Can People See When You Look At Their Instagram?
We all like to surf through Instagram. Most of the current generation owns an Instagram account. They are also active there and like to post frequently. Some people post about their personal life and activity. While others like to post their talents like art, songs, dances, etc. Going through someone’s Instagram account will give you a fair idea about who they are, what are their likes and dislikes, and other things.
There are many reasons why we like to look at someone’s Instagram account and still do not want them to know about it. The first reason is that we do not want to appear like a stalker. Looking at someones’ profile when you have no connection to them can come off as a negative behavior. That is why many people do not want the other person should get to know about it.
Visiting A Profile Secretly
Sometimes we want to collect some background information about a person. In that case, going through their Instagram profile can tell us a lot. For example, you may want to know about your ex, any friend, or a potential date. If they get to know about you visiting their profile, all the intention behind doing a background check becomes ineffective.
These are some of the situations where people want to visit and check someones’ profile without letting them know about it. So the question comes in our mind if Instagram shows people information about who has visited their profile. You will be relieved to know that Instagram does not show any information like that.
Instagram collects data about the profiles. But it is choosy while showing it to their users. If you have a business account you can see how many people have visited your Instagram account. But you do not get to know any private information about those users. Other data that you can get from Instagram analytics is the time when your followers are the most active. But again, you will not get to see personal information about anyone. The data that is shared with you by Instagram is about your followers as a whole.
Do Not Like Or Comment
If you visit someone’s profile and want to keep that information a secret from them, you have to be very careful about it. The privacy policy of Instagram only applies if you are viewing the images shared by the person in their posts. If you interact with the post, they will get to know about it. It includes liking the post or commenting on it.
Every like is recorded by Instagram and shown to the owner of that profile. So even if you unlike the post afterward, the information will still be visible. The person will be able to see that you liked their post. And then they can conclude that you visited their profile. That is why you have to be extra careful while secretly viewing someone’s account. Be aware of what you are doing, and do not end up accidentally liking their posts.
Do not View Stories
If you take a look at the Instagram stories, it will get recorded. Instagram stories maintain a list of the viewers and when they have been viewed. If you look at the Instagram stories, you will end up on that list regardless of your privacy setting. So if you want to look at someone’s Instagram profile secretly, do not view their stories. Viewing Instagram stories can give it away that you have visited their profile.
However, there is a small tip if you want to view a person’s Instagram stories without letting them know. Instagram allows you to swipe between the Instagram stories. You can use this feature to your advantage. To view someone’s Instagram story secretly, follow the steps given below.
Peeking At The Stories Secretly
Go to the top of your feed. You will find a list of Instagram stories posted on that day. The Instagram stories that have not been viewed have a pink and orange-colored ring around them. The Instagram stories that have been viewed do not have any such ring around them. Now search for the profile whose Instagram story you want to see. Do not tap on it, or you will end up in the list of viewers.
Open the story of the profile that is on the immediate left or the immediate right of it. Tap on the story to pause it. Now swipe in the direction of the target story. Remember to swipe only a little and hold it that way. You will be able to take a peek at the Instagram story. The major disadvantage of this method is that you will be able to see only the first story of the user. If there are multiple stories, you can not see all of them in this way.
The same rule applies to the videos too. You can only see the thumbnail and not the full video. However, there are some third-party apps and websites that allow you to view the stories fully without letting people know. You can even download and save Instagram stories with the help of these apps. You should take proper care from your side when using a third-party app or website.
Stay Away From Videos
Now, coming to Instagram videos and their privacy policies. If you view any video posted by the user, they will get to know about it. Instagram keeps a record of the views on a video and shares it with the owner of the profile. The same is true about Instagram reels too.
So stay away from any kind of video if you want to keep your visit a secret. Even boomerangs and other short videos follow the same rule. If you accidentally come across a video posted on the account, be sure to swipe up or down immediately.
Instagram counts it as a view only if you see it for more than three seconds. So if you can swipe up quickly enough, your view will not be counted, and the user will not be able to tell that you visited their profile.
Conclusion
If you visit someone’s profile and see their posts, they will not be able to know that you were there. Do not like or comment on the post, as it is visible to the owner of the account. To remain undetected, stay away from any video or story on the profile.