Instagram Story Views: Secretly Watch Someone’s Stories!

According to Instagram, over 500 million app users spend their time watching Stories on the platform. And for a good reason! These vertical videos are awesome for keeping your followers updated on your day-to-day life. It’s also super satisfying to see your Instagram Story views rack up. It’s a sign that your content is interesting and faring well with your friends and followers.

But there’s a lot of mystery surrounding views on Instagram Stories. How are one’s Story viewers arranged on the list? Are these really the only people watching your Stories, or are there secret viewers sneakily taking a peek at them? Is there a way to see someone’s Stories without them realizing it?

We’ll answer all these questions and more in this guide. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about views on Instagram Stories.

No Secrets Here: Can You See Who Views Your Instagram Story?

Instagram doesn’t really give users a lot of transparency about who sees their content. Right now, there’s no way to see who has seen your feed posts and Instagram Reels. You can’t even tell who has recently visited your page or clicked on your profile picture. But can you see who views your Instagram Story?

Yes, Stories are pretty much the only type of content on the platform that shows you your viewers. The list appears when you swipe up on your current Story. You’ll see the total number of views and see every user who has seen your Stories.

Once your Story expires after 24 hours, you will no longer have access to this list. If you look through your Stories in your archive, you’ll still see the number of views your old Story garnered. However, there will be no way to see who these Story viewers were.

Decoding the Algorithm: How Are Instagram Story Views Sorted?

It’s fun looking through who viewed your Story. It tells you that they’re interested in your daily updates. But have you ever wondered about how the usernames of those who have viewed your Stories are arranged? How are Instagram story views sorted, anyway?

There’s a lot of speculation about how the people on your Story viewer list are sorted. Instagram has never outright shared how its viewer algorithm works. However, many have devised theories about how the names are arranged.

It seems like when you have less than 50 views on your Story, the names are arranged chronologically. But if you have more than 50 viewers, the arrangement changes. Suddenly, it’s those who you interact with the most on the platform that go on top. The people you engage with the least are left at the bottom of the list.

But if someone clicks the “heart” react button on your Story, they’ll automatically go to the top of the list. You’ll see the people who hit “heart” on your Story before everyone else.

Pro-Tip: Get More Views on Your Instagram Stories by Using Interactive Stickers

Are you trying to get more views on your Instagram Stories? The secret is simple—boost your engagement rate. The more interactions you get on your Stories, the more the algorithm will push it out to your followers.

So, being as creative as possible with your Instagram Story ideas is crucial. Make your content relevant, funny, shareable and able to spark conversation. That way, you can have good engagement rates for your Stories and get more views on your future Story posts.

But if you’re not super confident about how interesting your Stories are, we have another trick for you to try. Plaster some cute, interactive Instagram stickers on your Stories to boost engagement instantly.

Instagram stickers can increase views and engagement on your content because they allow Story viewers to interact with your post. Whether it’s a quiz, emoji slider, poll sticker, or any other charming sticker, these add-ons make your Stories more engaging. Consequently, you’ll get tons more views on them because of their high engagement rate.

It’s best to use these stickers when you want more people to see specific Stories of yours. For example, you have a new blog post on your website and want more people to see it. A good strategy for that is to cross-promote the blog post on your Story and add a sticker.

Let’s say you choose the emoji slider with the heart eyes smiley. Add a caption along the lines of, “New blog post up! Let me know how you like it!” Not only do you find out if your followers like your new post. You’ll also get a lot of interactions on your Stories, leading to more views later. You’ll hit two birds with one stone!

Dealing With the FOMO: How To View Instagram Stories Without an Account

Since Instagram informs everyone of who views whose Story, there’s no official way to view Stories without an Instagram account, but this creates FOMO for those who want to watch people’s Stories without having to sign up for a profile.

Don’t worry, though. We’ve got two techniques to help you watch people’s Stories anyway. Here’s how to view Instagram Stories without an account.

Use an Anonymous Instagram Story Viewer

The most convenient way to view Stories when you don’t have an account is through an anonymous Instagram Story viewer. There are plenty of these free websites online. However, make sure you only use trustworthy sites that won’t ask for payment or sensitive information.

The Path Social Story viewer is an excellent website for watching someone’s content anonymously and without an account. It’s completely free and doesn’t require you to install any apps or leave your email address and personal information.

The viewer is easy to use. Just type in the Instagram handle of the person whose Stories you want to see. Then, click “Search.” Their current Stories will show up on the next page that loads. You can watch the videos and view the photos without worrying they’ll trace it back to you.

This tool isn’t just great for those without Instagram accounts. You can also use it if you have an account but have been blocked by another person. Or, you can simply use it whenever you want to watch Stories anonymously.

Note that the person’s profile must be public for the site to work. You can’t use the tool for private accounts locked shut by Instagram. 

Ask a Friend to Screenshot or Record Someone’s Stories

If you’re trying to look at someone’s Story, but their account is in private mode, you can’t use a viewer. It’s incredibly difficult to access someone’s private Stories anonymously, especially without an Instagram account.

The only way to do it would be to look for a friend who follows that person already. Ask them to view the Story for you. Then, ask them to screenshot or record it so you can see that person’s Stories.

Yes, it can be embarrassing to have to ask someone for a secret favor like this. But if you’re desperate to see someone’s Instagram Stories, it’s a surefire way to get your hands on them.

3 Sneaky Ways To Secretly Watch Stories Without an Insta Story Viewer

It’s normal to want to see someone’s Instagram Stories without them finding out. Maybe you miss your ex and want to see how they’re doing. Maybe you want to find out what your crush is up to this weekend. We’ve all been there.

Checking their Stories is a great way to find answers to these. But it’s embarrassing if they find out you viewed their posts. No one wants to be accused of being an Instagram stalker, right?

Our anonymous Story viewer is perfect for those who want to watch people’s Stories without accounts sneakily. But what if you don’t want to rely on an Insta story viewer to watch people’s Stories anonymously? Are there other ways to do it without blowing your cover?

If you have an Instagram account, there are a couple of other clever ways to watch someone’s Stories in secret. Here are three methods for viewing someone’s Stories without them knowing.

1. Disconnect From Your WiFi By Going on Airplane Mode

Instagram pre-loads people’s Stories so that they play right away as soon as you click on them. They designed Stories that way to be user-friendly. But this feature also comes in handy for those sneakily trying to view people’s Stories without getting caught. How? With your phone’s trust, airplane mode functions. Here’s how you do it, step by step:

1. Go to the Instagram profile of the person whose Instagram Stories you want to see.

2. Wait at least 20-30 seconds to let their current Story pre-load.

3. Put your phone on airplane mode to disconnect from the internet.

4. Click on the person’s profile picture with the magenta circle around it to view their Story. Remember, you are offline when you do this, so Instagram has no record of you viewing it.

This method is awesome for people with just one or two Stories. But if the person you want to spy on has a bunch of Stories, the app might only be able to pre-load some of them. You might want to do it multiple times to pre-load a few Stories at a time. Then, just view them offline in batches.

2. Do a Half-Swipe for a Sneak Peek at the Photo Story

Another trick you can do is do a half-swipe on someone’s Story to see a sneak peek of their post. This only works if the person you’re targeting appears on the Story line-up on top of your Instagram home screen.

Click on the profile picture to the right of your target person. This should open that second person’s Stories. Tap and hold on to that Story and carefully do a half-swipe to the left. This gives you a preview of the Story you’re trying to watch secretly. Keep holding the screen with your finger. If you let go, you’ll “open” the Story, and Instagram will count it as an official view.

This method has a ton of caveats. First, you’ll only be able to see the person’s next Story post that you haven’t viewed yet. If they have five Stories up, you’ll only be able to see the first one.

Secondly, this method only works for photo posts. Since you’re holding the screen down with your finger, videos on Stories won’t play. You can only catch a glimpse of photos.

3. Create a Burner Account To Watch Secretly Watch Private Stories

It’s easy to watch Stories from accounts that are public secretly or that you already follow. But what if you don’t want to follow the private account with the Story you’re trying to view? What do you do then?

As a last-ditch effort to secretly watch someone’s Stories, you might consider creating a burner account on Instagram. Make a secondary account with a fake name and random profile picture. Be sure none of these have ties to your real identity.

Then, send a follow-up request to the person whose Stories you want to see. If you’re lucky and they accept the request, you’re free to watch their Stories without them knowing it’s you. Hopefully, it won’t raise any alarm bells, and they chalk it up to random fake accounts viewing their page. 

Get More Views on Your Stories (And Other Video Content) With Path Social

It can be entertaining looking through the viewers on your Stories and secretly watching someone else’s with an anonymous viewer. But instead of spending too much unnecessary time musing over those, it’s better to focus on increasing views for your Story posts. Path Social can help you do that.

Our proprietary targeting algorithm can help push your content to your target audience. This allows you to attract your niche demographic and reel them in as followers. And the more people follow you, the more of them might view your Stories. That means more reach and engagement for you and tons of successful, high-ranking Stories for your page. Work with us today to grow your community and get more Instagram Story views!