How To View Someone's Instagram Story Without Them Knowing

Key Takeaways

To view someone’s story without them knowing: 

  1. Click on the story after your targeted one and do a half-swipe. 
  2. Use an anonymous Instagram account. 
  3. View their story normally and then immediately block them for 24h. 
  4. Use a third-party app like StorySaver.

Admit it, at least once in your life, you wanted to view someone’s story, but that certain someone was not worth the attention and ego boost that your view would get them.

It’s okay, and this is a no-judge zone where everything is totally off the record. If you want to broaden your spy career and be extra sneaky like a fox, keep reading the rest of the article.

How To View Someone’s Instagram Story Without Them Knowing

Method No.1: Click On The Story Next To It /Half-Swipe!

Whoever noticed this method first, thank you for inventing the easiest way to be sneaky and secretly view the story.

But, with all the blessings that come with this technique also come flaws and difficulties. I advise trying this technique on another story before you hit the one you want to see. Let’s get into it.

  1. Open the Instagram App.
  2. Your home feed is where all your friend’s stories are.
  3. Find the target story.

locate your target story

  1. Tap on the story after the one you’ve targeted.

tap on the story next to your targeted one

  1. Carefully swipe left but don’t let go of the screen with your finger.

Swipe left on the previous story

  1. Do not swipe all the way, so the person doesn’t see it.

Note: This method only works for viewing one story from the target. If you wish to see all their stories, use another way.

Method No.2: Use An Anonymous Instagram Account

Okay, I know this sounds very obvious and not innovative, but you don’t have to be original to get what you want.

If you want to go the extra mile to see this person’s story, just make another account with a fake name.

This way, you can see their stories and posts without ruining your cover or reputation.

  1. Press a little longer on the profile icon on the bottom right, select “Add Account," and tap "Create New Account."

Add Account

  1. Make sure you use a username and email address that the person doesn’t recognize when making your profile.
  2. When you’re done setting up your account, go to the target’s profile to view their story.
  3. If the person’s profile is set to “Private,” you must follow them and wait for them to accept your friend request to view their IG stories.

Method No.3: View And Block

Okay, so this method is entirely foolproof if you want to see someone’s stories, but if you two are close, they might notice what you’re doing.

This method is simple. Let’s review the steps:

  1. Watch the person's story as you usually do with any other profile.

Watch their story

  1. Then, head to their profile, tap on the three dots in the top right corner, and finally, tap block.

Block the perso

  1. Leave the person unblocked for 24h until their story disappears. Then, you can go ahead and unblock them.

Method No.4: Using A Third Party App

Another method for viewing someone’s story anonymously is to download a third-party app like StorySaver.

This app lets you download people’s stories and view them without being recognized as a viewer.

StorySaver has an option that lets you download people’s public stories without downloading the app first. So, if you’re in a hurry and need to view someone’s story immediately, look no further.

BlindStory is also a great app to view stories from public profiles and people you follow without a trace. With BlindStory, you get bonus features like getting notified when someone you follow adds to their story and downloading the stories to your phone or computer so you can see them later.

Bonus Read: Fix: Why Can’t I Post On My Instagram Story 2022

Does Turning On Airplane Mode Work?

Let me get this off the table.

No, turning on airplane mode so you can view someone’s story without them knowing is not possible.

While testing out this method on a friend’s story, she reported back that, indeed, she could see that I viewed her story. I tested it out further, and I can say with certainty that this isn’t an approved method.

Conclusion

If you need to view someone’s story without them knowing about it, there are a few methods. Tap on the story next to the one you want to see and do a half-swipe. It is easy to swipe all the way through, so make sure you have a steady finger and don’t let it slip.

Another way to see someone’s story is to make an anonymous Instagram profile and view the story from there.

If the profile is set to private, add the person as your friend and wait for their response. Blocking a person after viewing their story is another smart way to stay anonymous. After opening their story, block the person for at least 24h, and then you can go ahead and unblock them.

If you want to invest a little more time to be completely invisible when watching people’s stories, you can download a third-party app that lets you download and view Instagram stories anonymously.