Who Looks at My Instagram? The Truth About Finding Out

Profile photo of Karen Lin, author

Karen Lin

Instagram 101 | Apr 05, 2023

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One of the defining features of Instagram is its highly engaged user base. People log in daily to post stories, check in on their friends, or explore content from their favorite celebrity accounts. Knowing who views your activity is a natural curiosity for many Instagram users, especially those with public profiles visible to everyone.

The answer to the question “Can I find out who looks at my Instagram’’ is, unfortunately: no.

Picture of a person looking through a hole in the wall- like the people you may be curious about, looking at your Instagram account

Sadly, Instagram doesn’t provide its users with access to such data. However, this doesn’t mean it’s impossible to do so. Several third-party applications/websites offer tracking services that help you gain insight into who has been viewing your profile. You can find out who stalks you more closely by keeping track of followers versus non-followers or how often certain accounts have visited your page.

Who Looks at My Instagram- The Myth of Instagram’s “Who Viewed Your Profile”

Instagram’s “Who Viewed Your Profile” feature is a popular topic of discussion among users. However, it is important to understand that the feature has its limitations. The feature does not provide users with a comprehensive list of all the people “who looks at my Instagram.” It shows users a limited number of recent viewers, usually only the last few dozen users who have interacted with their profile. This means users cannot rely on the “Who Viewed Your Profile” feature to get an accurate picture of who has been viewing their profile.

Instagram has a history of removing third-party apps that claim to show users who viewed their profile. These apps promise to provide users with a comprehensive list of all the people who have viewed their profile. But they are often inaccurate and potentially harmful. Instagram considers these apps to violate its terms of service and has taken steps to remove them from the platform. Instagram has issued warnings to users who have installed these apps, informing them that their accounts may be at risk of being compromised.

Instagram has been cracking down on third-party apps that claim to show users who look at your Instagram account to protect users’ privacy. Instagram does not want third-party apps to access users’ personal information, including their viewing history. These apps often require users to log in using their Instagram credentials, potentially compromising their account security.

Picture of a policeman with his hands behind his back, like Instagram watching over these third-party apps more

While the “Who Viewed Your Profile” feature may be tempting, users need to understand its limitations. Be cautious if you decide to give in to your curiosity!

How To See Who Looks at Your Instagram Using Third-party Apps

When it comes to third-party apps that claim to reveal who looks at your Instagram profile, it’s a huge gamble. These apps- like InStalker– can be found on the App Store and Play Store. They often suggest they can provide full insight into who has been stalking your Instagram account. Sounds good, huh?

Unfortunately, these apps are almost always a scam. They exist solely to rob people of personal information. There is no guarantee that the app would accurately track who had viewed your profile, even if you tempted to use them. Besides security, accuracy is also an issue, since most apps use algorithms to track followers, likes, but not all activity related to your account. The bottom line is that using these third-party apps is not safe or reliable for assessing who looks at your Instagram page.

How To See Who Views Your Instagram Profile the Most

Want to know how to see who views your Instagram profile the most? Then you’ll need to take your chances with one of those third-party providers. But please tread if you must. Most are a scam, and to find out who looks at your Instagram, you risk your account’s security.

How To See Who Stalks Your Instagram for Free

Look, curiosity gets the better of us all at some stage. But if you want to know how to see who looks at your Instagram for free, you are out of luck. There are third-party sites, but they are businesses and need payment. Even then, their information on who looks at your Instagram is unreliable. However, we do have some more legit solutions you may find helpful.

Using Instagram Insights To See Who Looks at My Instagram

Instagram Insights is a powerful tool that can help you understand how your followers engage with your posts. While it doesn’t provide information on who views your posts explicitly, it offers detailed metrics on your content’s engagement and reaches.

To access Instagram Insights, you must have a business or creator account on Instagram. Once you have access to Insights, you can view data on your overall account performance, including the number of followers, reach, and engagement rates. You can also see each post’s metrics, including likes, comments, shares, saves, and impressions.

One of the most valuable features of Instagram Insights is the ability to see which posts are performing the best. By reviewing the engagement rates of your posts, you can gain insights into the types of content that resonate most with your audience. You can also see your audience’s demographics, including age, gender, and location, which can help you tailor your content to your target audience.

Another key feature of Instagram Insights is the ability to track your followers’ activity on your profile. This includes metrics on the number of profile visits, website clicks, and email clicks generated by your content. By understanding how your followers engage with your profile, you can optimize your content strategy and increase engagement rates.

In addition to these features, Instagram Insights also provides data on the performance of your Instagram Stories, including reach, impressions, and engagement rates. You can also see metrics for your Instagram Reels, including the number of views, likes, and comments.

Instagram Insights does not provide information on who looks at your Instagram. And Instagram Support can’t help either. But it does offer a wealth of valuable data that can help you optimize your content strategy and increase engagement rates.

Can a Person See How Many Times I View Their Story on Instagram

Ok, now let’s flip the situation around. You don’t want to know ‘who looks at my Instagram’ but can they see you looking at theirs…

Instagram does not notify users if someone views their story multiple times. When you view someone’s Instagram story, the user can see that you viewed their story, but they cannot see how many times you viewed it.

Instagram only shows a list of people who viewed a particular story. It does not show the number of views each person has made. This means that even if you view someone’s story multiple times, they won’t know how many times you viewed it.

Although Instagram doesn’t notify users when your story is viewed repeatedly, the user may still notice if you view their story often. If you view someone’s story multiple times, they may start to recognize your profile picture and username and may even ask you about it.

Respecting others’ privacy and not obsessing over their social media activity is always best.

Here are some of our other Instagram story viewer secrets and tips and details on how to secretly view stories.

Can Someone See I Viewed Their Instagram Story if I’m Private

If you have a private Instagram account and view someone’s story, that person will be able to see that you viewed their story. However, unless they follow you and you approve their follow request, they will not be able to see your account information.

When you view someone’s story, your username will appear on the list of viewers and other users who have viewed the same story. However, the person who posted the story will only be able to see your username, not any other personal information about you.
It’s important to remember that while your account is private, your activity on Instagram, including viewing someone’s story, is not private. Regardless of whether you’re following someone or not, any person who has access to a story can see it.

Your private Instagram account will still reveal that you viewed someone’s story if you view their story. But they will be unable to see any personal information about you or who looks at your Instagram. Unless, of course, they ask to follow you, and you approve their request.

Control Who Looks at Your Instagram by Making Your Account Private

Making your Instagram account private is a great way to control who looks at your Instagram and interacts with your content. Here’s how you can manage your Instagram account and make it private:

  1. Open the Instagram app on your mobile device.
  2. Tap on your profile picture in the screen’s bottom right corner.
  3. Tap on the three horizontal lines in the screen’s top right corner.
  4. Tap on the “Settings” option at the bottom of the menu.
  5. Scroll down and tap on “Privacy.”
  6. Under “Connections,” tap on “Account Privacy.”
  7. Toggle on the “Private Account” option.


Once you have enabled the “Private Account” option, your Instagram account will be set to private. Only people who follow you can see your posts and interact with your content. If someone wants to follow you, they must send you a follow request, which you can either approve or decline.

It’s important to note that making your account private does not affect any of your existing followers. Your current followers will still be able to see and interact with your content unless you block or unfollow them.

Picture of a lock, like these steps that make your instagram private

Making your Instagram account private is a simple process that can help you control who can see your posts and interact with your content. By enabling the “Private Account” option, you can ensure that only people who you approve can follow you and see your posts.

Why Do People Want To Know Who Looks at Their Instagram Account?

There are many reasons why people may want to know “who looks at my Instagram”.

  • One of the main reasons is curiosity. People are naturally curious about who is interested in their content and who is following their social media activity. By knowing who has looked at their profile, users can better understand their audience and tailor their content to their followers’ interests.
  • Another reason why people want to know who has looked at their Instagram profile is for validation. Social media has become an integral part of our lives, and many people use it to boost their self-esteem and gain recognition. Knowing that someone has looked at their profile can give users a sense of validation and make them feel good about themselves.
  • Additionally, some people may want to know who has looked at their Instagram profile for safety reasons. Monitoring who is viewing their profile helps users ensure that their online presence is secure and that no stranger is following them.

We hope this guide has given you all the information you need. It might be frustrating if you wanted to find out if you were worried about who could see you looking at theirs. Either way, now you know the truth behind all the myths.

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