View Private Instagram Accounts: Is It Possible?

We’ve all been there. You’re scrolling through Instagram posts, checking out other profiles when you run into a private account. You want to know more about this person’s account or posts without sending a follow request. Now you’re wondering, “Is there another way to view private Instagram accounts?” Luckily, we’ve got all the answers to your question. Keep reading to learn about private Instagram accounts, how to view them, what not to do, and more.

What Are Private Instagram Accounts?

Wondering how to go private on IG? Instagram’s private mode is available to all personal accounts, whether you’re a regular Jane/Joe or a well-known personality. When you set your profile to private mode, only your followers can view content you post. You have control over who looks at your Instagram.

You also control who follows your account since you confirm or reject follow requests. Additionally, you can switch to public mode at any time. With a public account, anybody on the app can view and freely follow your Instagram content.

Business accounts, however, are always public. Any Instagram user can follow you and see, like, and comment on your posts. If you wish to make your account private, switch it back to a personal account.  

Unlike Facebook, Instagram’s private or public mode applies to the entire account, not individual photos or posts. If you have a private account, you can’t set the visibility of specific posts to the public. If you have a public profile, you can’t make the visibility of select posts private. 

Before placing your profile in private or public mode, consider the pros and cons. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• How seriously do you take your privacy?
• What’s the purpose of your Instagram account?
• Do you care if total strangers or people you barely know follow you and see and/or react to your posts? 

That said, it’s not the end of the world if you choose one option and want to switch later. You can easily switch between the two modes any time you want. Give each one a try to see what works best for you.

Why Make Your Instagram Account Private?

Owning a private account is the best way to protect your content. By selecting private mode, you know who is viewing Instagram content you post. This includes your photos, videos and other media. Putting up this wall lowers the chances of your information falling into the wrong hands. This is especially important for protecting young adults and teens from predators or other bad actors.

That said, not everyone wants to private their account. If you want to get 1k followers in 5 minutes, for example, you’ll need to keep your account open. That way, it’s easier for others to discover your content.

Reasons for Viewing Instagram Accounts

Before we get into the fine details of how to see private Instagram accounts, let’s talk about the “why.” Why would someone see a private account and want to dig deeper? Sometimes, the answer is simple. 

You recently joined Instagram, or you just saw a profile of someone you know. IG is a social platform; you want to connect with that person and their content. But let’s say this isn’t the case. If you’re the one trying to gain access to someone’s Instagram feed, here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Is viewing this private account essential to my safety or peace of mind?
• Do I want to check out this person’s page because it genuinely interests me?
• Do I know this person and want to be their friend on the app?
• Is it important for my work that I see this private content?
• Will viewing private Instagram profiles benefit the account owner or me?

Why You Shouldn’t View Private Instagram Accounts

Usually if you want to know how to view Instagram photos private accounts should be left alone. They’re private for a reason after all. There are many public accounts with plenty of photos to check out instead! So, what are the scenarios in which you should leave an Instagram profile private? 

• You don’t know the person. If you don’t have a connection to this person, leave their page as it is. Many people create a private Instagram account because they don’t want the public to see their photos and videos. 

• Viewing the private Instagram will hurt your mental health or the mental health of the other person. 

• The profile owner has asked you to refrain from viewing their page or sending a follow request.

Is There a Legitimate Way To View an Instagram Private Profile?

If you want to see photos from private Instagram accounts, it’s best to become a follower. You can view an Instagram private profile by becoming a follower – given that they approve your follow request. Following a private account is the only legitimate way to view and interact with their posts. Whether or not they confirm your follow request will depend on two factors:

• How well they know you.
• How much they value their privacy. 

Let’s say they only consider you a casual acquaintance. The desired account may grant you access if they’re not too cautious about guarding their privacy. If you’re a stranger and the person limits their circle to family and friends, they won’t confirm your follow request. That means you won’t have any method of how to view photos on Instagram that are private.

Some celebrities, for example, create one account for public consumption and another just for people they know. This second account is a “Finsta” or fake Instagram account. If you’re a fan, you can only follow them via their public profile. Their private Instagram profile is off-limits to the public. You may have to find other ways to take a peek to learn more about their private life. 

How To See Instagram Photos on Private Accounts: Other Methods 

We’ll level with you. If you’re searching “how do you see private photos on Instagram”, you probably don’t want to press “Follow.” Or you can’t, which means you want a way around that. This is where we get into online stalking territory.

Online stalking may be pervasive in this day and age of social media, but it’s not proper behavior. Famous personalities, of course, understand that invasion of their privacy is part of the package. Nevertheless, accessing their private accounts through creative and deceptive means is unacceptable. This is also true for the private accounts of average individuals. 

That said, there are other ways for how to see the photos of a private Instagram account. Following through on some of these ways to see someone’s private photos could earn you a suspension, ban, or block. Here are the most common tricks. 

Create a New Identity for a Temporary IG Account

The most common method for how to see pictures of a private Instagram is to create a fake account. People might use this method when they know the person you won’t approve a follow request.

They might let you someone in if they’re not sensitive about strangers seeing their private Instagram photos and Instagram stories. However, creating a fake IG account won’t work if they’re highly cautious about who they let view their private Instagram.

Perform a Google Search

Another method for how to see pictures of a private account on Instagram is checking Google Images. If the target profile used to have a public account, then users can find it on Google. Google indexes public Instagram posts. So when someone does a Google Image search, they may find some old, public posts. All they need to do is Google search the target’s current username. 

Perform a Search on Other Social Media Platforms

Sometimes, people move on to another app. If they can’t figure out how to view photos of private Instagram accounts, they might check out other platforms. Usually, Instagram users also have accounts on other social media platforms, such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok. Someone can search for a user on their other social media accounts. They simply hit the search bar of these other apps with their IG username or real name.

Take a Peek via a Friend’s Account

Searching “how to see photos in private Instagram?” Remember, not every Instagram account ends up on the wrong side of a private Instagram profile. What do we mean by that? We mean, people can look at Instagram accounts via their friends. 

Speak to the Account Owner Directly

Call us old-fashioned. But you want to know how to see Instagram photos of private account owners? Why not just talk to the people behind them? We know, we know. You probably have your reasons for not wanting to communicate with the private Instagram owners. But if it’s not a risk to your safety, try reaching out in person. Talk out your issues with them or get to know them in real life. That’ll give you more insight than anything on their IG. If you want to see Instagram photos private account owners might just let you, you never know.

Use Third-Party Apps

Here we come to the last “Instagram how to view private photos” method: the private Instagram profile viewer. An Instagram profile viewer app promises to grant you complete, confidential, undetectable access to another IG user’s page. 

You should be wary of these apps, as most do not work as advertised. Just like with Instagram story viewer apps, web viewers for Instagram, and apps to see who views your IG. Scammers design them to infect devices with malware or ransomware. Others may just take your money if you’re lucky or, worse, steal your data.

Private Instagram Viewer Apps

Still searching for “how to see someone private Instagram”? Even though Instagram profile viewer apps that exist, we do not endorse them. Proceed with extreme caution when dealing with these apps. They might promise to reveal private content, but they are highly controversial. Even the ones that are not straight-up scams typically operate in a gray area. 

Some Instagram profile viewer apps also compromise your own privacy and security, as well as other users. Remember, Instagram’s privacy settings are in place to protect users. Unauthorized viewing apps violate their terms of service. This can lead to account suspensions and other penalties. The best approach for viewing someone’s private profile is to send them a follow request. the public. You may have to find other ways to take a peek to learn more about their private life. 

How To Make Your Instagram Account Private

If you value your privacy and wish to restrict access to your profile, set your account’s visibility to private. There will always be people who might find a way to get past your privacy settings. (i.e., They might try one or all of the methods mentioned above. Be extra careful before approving new follow requests.) But this filters out most people and gives you control over who views your content.

To switch your account to private, just follow these steps:

• Launch your Instagram app. 
• Tap on the small icon of your profile picture in the bottom right corner. 
• Once on your profile page, press the three horizontal lines at the top of the page. Tap “Settings.”
• From the account setting options, tap on the “Privacy” button. 
• At the top, you’ll see “Account Privacy” and the “Public/Private Account” option directly below that.
• Your account is public if the button is gray (set to the left). Tap on the button to put it to the right. It will turn blue, which means you’ve turned your Instagram account private.

What To Do Instead of Trying To See Private Instagram Accounts

Trying a private Instagram viewer or other shady methods to view private accounts is tempting. But here’s what we recommend instead: focus less on the profiles you can’t see and more on those you can. Even better, direct your attention to your own page and organic growth. This way, you’ll get more out of the app and might even find a new source of business.

Final Thoughts

If your Instagram account is personal, it’s always best to keep it private. If you want to know what someone’s posting, send them a request. If you can’t do that, search for them on Google and other social media platforms. Other methods are deceptive and unethical. Remember that any unethical behavior can get you blocked by your target individual and even banished from Instagram. 

Are you interested in something better than trying to view private Instagram accounts? Partner with Path Social to transform your IG scrolling into an IG strategy. At Path Social, we’ve built up an in-house team of experts and a proprietary AI targeting algorithm. Why? To build up your Instagram presence. No more worrying about private accounts! Start growing and gaining Instagram followers today.

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