How To View Private Instagram Accounts

Instagram is an enormous library of pictures that keeps growing every day with a user base that doesn’t stand far behind the platform’s parent company, Facebook. According to Statista, the photo-sharing platform has around a billion monthly active users and is the sixth most popular social media platform in the world, with its parent company Facebook, grabbing the number one spot. One of the reasons why Instagram has that many users is because it takes your privacy very seriously.

People feel safe uploading pictures and stories about their life and are more than happy to gain additional followers. However, that also gives birth to an intriguing question – “How to view private Instagram Accounts?”

What exactly is a private account?

If you go through the privacy policy of Instagram, you would find that the website offers features to make your Instagram account private. As the name suggests, a private Instagram account offers more privacy. When you switch to private mode, people who don’t follow you and complete strangers won’t be able to see the images, videos, and stories you share on the platform. People can send you follow requests and get to see your posts only if you accept their follow requests. Facebook also has similar and more extensive privacy features.

Reasons to make a private Instagram account:

1. To prevent fake Instagram Accounts from popping up – For some reason, people want to imitate accounts. It may be something innocent like imitating your favorite celebrity or for creepy reasons and to abuse someone’s online identity. With a private account, you can prevent such people from making fake social media accounts of you since they can’t see, download, or take a screenshot of your images or videos.
2. To shut the door on stalkers – Stalking has existed before social media and has become easier since the digital boom. Naturally, they aren’t welcome by Instagram users. With a private Instagram account, you can prevent stalkers from spying, checking up on you throughout the day, or abusing your pictures in any way. 
3. To keep away your ex and other people who may not be on good terms with you – Getting over our ex and crushes may be challenging for many. There may be other people who aren’t really friendly with you and love to be a troll on the internet. Other than blocking such people, making your account private is a good way to keep them away. You can simply refuse follow requests and prevent access to your posts.

How do I see Private Instagram Accounts?

Since viewing private Instagram accounts is a hot topic, many people are interested in it due to reasons that range from straight-up stalking to genuine curiosity. People are especially interested to view private Instagram accounts after going through a breakup. Sometimes, you just don’t want to send a follow request to someone and just look at the content in their social media account. So, let’s look at the answer to this curious question or find out if it is even possible.

Methods that worked in the past

The popularity of the question, “How to view private Instagram accounts?” should be a clear indication of your privacy’s priority to Instagram. The simple answer to the question is “It is not possible”. it’s unfortunate for some and a welcome fact for others.

However, during its heydays, Instagram had loopholes that allowed you to see someone’s private account. The method was very simple as well.

• You needed to open up Instagram’s website from your desktop
• Search the name of the Instagram account
• Open the account from the search results and go to the “Show More” segment
• Despite an account’s privacy status, you would be able to view all their posts

Instagram obviously fixed this security flaw. There is no way to view a private Instagram account. However, there are tips you can follow to view a private Instagram account. But before that, you need to know what doesn’t work.

Apps and websites that provide “hacks” for viewing private Instagram accounts

There are several apps on the play store and app store that claim to show private Instagram accounts. Similar websites exist as well. When you read the app descriptions and the website landing page, most of them say it is easy and possible to view a private Instagram account. You get your hopes up and download the free or premium app or follow the steps mentioned by the website. However, disappointment hits you when you end up discovering that you gained nothing and lost your money or private information.

These apps and websites are operated by scammers and fraudsters who want your money and private data in exchange for an undelivered promise. Be careful when you download them on your phone or visit them via desktop. Don’t fill in personal information before using these resources or fill in their surveys.

Don’t give your personal contact information and certainly not your bank details. It is impossible to create a list of such apps and websites since they are closed and replaced by new alternatives every day. You should exercise precautions and protect yourself if you come across such apps and websites. Now that you know what to avoid, let us proceed with the tips to view private Instagram accounts.

Create a fake Instagram account

This method is used quite frequently and you can do the same if you just want to see someone’s Instagram profile without sending them a follow request from your real account. It is better to create a fake account with the same gender as the person you want to follow. It makes them less suspicious when you send them a follow request. If you can set up the account with similar interests to the person you want to follow, it eliminates further suspicion and increases the chances of another person accepting your follow request.

The fear of fake followers isn’t misplaced since a study conducted by Ghost Data shows that Instagram may have a staggering 95 million fake accounts. Moreover, according to an article in The Washington Post, “Selling followers is a multi-million dollar business” and “A bot is worth gold”.

Create a Doppelganger Account

This is probably one of the most complex ways to view a private Instagram account. The goal is to make the account owner believe that you are one of their existing followers. Here’s how you do it:

• Choose one follower from the list of followers of the private Instagram account
• If you can’t find the followers from Instagram, then look into other social media platforms. Search the names from those followers in Instagram and you may find a public account that also follows and is followed by your target private Instagram account
• Make sure that your choice is made for a regular non-private account with fairly few numbers of followers and preferably the same gender as the account you want to follow
• Make a fake Instagram account with a similar name and Instagram handle
• Download the pictures of the account you chose in the previous step and post some of them on your fake account
• Copy the bio as well with minor unsuspicious changes
• Send a follow request from your newly created fake doppelganger account
• You may also send a direct message to the account you want to follow and mention that you are one of their followers with a new account and they should accept your follow request

Follow their friends

Friends usually share each other’s posts on social media platforms. Following the friends of your target private account may help you to look into some of the posts of the private Instagram account you want to follow. You can also ask mutual friends to share some of the posts of your private Instagram account.

Man up and send a follow request

If the private Instagram account holder has a high chance of accepting your follow request and none of the above-mentioned methods worked, then it is high time to do the obvious. Just man up and send a follow request instead of being shy or hesitating for some other reason. You can also send a direct message along with the following request and state your reason to clear out any confusion or doubt on the other side.

Who stalks my profile on Instagram?

If you are curious about the people who visit your Instagram profile, you can easily learn about them and decide if you want to toggle the switch under the Account privacy section. To do that you can use any of the Instagram analytics apps available on the market. If you are an Android user, you can use Follower Analyzer for Instagram – Follower Tracker, FollowMeter for Instagram, and other such apps. If you are on iOS you can use Visitors Pro App, SocialView for Instagram App, and more.

Conclusion

Viewing someone’s private Instagram account isn’t impossible if you follow the above-mentioned tips and methods. However, being an Instagram stalker is never encouraged or recommended under any circumstances. Privacy is a great concern and especially so in this digital era of apps and social media.

Also, if you want to build your Instagram empire, you may want to check Famoid’s Instagram growth services.

Best Regards,
Famoid Blog – 2024