- You can view Instagram Stories anonymously by using an unidentifiable account.
- Turning on airplane mode can also let you see IG stories without the person knowing.
- Third-party options promising anonymous Stories viewing can be unreliable, but some work.
When viewing Instagram Stories, it's important to note that the user who posted the story is able to see who viewed it. Generally speaking, this doesn't cause a problem, but there may be a time that you want to view someone's Instagram Stories discreetly.
There are a few different ways you can go about viewing stories without letting the poster know it was you, though each method will have varying degrees of success.
How to view Instagram Stories anonymously
There are three ways to view Instagram Stories without the other person knowing.
Use an anonymous Instagram account
Perhaps the best way to anonymously view someone's Instagram Stories is by using an Instagram account that isn't automatically identifiable as you.
If you already have another account set up, it's as easy as adding the account on Instagram and switching between the two whenever you want to view someone's Instagram Stories without them knowing.
If you haven't already created an additional Instagram account, you'll need to sign up for a new one before adding it to your app.
Turn on airplane mode
It's possible to view someone's Instagram Stories anonymously by ensuring your mobile device has airplane mode enabled before you tap on them.
Because Instagram automatically preloads several stories to enable instant viewing even when you're without a reliable Wi-Fi or data connection, you can theoretically view one without being seen.
To try this out, you need to pull up the account's profile in the Instagram app, then enable airplane mode on your device before heading back into the app and tapping on the user's stories.
However, if the user in question has posted many stories sequentially, the app likely won't have preloaded them all so they won't all be viewable on airplane mode.
Try a third-party app or site to view IG Stories anonymously
There are a number of third-party apps and websites that purport to allow you to view someone's Instagram Stories anonymously, without the need to log in.
Using a third-party service, however, is a privacy tradeoff. It does prevent users from knowing that it's you who has viewed their story, but you pass other information from your web browser (e.g., your IP address, cookies, and other browser fingerprinting information) to an unknown individual or organization — whoever is running the site.
Some sites that claim to allow you to use Instagram anonymously include IGAnony and StoriesIG. These sites won't allow you to view private Stories, but if the user is public it should provide the ability to watch them without having your account immediately revealed to the poster.
