Instagram is a popular social media platform where users can share photos and videos on their profiles. Besides viewing an Instagram profile that you’re actively following, it’s also common to view IG stories. But you may be wondering how to view Instagram stories without them knowing.
Whether it’s your friend or someone you admire, you’d sometimes prefer to see their IG stories anonymous. This guide will show you methods to view Instagram stories without them knowing. Read on to learn more.
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How to Watch Someone’s Story Without Them Knowing
If you normally view an IG story, you can be seen on the Viewers List. While some users pay too much attention to this, others prefer to view stories anonymously. If you’re one of those users, try following the methods below to watch someone’s story without them knowing.
Remember to review each method and see which one is the most effective for your Instagram account:
Method #1: Half-Swiping Method
One of the most common ways to view an Instagram story without them knowing is by doing the half-swiping method. It works by viewing another user’s story before your desired user and slowly swiping right to the following user without letting go of the screen. This way, you’ll see a preview of your desired user’s IG story.
But if it’s a series of photos, you’ll only see a preview of the first photo. Also, if it’s a video story, it won’t play, and you’ll only see a thumbnail.
Method #2: Enable Airplane Mode
In this method, you’ll need to put your phone on Airplane Mode after watching a story. It will disconnect your phone from the internet, logging you out of your Instagram account and allowing you to view someone’s story anonymously.
To do this method, follow these steps:
- Launch the Instagram app on your smartphone and log in to your account.
- Make sure that all stories are loaded up. Then, enable Airplane Mode.
- Tap on your desired IG story and watch it while offline.
- Once done, close Instagram and disable Airplane Mode.
This sneaky hack is also a way how to turn off Seen on Instagram.
Method #3: View IG Stories Using Another Account
Another way where you can view IG stories anonymously is by viewing them through a burner or a dummy account. However, you need to note if that user has publicly shared their story or is set to private or followers-only.
If their IG story is set to public, you can easily view their story without getting caught since you’re using another account. Also, if it’s set to private and you’re one of their followers, you can still view their IG story. But, if you’re not a follower, you cannot view their stories from your account.
Method #4: Block Them After Viewing Their IG Story
Typically, you’ll belong in the Viewers’ List on their IG story after viewing them. However, you can avoid this by immediately blocking them after viewing their IG story. While this method is simple, it’s pretty risky since they cannot reach out to you in 24 hours and can end up as a view on their end anyway.
To block someone on Instagram after viewing their story, follow the steps below:
- Tap their username on their story post and select the More (three horizontal dots) icon on the top-right part of the screen.
- Select Block.
As mentioned earlier, you can unblock them after 24 hours. If done correctly, they won’t notice that you’ve viewed their story and blocked them immediately.
Method #5: View the Story at the Last Minute
One effective trick you can do to view someone’s IG story without them knowing is viewing their story at the last minute. To see when the story is about to expire, you’ll need to know approximately how many hours the story has been uploaded and subtract it from 24 hours.
At the last minute, you can decide to view it normally. Watching it this way means they’re less likely to be notified who viewed their story, and there’s a slight chance of your name being listed on the viewer’s list.
Method #6: Watch Their Story Highlights
Once a story expires, they can share it as a highlight. Unlike an ordinary IG story, story highlights don’t take note of their viewers, so you can view a specific story without them knowing. However, you’ll need patience in this method since it’s up to them if they’ll post that story again as a highlight.
If you want to boost engagement with your followers, it’s important to stay on top of trends such as reversing audio and dance challenges. Learn how to reverse audio on Instagram here.
Final Thoughts
Besides profile posts, it’s also popular to watch the IG stories of other users. The user will typically see you once you view their story via the Viewers’ List. However, you may want to view an Instagram story anonymously, especially to specific IG users.
Hopefully, this guide helps you to view Instagram stories without them knowing.