If something good happens in your life, Instagram is often the first place to share it. No wonder it is a platform that has replaced magazines, offering a more engaging way to keep up with the lives of friends—both near and far— and celebrities without the need for a phone call or a subscription.
That said, Instagram also tempts users, including yourself, to dive into less innocent activities like snooping on ex-best friends, old flames, or even people you don’t particularly like. Since you’re here, you might be wondering if this harmless stalking comes with any consequences. In this guide, we’ll explore Instagram’s privacy settings and what you should know before checking someone’s profile.
Can People See When You View Their Instagram?
The most bugging question of all is whether someone can actually be notified when their IG profile is being checked, and the answer will surprise you. Although there is no existing function to check who visits your profile, like on LinkedIn, there are a few methods to find out who stalks your account.
Instagram metrics are probably the only way within the platform to help you understand whether your account is constantly being checked. To access these metrics, you will need to switch to a Business or Creator account.
Personal accounts can also find out whether someone stalks them by checking who views stories, follows you, or even interacts with your posts.
Can Someone See How Many Times You Viewed Their Instagram Profile?
Instagram has various content types, each functioning a bit differently. While there’s no notification when you visit someone’s profile, the story feature is an exception.
If you view someone’s story, the creator will be able to see that your profile has been added to their viewers list. If you view the same story multiple times, your profile will only be added once.
If you interact with an Instagram post, either a video or a photo, even if you do not follow the creator, your profile will also be visible.
The same can be said about a live stream on Instagram. As soon as you join, both the host and other viewers can see your username immediately.
What about reels? Instagram reels are a relatively new yet very popular content type. Similarly to TikTok, you can rewatch reels as many times as you want, and your profile nickname will not be visible in the statistics. This is because the platform does not record individual viewers but only shows a cumulative number of views. However, your profile will be added to the list if you liked the reel.
Does Instagram Tell You Who Viewed Your Profile?
You can breathe freely knowing that Instagram doesn’t notify users when someone views their profile. This applies whether you follow each other or not—no notifications are sent for simply opening someone’s account.
That said, there has been an active discussion on Reddit about Instagram potentially granting a special feature for a chosen few that does the opposite—sending notifications when someone views their profile. Allegedly, this feature only applies to fake accounts, specifically those created for snooping purposes. However, Instagram has made no official statements confirming this or indicating plans to stop profile stalking. Hence, these claims remain unconfirmed rumors.
4 Ways to Uncover Your Stalkers
There is no way to check exactly who is checking your Instagram account–however, there are a few ways to find out who may it be, using the following methods:
1. Monitor Your Stories
If you frequently post Instagram stories, you might be used to seeing familiar faces liking your 24-hour photos and videos. But if you are suspicious that someone might be snooping into your life, pay extra attention to recognize strangers lurking in your stories.
You can also connect your Instagram to your Facebook account so that you will be able to see everyone from both platforms liking your content.
2. Notice Suspicious or Unusual Interactions
To find out more about your potential stalkers, you shouldn’t ignore the strange interactions they leave on your posts or in your DMs. You can easily check for new people liking your stories, reels, and posts.
It’s not a mandatory step, but you may also open your requested messages where people you may know might send you a message, trying to connect with you.
3. View Suggested Friends
When scrolling through the Instagram feed, you will occasionally be presented with a carousel of suggested friends you may know or would like to connect with. Usually, the platform picks people who have mutual connections with you or your friends or who may have common interests with you. However, if there is a user who you’ve never heard of and whose profile doesn’t seem to resonate with you in any matter, this person may be stalking you.
4. Evaluate Your Follower List
Having a public account means anyone can easily follow you, whilst if you had a private account, you would need to manually accept each follower request.
Hence, with your account open to everyone, your stalker can follow you and access every content you post.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you see how many times someone viewed your instagram profile?
No, there is no way to find out who checked your profile and how many times. The only time you get a notification is when someone interacts with your content. For example, you will always know when someone likes or comments on your account.
Can I use a third-party app to see who views my profile on Instagram?
There is a small chance that a third-party application can access your Instagram profile and see who views your account. Instagram has certain limitations that applications may not be able to pass.
Can people see when I look at their Instagram profile?
As long as you don’t interact with an Instagram account, there is no way the other person will know that you view their profile. If you accidentally leave a like or watch a story, then a person may be notified.
