How to see someones private instagram story without following them

Instagram is a wildly popular social media platform and home to over 1 billion users. Although most Instagram users love to share their content with the public, some prefer to keep their images and videos hidden and only shown to their followers.

This brings us to two types of accounts on Instagram: public and private.

It also means that anyone can find your profile using search engine tools. On the other hand, if you want to make it private, you must go to the settings and activate that option

Once an account is made private, all its contents are no longer visible to the public. You can still see the profile on the search engine results page, but you can’t see any of the account’s photos, videos, or stories.

If, for some reason, you want to view a private account on Instagram, here are six ways to do it without having to follow the account.

Use a Private Instagram Viewer

Perhaps the most convenient way of viewing private Instagram accounts is to use a dedicated app. By doing so, you can view a particular profile for a couple of minutes without following the account or making changes to the settings. You also don’t need to be tech-savvy or a social media expert to use an Instagram viewer app.

There are a couple of free third-party applications that you can choose from. However, before deciding on one, check reviews and ratings first to ensure that all of its features are the ones that you need. Bear also in mind that these apps are not related to the social media platform itself, so expect some limitations.

You can download these apps on any mobile device or use their PC version to see the posts shared by the targeted Instagram account.

Check Out the Profile Using Other Social Media Platforms

It’s likely that if someone made their account private on Instagram, they haven’t done the same for their other social media profiles. Also, most social media users tend to post the same pictures or videos across different social media platforms.

If you want to view a hidden Instagram profile, you might want to check their Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, or TikTok account. Just get their full name from the Instagram profile and use it to search on other platforms.

By going through their accounts from other social media sites, you should be able to see the pictures and videos or verify the information you need.

Be Friends With Their Pals or Followers

Another way of viewing a private Instagram account is to become friends with their pals or followers. Once you make mutual Instagram friends, you are likely to see their posts on your feed. On top of that, you can also request your friend to look at their private account and ask them to email you the posts.

If you’re not sure your friends know the user you’re looking for on Instagram, try to give them the person’s name or account handle. This may take a bit longer, but it’ll allow you to see the posts on the private Instagram account that you’re looking for.

Be careful, though, as your mutual friend may advise the account owner you target. Thus, when you decide to go for this route, make sure that they understand the purpose of viewing and requesting a copy of their posts.

Use Google Search

You can also rely on Google to help you view a private Instagram account. First, open up Google Chrome, type in the person’s username on the search bar, and then press ‘Enter.’ Most of the time, when Instagram users make their account private, Google has a library of their previous posts.

However, these are only public posts they made before the account became private.

You’ll then be presented with search results that are separated into different categories, namely: “All,” “Images,” “News,” and “Videos.” Choose the image tab to see a collection of the user’s public posts and profile pictures.

If you’re simply looking for a particular photo, this trick can be quite helpful.

Use a Fake Instagram Account

If you want to do this in a more covert way, you may want to take the ‘Trojan Horse’ approach. This method entails creating a fake Instagram profile based on actual information other than yours. Just make sure that the name of the fake profile you’re going to make will appear legitimate in the eyes of the targeted account.

Once you have finished creating a fake profile, you can then send the following request and hope that it’ll be approved.

In order for this to work, you have to be creative during the account creation process. You should also take some steps to impress the targeted private account so that they will approve your following request.

Using a fake Instagram account is common for businesses looking to partner with influencers. They can do an anonymous background check using their unofficial profile before reaching out to them officially.

Borrow Other People’s Account

Surely everyone has an Instagram account today. You can take advantage of this to view photos or videos of private Instagram users without them knowing.

If, for instance, you find creating a fake account taxing, try to use your friend’s Instagram account and see if they are also following your targeted account. This will make it easier to see all the posts in your targeted feed without getting caught.

Final Thoughts

These are some of the most effective ways of viewing a private Instagram account. Feel free to choose any of these methods. However, keep in mind that not all of them will provide you with the results you want.

Viewing a private Instagram profile has its benefits, especially for businesses. For instance, doing so will ensure that the influencer they are considering is at par with their branding and has the same values. It’s also a great way to check what their competitors are doing to keep followers engaged. But, of course, there are also drawbacks.

Send the following request and hope that the account holder approves your request so you can have legitimate information.

Here is a piece of advice. When you decide to preview an account anonymously, make sure there is a purpose. That way, you won’t be violating their privacy.

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