How to Track an Instagram Account: 6 Methods

Tracking someone’s Instagram account isn’t just about their follower count. There may be a plethora of reasons why you want to track someone’s Instagram account without breaching ethical boundaries. Tracking an IG account can help you look at business insights, analyze competitors, and learn about their strategies. Some users also want to track Instagram secondary account to monitor alternative profiles used for business, anonymity, or personal purposes. This approach plays a significant role in better business productivity in the virtual world. You can also track an Instagram account to verify relationships and get updates or even verify someone’s whereabouts.

Children, women, non-tech savvy aged parents are susceptible to Direct Message Scams, phishing scams, fraudulent buying and selling and gender exploitation. Tracking the IG account proves to be effective in identifying any sort of suspicious access to the account. It will protect our loved ones from falling prey to scamsters and online pirates.

It’s not just monitoring, it’s caring, strategizing, and sometimes just making sure everything’s alright.

How Can You Track an Instagram Account?

There are several ways through which you can track Instagram and monitor an account. In this guide, I’ll elaborate on the different methods available to track an Instagram account easily.

Without further ado, here is my first-hand experience of the methods and steps to track IG accounts:

Method 1: How to Track an Instagram Account using the Monitoring App

I learned how to monitor Instagram using some monitoring apps. Let’s discuss the top 2 Instagram ID location tracker tools I used to track others’ Instagram accounts secretly.

1) Glassagrm

In my experience, Glassagrm is spyware that can track Instagram accounts anonymously. It is an advanced way to get information from the targeted private profile.

I found it to be one of the best options available for viewing private Instagram accounts, as it is a dedicated app. I could use it to monitor multiple private accounts and switch between them as I wish. All you need to do is add these profiles to your GlassaGrm account and check them whenever you want.

Features:

• View Reels and Photos: It allows you to see the reels and photos your target individual is viewing. I could access the content in a clear format as if I were holding the target device in my hand.
• Real-time Stories: GlassaGrm lets you view Instagram stories in real-time, so you get updates on the target account’s stories like a regular follower.
• Account Management: Glassagrm allowed me to block, unfollow, and manage calls and messages.
• Downloads: It allows you to download posts, videos, and stories for viewing later. I could save the Instagram stories up to 3 months.
• Comprehensive Activity Control: It allowed me to oversee all their Instagram activities regardless of the account settings or how private they think their account is.
• Setup: It has an instant setup that can be completed within 5 minutes. All you have to do is choose your subscription plan, purchase, receive an email, enter the username of the target profile in your account, and wait for GlassaGrm to retrieve data and start monitoring.

Here is a step-by-step process to track someone’s Instagram account using Glassagrm:

Step 1) I went to Glassagrm’s official website and navigate to “Try Now”.

Step 2) Now, I enter the username or profile URL and click on “Watch @Username”.

Step 3) I signed up for an account with ClevGuard. I had to give them my email address to create a password.

Step 4) Once I bought the subscription, they sent me instructions on how to install Glassagrm on the phone I wanted to monitor. For an iPhone, I needed iCloud details, but for an Android phone, I had to actually have the phone in my hands to set it up.

Step 5) With the app installed, I started monitoring Instagram activities on that phone. What I could check out depended on what Glassagrm could do then and any limits Instagram might have.

Step 6) I logged into my Glassagrm account on the Glassagrm website and went to the dashboard. There, I could see everything the app was tracking on Instagram and more.

Step 7) In the dashboard, I specifically looked for the part about social media monitoring, especially Instagram, to see all the account’s activities.

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2) mSpy

I leaned on the mSpy Instagram tracker to subtly monitor Instagram happenings. It’s like quietly peeking into messages, photos shared, and how my loved ones interact on the platform. Crafted with a big heart for keeping them safe and giving me peace of mind, this tool offered a peek without prying too much like a discreet buddy. Overall, I was able to learn about their digital activities secretly.

Features:

• Direct Messages Monitoring: I could view messages sent and received on Instagram, catching even those deleted later.
• Media Access: I could peek at photos and videos shared on Instagram, including the ones in private messages. Having said that, the tool sometimes lags behind in delivering the latest shares and uploads.
• Followers and Following Lists: I got insights into who the target account is following and who’s following them back.
• Likes and Comments Viewing: I could see the posts that received maximum likes and comments. This allowed me to better understand who they frequently interacted with on the social platform.
• Stories and Highlights: It allowed me to check out Instagram Stories and save Highlights, even after they’ve disappeared.
• Activity Log: I could monitor when the user is active on Instagram and track their actions on the platform.

Here is a step-by-step process to track someone’s Instagram account using mSpy:

Step 1) On the mSpy website, I selected a suitable subscription plan to access Instagram tracking features. As a word of advice, I suggest availing of the 1-month subscription plan to try mSpy and see how it meets your requirements. Accordingly, you can decide whether to renew or consider some other options available.

Step 2) I installed the mSpy app on the target device where the Instagram activity would be monitored.

Step 3) Next, I registered for a personal account on mSpy to set up monitoring.

Step 4) I followed the setup instructions on the mSpy dashboard to complete the installation process.

Step 5) I remotely monitored the target device’s Instagram activity once everything was set up.

Step 6) Finally, once everything was set, I tracked Instagram messages, likes, posts, comments, stories, location data, search history, and shared photos.

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Method 2: Check Their Recent Posts and Stories Updates

I thought I was already in the loop, following someone on Instagram and curious about their latest adventures, thoughts, or what they shared. But I was wrong in my approach. So, I dove deeper and caught up on their recent posts and stories:

Step 1) First, I grabbed my phone and opened Instagram. I tapped on that little magnifying glass at the bottom to navigate this world.

Step 2) To find the specific person whose updates I was interested in, I typed their name into the search bar. Once I spotted them in the list that popped up, I tapped on their profile. However, there were times when I was unable to access profiles that had restricted accessibility.

Step 3) Wanting to know what others thought about their stories, I tapped on any post. I saw the comments, occasional debates, and shared laughs unfold like a conversation at a party.

Method 3: See Their Online Status

With Activity Status enabled, I could see when my followers and those I had messaged were last active or were currently online on Instagram.

Step 1) I checked for a green indicator or timeline next to the user profile I followed or chatted with.

Step 2) In my DMs, I checked their most recent Activity status.

Method 4: Follow or Trace Them on Instagram Incognito

Here’s how I subtly explored someone’s Instagram world without leaving a trace, broken down into discreet steps:

Using Incognito Mode

Step 1) I launched the web browser of my choice on my computer or smartphone.

Step 2) Next, I looked for the option to open a new incognito or private window. This was usually found in the menu in the top right corner of my browser.

Step 3) Then, I typed in Instagram’s URL (www.instagram.com) and pressed enter. I wouldn’t be logged into my account in incognito mode.

Step 4) I used the search function on Instagram’s login page to find the person I was interested in. This helped me view public profiles without logging in, but private profiles were restricted.

Following with a Secondary Account

Step 1) I created and switched to a secondary account and logged in.

Step 2) Next, I used the search bar to find the Instagram profile of the person I wanted to follow discreetly.

Step 3) Then, I hit the follow button to follow the targeted profile. Since I was using a secondary account, there was no direct link to my primary identity.

Step 4) I viewed their profile while being invisible. This allowed me to review their IG posts, stories, and other activities without their knowledge.

Method 5: Use the Instagram Account Tracker

To track an Instagram account using the Inflact Profile Analyzer, I followed these straightforward steps:

Step 1) I opened my web browser and visited the Inflact Profile Analyzer page.

Step 2) Next, I located the input field on the page. Here, I typed in the Instagram username of the account I wished to analyze. I remembered, I didn’t need to include the “@” symbol before the username.

Step 3) After entering the username, I clicked the “Analyze” button. It analyzed the profile based on the information available.

Step 4) In less than 30 seconds, Inflact presented me with a comprehensive profile analysis. Accordingly, the report displayed information like total followers, most-liked posts, activity hours, etc.

Step 5) Inflact provided the results in an easy-to-understand format. I now had a clearer view of the type of audience engaged with the profile and the account’s overall performance.

Step 6) I could analyze as many profiles as needed free of charge, provided they were public accounts. However, Inflact could not analyze private Instagram accounts.

Method 6: How to Track an Instagram Account Location by IP tracking link

Here are the steps I used to track with Grabify IP Logger:

Step 1) I chose a URL the target Instagram account owner would like to click. It could have been a link to an article, video, or other relevant content.

Step 2) Next, I visited the Grabify IP Logger website and entered the chosen URL into the designated field to create a new tracking link. Grabify generated a new link for me to share and a tracking code to view the clicks.

Step 3) I could send the link to the person via Instagram DM or post it where I knew the target would see and click on it. The method of sharing depended on my relationship with the person and how we interacted on Instagram.

Step 4) Then, I used the tracking code provided by Grabify to access the tracking page. There, I could monitor when my link was clicked and view the clickers’ IP addresses. I could also view other details like device type, location (to a certain extent), and click time.

Step 5) This allowed me to understand the geographical location and possibly the device used by the person who clicked the link.

Case Study

This was an incident that took place six months ago. A group of scamsters, headed by “Sophia Miller,” posed as luxury lifestyle influencers and trapped unsuspecting victims into a fake investment scheme with assurance of high ROI. These scamsters claimed to be operating under the legitimate investment firm, “WealthWise Investments”. They even designed a sophisticated website and created testimonials as a mark of authenticity. Using this false aura of credibility, they targeted amateur investors like “Alex Johnson” and “Emily Parker”. Even individuals like “Sarah Thomson” and “Mark Davis” fall prey to their scams and lose a big chunk of their hard-earned money. This is only one among the thousands of such cases happening globally to trap innocent people and exploit vulnerable users on Instagram.

Please Note: For legal constraints, we couldn’t use the actual names within the quotes.

Tip: How to Hide Activity on Instagram

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to manage and hide various types of activity on Instagram:

1. Make Your Account Private

Making your account private is the first step to controlling who sees your activity on Instagram.

• Step 1) Open Instagram and go to your profile by tapping your profile picture in the bottom right.
• Step 2) Tap the three lines in the top right, then Settings and Privacy.
• Step 3) Go to Account Privacy now and toggle on the Private Account option.

2. Hide Your Online Status

You can hide your online status to prevent people from seeing when you’re active on Instagram.

• Step 1) Go to Settings and Privacy> Message and story replies.
• Step 2) Tap Show Activity Status.
• Step 3) Toggle off the option that says Show Activity Status.

3. Control Your Story and Post Visibility

You can hide your stories and posts from specific people.

For Stories:

• Step 1) Go to Your profile picture and click on the small plus sign.
• Step 2) Now, go to Story on this page, click on the side, and choose Hide Story From to select people you don’t want to see your stories.
• Step 3) Alternatively, use Close Friends to share stories with a select group.

For Posts:

Unfortunately, you cannot hide specific posts from certain followers unless your account is private. However, you can block specific users or restrict them if necessary.

4. Manage Comments and Tags

Control who can comment on your posts and manage who can tag or mention you.

For Comments:

• Step 1) Go to Settings and Privacy> Comments.
• Step 2) Choose who can comment on your posts (Everyone, People You Follow and Your Followers, People You Follow, or Your Followers).

For Tags and Mentions:

• Step 1) Go to Settings and Privacy > Tags and Mentions.
• Step 2) Select who can tag or mention you (Everyone, Only People You Follow, or No One).

5. Restrict or Block Users

If there are specific people you want to hide your activity from, you can restrict or block them.

To Restrict:

• Step 1) Go to the profile of the person you want to restrict.
• Step 2) Tap the three dots in the top right.
• Step 3) Select Restrict.

To Block:

• Step 1) Go to the profile of the person you want to block.
• Step 2) Tap the three dots in the top right.
• Step 3) Select Block.

6. Manage Your Activity Status in Direct Messages (DMs)

Consider using third-party apps if you don’t want people to see when you’ve read their messages or are typing. You can also open the message when you’re ready to reply. Instagram does not offer a built-in feature to hide Read Receipts or Typing Status in DMs.

Understanding Instagram’s Privacy Policies and User Protections

Instagram, brought to you by the folks at Meta Platforms Inc., emphasizes keeping your private stuff secure. They collect all sorts of snippets about you, from the selfies you post to the videos and reels you create or watch. It can even sort that midnight likes, all to make sure your feed feels like it’s made just for you, with personalized ads and posts.

But the coolest part is that Instagram hands you the keys to your privacy kingdom. You get to decide who wanders through your digital garden. Want to keep your account just between friends? You can do that stuff confidently. Feeling iffy about strangers peeking into your stories? There’s a setting for that. And those ads that follow you around like a puppy? You can ask them to sit. Additionally, if someone creates a fake account in your name, rather than panicking, you can directly report to Instagram to take immediate action and safeguard your presence.

Recently, Instagram revised its privacy policy to ensure better security for the end users. Instagram claimed that the revised policy will lead to improved data usage transparency. Diving into the privacy settings might feel like exploring a maze, but it’s worth it. You can tell Instagram exactly how you want to be seen and who gets to see you.

In a personal experience, I unintentionally shared some personal data publicly on Instagram. Upon realizing my mistake, I promptly deleted the post and reported the issue to Instagram. They were fast in responding and guiding me on how to use the privacy settings to prevent any mishaps in the future. I was pretty impressed by the proactive approach that the IG support team took to address my issue. I understood how important it is to have privacy awareness when active in social media circles.

How to Track Your Kid’s Instagram Account?

To keep an eye on your kid’s Instagram, kick things off with a heart-to-heart about staying safe online. Agree on what’s cool and what’s not. Be one of their followers, peek at their posts, or bring in some parental control apps like mSpy and Glassagrm for extra peace of mind.

Teach them the ins and outs of privacy settings and the big no-no of sharing personal info. It is basically about striking that perfect balance between ensuring they’re safe and letting them have their own space to grow.

Does Instagram show your location?

Instagram doesn’t automatically show your location unless you choose to share it. When posting a photo or story, you can add a location tag. However, your general location is only visible to others if you explicitly tag it or share it in your content. Henceforth, it is always advisable to share location wisely!