How to View Someone’s Instagram Story Anonymously

Generally, you may want to view someone’s story secretly because you have a crush on them or simply want updates on someone’s life. Couples may want to anonymously view IG stories since they suspect their partner of cheating. If you are a parent, it helps monitor your child’s posts or determine what they are up to.

Business owners could want to view IG stories anonymously to determine if their employees share sensitive information online. As for recruiters, you may want to know if the candidate is eligible by checking their online activity. It can also help political parties monitor what their members and employees share on social media. Hence, I have mentioned the best methods below after trying them first-hand.

9 Methods To View Instagram Stories Without Them Knowing

Here are some of the best methods I have encountered while looking for ways to view Instagram stories secretly.

Method 1: How To Watch Instagram Stories Anonymously Using Third-Party Tools

One of the best methods that I’d suggest for viewing Instagram stories without the person finding out is using third-party apps. I have tried numerous apps to find out the most reliable tools, which I have listed below:

1) Peekviewer

Peekviewer is one of the best Instagram story viewer apps that lets you watch stories even if you do not own an IG account. It requires no installation and keeps you 100% anonymous. I could watch any account’s story on a single dashboard and even view posts and download them.

Features:

• Save Stories: It allowed me to view the stories and save them for up to 3 months. Hence, I could rewatch them if needed, and I never missed an update.
• Access All Details: I could access reactions and comments on the target person’s stories. It gives you access to both public and private profiles easily.
• Multiple Accounts: Peekviewer can monitor multiple accounts, so you can watch stories of several profiles anonymously.

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Lifetime Free Basic Plan

Here are the steps I used to view an IG story using Peekviewer:

Step 1) Go to the Peekviewer website and navigate to “Try Now”. Then select between an Open or Private account depending on the target profile’s story that you want to view and click on “Next”.

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

Step 3) Then, enter your email ID and click on Sign Up. This will take you to its pricing page, where you can select the most suitable plan and start viewing the stories.

The plans vary depending on if the account is open or private.

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Lifetime Free Basic Plan

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2) Spokeo

Spokeo is a people and addresses look-up site that helps you find background details using various search parameters. It helped me look up names, emails, phone numbers, usernames, and addresses. Spokeo is not a direct anonymous Instagram story viewer. However, it can uncover several important details about an individual.

Features:

• Background Details: When I looked up an Instagram username on Spokeo, I was offered their complete details. The report included their other social media handles, name, age, gender, current and previous address, email address, occupation, etc.
• Social Media: Spokeo can dig up images posted online, including Instagram posts. I could view their accounts on social media, e-commerce, music apps, dating sites, etc.
• Anonymous: It is an anonymous look-up tool, therefore, the people you search using Spokeo are never notified.

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7-Days Trial for $0.95

How to look up an individual using Spokeo:

Step 1) Go to the Spokeo Website, enter an Insta username in the search bar, and click on “Search”.

Step 2) Spokeo will begin its search process. Once it finishes the search, you will get basic details of what it has uncovered.

Step 3) Now click on “Continue” to pay $0.95 for a one-time report to get the complete information.

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7-Days Trial for $0.95

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3) mSpy

mSpy is a powerful phone spy app that can track all the activities on a target phone. You can use this app to monitor social media activities remotely. I used mSpy to view IG chats, SMS, call logs, media saved on the phone, and more. By installing mSpy on your and the target individual’s phone, you can get all updates in real-time.

Features:

• Screen Recorder: Using this feature, you can take screenshots or record a video of the target phone’s screen. This helps you view their current activity on the phone; hence, you can easily see when they are using IG and what they have posted about their story.
• Access DM: I could view all my target person’s chats on IG, both sent and received. You can also view the media and links shared in their DM.
• Stealth Mode: mSpy functions in the background by staying hidden at all times. It runs in a completely hidden mode without ever notifying the phone owner or ever displaying its icon.

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14-Days Money-Back Guarantee

You can use the following steps to view the IG story using mSpy:

Step 1) Go to the mSpy website, click on “Get It Now,” and enter your email ID. Then select the mobile OS you want to monitor, or you can decide later. Now select the most suitable monthly pricing and make a purchase.

Step 2) Install mSpy on both your and the target person’s device in the case of Android since iOS doesn’t require installation. I noticed that you will need to access the target device once physically to accept the 2-factor authentication.

Step 3) Once installed, allow the data to sync, which may take about 15 minutes. After it is synced, you can start monitoring their phone and IG from your dashboard.

IG chats that I uncovered:

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14-Days Money-Back Guarantee

Other honorable mentions

Here are some of the other useful anonymous Instagram viewer sites that I’d suggest you try:

InstaStoriesViewer: On this site, you can enter the username on its search bar to find an Instagram profile. Using this site, I could view the individual’s IG stories without clicking on their story and you can also download it if you like.

StoriesDown: You can simply enter the username of your target individual in this site’s search bar and hit “Enter”. This will display their profile and current story without you needing to click on the story circle.

Inscognito: To use this app, you will have to install it on your device. Once installed, you can enter the username of your person of interest and view their stories. Inscognito showed me current stories along with highlights of the target individual.

InstaNavigation: On this site, you can use the username or IG profile link to view the story. I could watch the individual’s current and previous day’s stories, highlights, posts, and even the account’s statistics.

Method 2: View Instagram Story Anonymously Using the Airplane Mode

Using airplane mode is one of the easiest methods to view Instagram stories without them knowing. With this method, you do not have to install any app or perform any difficult configurations.

Here are the steps that I used for this method:

Step 1) First, open your IG account and locate the profile of the target person.

Step 2) Allow their story to load for a while without opening it; otherwise, you may only see a blank screen. Now, turn on Flight or Airplane mode on your device.

Step 3) Once your device is disconnected from all Internet connections, open their Instagram story and view it.

The person will not be notified of your activity, and you will not be listed on their View list. However, there’s a chance that once you turn off the Airplane mode, your profile may become visible on the View list.

Method 3: Create a New/ Fake Account

You can view Instagram stories directly as a viewer without the target individual’s knowledge using a fake account. I created a new account using a fake name by following the same steps I used to create my original profile. You must make sure to post at least three posts, get a few followers, and follow some accounts to make your profile look genuine.

I suggest you use an entirely different name and DP that is unrelated to you. Once the account is set up, you can send them a request, get accepted, and start viewing their story without revealing your identity.

Method 4: Use the Web Version of Instagram

When I used the web version of Instagram, I noticed that it had certain limitations. However, it lets you view the Instagram stories without showing your profile to the user.

Here is how I proceeded with this method:

Step 1) Open an Incognito window on your browser and log into your Instagram account.

Step 2) Go to the user’s profile and click on their story to view their updates.

This method is usually foolproof if you are already their follower, or they have a public profile.

Method 5: Watch IG Stories Anonymous Using VPN

Using a VPN is another easy way to access IG stories. You must choose a reliable VPN service such as ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or Surfshark for this method. With a VPN, your connection will be secure and encrypted, which will hide your IP address for apps and websites you visit.

To use this method, you must install the VPN, open the app, and connect it to the nearest server. Once the VPN is connected, you can open the Instagram app and view the stories of your target profile secretly.

Method 6: Use the Half Swipe Method

You can use this smart technique known as half-swipe which will not display your profile on the View list.

To use this technique, I used the following steps:

Step 1) Go to your Instagram home page and click on the story next to the actual story that you want to view.

Step 2) Now gently swipe your finger to the right or left depending on which adjacent story you opened. Make sure you do not allow the story of the target profile to open entirely by keeping your finger stuck to the screen the whole time.

Step 3) The screen should be half of the adjacent story and half of the actual profile’s story that you want to view for it to work.

Step 4) Once you are done viewing, you must not release the finger. Instead, swipe the finger back to the right or left (depending on which nearby story you opened) to return to the adjacent story for safety. Here’s what it must look like:

Note that it will allow you to view only the first story slide or the most recent story that you haven’t viewed yet.

Method 7: Ask for Friend’s Help

This is one of the simplest solutions I tried for viewing someone’s story anonymously. If your target individual is on your friend’s following list, you can simply ask your friend to screenshot their story and send it to you.

If your friend is not their follower, they can still view it if it is an open account. However, if the account is private, your friend must send a follow-up request. You can also sit with your friend and watch the target account’s story or ask for your friend’s account credentials if you have a tight bond.

Method 8: Use the Close Friends Feature

This method works if you have been added to close friends in a person’s story. If not, you can try adding them to your close friends so they may return this gesture.

Here’s how I used this method to my advantage:

Step 1) Find out if you are added to their close friends. You will know this if you see a green circle around their story instead of the usual colorful one.

Step 2) Whenever you see a green circle in their story, turn on Airplane Mode to view it. Tap on the story while in this mode to view and then close the app.

Step 3) Finally, turn your Airplane Mode off; this will not register you on their View list.

Method 9: Use Browser Extensions

I also came across some useful browser extensions for viewing Instagram stories without being caught. These extensions are available for Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers. I tried out tools like Ghostify, Ghost Viewer, and StoriesHub and they worked seamlessly most of the time.

You can simply install these extensions and add them to your browser. Then go to the IG web version, login, click on the extension in the browser, and follow the instructions to view the story. In some cases, you may not even have to log in.

Why View Instagram Stories Anonymously?

Viewing Instagram stories anonymously offers you several benefits. Some of the advantages that I have noticed are:

• Privacy: Anonymous Instagram viewing keeps your activities private. It ensures that your Insta browsing remains untracked, and you can view as many times as you like without disclosing your profile.
• Competitor Analysis: This is useful for business accounts to watch competitor stories and get updates. It helps you gain insight into their strategies without making it obvious to the competitor.
• View In Peace: If you are interested in someone, it is natural to want to see what they have posted. However, you do not want to come off as a stalker therefore, anonymously viewing their IG stories can help you.

Legal and Ethical Implications of Anonymously Viewing Instagram Stories

Here are the legal and ethical implications of viewing IG stories anonymously:

• Intent: The intent matters when you are anonymously viewing someone’s Instagram stories. It is considered harmless when watching your crush or business competitor to get updates. However, stalking someone to harass or cyberbully them must be avoided. Such malicious intent can also be reported as a crime.
• Respect Their Privacy: I suggest you not get obsessed with using anonymous viewing apps and methods as it can be unhealthy. You must respect the privacy of an individual if they are not willing to share their social media updates with you/non-followers.
• Risk Of The Methods: Not all methods and third-party apps for anonymous viewing are reliable. Therefore, you never know what kind of data an app is gathering and exposing it to threats online. You must also be careful while using such methods as they may breach Instagram’s terms of service or legal boundaries.

Beware of Instagram Guidelines while viewing stories anonymously

While using the methods to view IG stories anonymously, you must beware of Instagram user guidelines. For example, your fake account may get reported if it is found out. This may lead to your profile being disabled by Instagram. IG temporarily disables reported profiles or even permanently removes the account if you get reported multiple times.

In extreme cases, IG team individuals may even reach out to you with a warning to disable your account permanently. You must also carefully read the privacy and security policies of third-party sites and apps you are using to make sure they do not violate Instagram guidelines.

Issues with Secretly Viewing Instagram Stories

Here are some of the challenges that you may come across while trying to view IG stories anonymously:

• Third-party Limitations: Not every app and site may offer you the desired results. Since most of these tools work better if the profile is public or if you are a follower. In certain cases, the apps may not show real-time stories which can be misleading.
• Follow Request Rejected: I came across situations when my follow request was rejected and removed. This made my anonymous story viewing more difficult, and I had to turn to paid tools like Peekviewer to get access to private stories.
• Excluded From Close Friends: Some users may not return the favor even if you add to their close friends. Hence, this can also be a hindrance if your mutual is also not added to their close friends.

FAQs

Conclusion

Instagram doesn’t offer any anonymous viewing feature, hence, you must apply different techniques, such as shown above for secretly viewing IG stories. It is often easier to apply these methods if the profile is public.

However, viewing Instagram stories without the user’s knowledge can go against IG’s policy and terms of service. Therefore, you must use it wisely and respect the individual’s privacy. In the future, there might be stricter guidelines, and IG may make it harder to view stories secretly. Meanwhile, the tech-savvy crowd may find other approaches.