instagram works is that it shows everyone who viewed your story, which often helps users strike up a conversation and interact with others on the platform. However, those who are very privacy conscious don’t appreciate how Instagram reveals every time they view someone’s Story.
Well, whether you follow the user or not, the platform shows when you see their Story if the account is public, and this happens with everyone. However, it turns out that there are four solutions that allow you to sneak into the Story section of an Instagrammer without being noticed, but you have to be careful with your steps.
While using Instagram, you must have noticed that any likes or shares are not broadcast without a stable internet connection. Remember that time when your friend tagged you in a story and you shared it again, only to find out that it couldn’t be completed due to poor connectivity? You should also know that some posts and stories are preloaded by the social media app in your feed.
See Stories in airplane mode
The first way to view Instagram Stories anonymously is to view them without an active internet connection on your phone.
- Open Instagram on your phone and refresh the feed once. If the profile appears in the first Stories, great. If not, open the required profile and refresh to load the story.
- Enable airplane mode to disable Wi-Fi or mobile connection.
- Now, when you view the Instagram story, you should not leave a trace on the user’s watchlist.
- Once you’re done, don’t just close the app. Be sure to remove it from your system recent apps.
Although this sounds like a pretty nifty technique, it fails when the user has uploaded multiple stories. If someone has uploaded more than one story, you may need to use other methods. Don’t forget to enable airplane mode though, and it should be good for a couple of Stories.
It is also possible to view the beginning and ending parts of a story by lightly swiping and holding the screen of an adjacent story. However, you shouldn’t swipe all the way to the left or right, otherwise you’ll end up in the user’s “Viewed By” list.
Use a third-party viewer or create another account
Various third-party apps and websites allow you to get Instagram Stories without revealing your identity, but for privacy-focused people, it’s better to be careful. Open these platforms, enter the username or account profile URL, and hit the search icon. If the account is public, you can see the stories published in the last 24 hours. Sites like StoriesIG, IGAnony, and AnonIGViewer allow you to view any Instagram story as long as you have the required account URL.
Some of these sites also allow you to download Stories in HD format. However, while these websites will allow you to view Instagram Stories discreetly, they are not always run by reputable companies. You do not share your IG details in advance, but the website may gain access to other information such as your IP address and cookies. If you intend to use one of these sites, beware of malicious ads, downloads, or other unwanted content.
Finally, you can create a new Instagram account without entering any personal information, such as your name or photo, so that other users cannot immediately associate it with you. Once you set up another account, you can easily search for an account and view your Story, with the exception of private profiles. Although users avoid accepting anonymous account requests, you can risk it if you really want to check what someone is doing on Instagram without them knowing it’s you.
