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Viewing a Private Instagram Profile: Is it Possible? Download ArticleExplore this Article Sections 1 Can you view a private Instagram profile without following? 2 Other Tricks to See Private Instagram Posts & Stories Other Sections Questions & Answers Tips and Warnings Related Articles References Co-authored by Nicole Levine, MFA Reviewed by Anyah Le Gilmore-Jones
Last Updated: April 10, 2025 Tested
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This article was reviewed by Anyah Le Gilmore-Jones and by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Anyah Gilmore-Jones is a Social Media Marketing Expert based in Nashville, Tennessee. An innovative experiential and social media marketer, Anyah is skilled at creating engaging brand experiences and leverages her passion for connecting people and ideas to drive organic growth for purpose-driven brands. As the founder of GROW by Gilmore, a social media strategy company, Anyah develops data-driven social media strategies focused on authentic community building. She has over 4 years of experience spearheading viral campaigns and producing content for brands like HBCU Buzz, Black & Scholared, SHEIN, and Project Art Collective. She received her BA from Howard University in Political Science and Government. The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 1,341,504 times.
Do you want to see someone's private Instagram posts, stories, or Reels without following them first? The truth is, you can only view a private Instagram account by following that user. This wikiHow article will give you the truth about apps and websites that claim they can show you private Instagram profiles without following, and show you 3 ways you can find someone's private photos and videos elsewhere on the web.
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Section 1 of 2:
Can you view a private Instagram profile without following?
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1 The only way to see someone's private Instagram profile or stories is to follow their account. Unfortunately, there are no workarounds—you'll need to tap the Follow button on their profile and wait for the person to approve your request.[1]XResearch source
2 Beware of apps that claim they can get around Instagram privacy settings. While there are many websites that claim you can view private Instagram accounts by installing certain apps, none of these apps work. There's no conceivable way for any app or website to show you private Instagram posts.
Since 2018, the Instagram API (Application Programming Interface) only allows third parties to display content from an Instagram user's own account.[2]XResearch source If you sign in to an "Instagram viewer" with your account, you'll only see the content that's available to your Instagram account.
Some "private Instagram viewer" apps and websites are advertising scams that make money when you complete "verification" steps, even though these steps don't ever result in making private accounts visible. Not entirely malicious, but not at all trustworthy!
Other "private Instagram viewer" sites and apps are flat out malware. To keep your information safe, never provide your credit card information or Instagram login credentials to an app that claims it will show you private Instagram posts or stories.
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Other Tricks to See Private Instagram Posts & Stories
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1 Find them on TikTok. If you're looking for a private Instagram user's Reels or Stories, don't forget to check their TikTok account—a lot of TikTok users cross-post their videos to their Instagram Reels and Stories, so you're likely to find a lot of their private Instagram videos publicly available on TikTok. Of course, this won't be helpful if their TikTok is also private.[3]XResearch source
2 Check the person's Facebook account. If the Instagram user you want to check out is on Facebook, their profile might not be as locked down as their Instagram account.[4]XResearch source Facebook's privacy settings are notoriously complicated, so many users share a lot of photos, posts, and other information publicly without even realizing it.
3 Try searching Google for the person's username. If the person uses the same Instagram username on other platforms, you might be able to find other places on the internet where they've shared some of their photos. When viewing the Google search results, click or tap IMAGES at the top of the page to refine the results to images only.[5]XResearch source
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Question How can you see a post of a private account without following them? Community Answer If they have profiles on other social media sites that aren't private, you can probably see their Instagram content reposted (or just similar content) there. Without hacking, there isn't a way to sneak into someone else's private profile. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 49 Helpful 106
Question How can I view a private Instagram profile? Community Answer If you are unable to view a private profile, it means you are either blocked or your follow request has not been approved. If you are not blocked, you can send a follow request and await their approval. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 5 Helpful 25
Question How do I check a private account's posts and videos? Community Answer You have to send a follow request to them before you can view their profile. If they commented on a photo or video that you are allowed to view, you can view and respond to their comments, but you can't see the private user's photos or videos unless you are following them. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 3 Helpful 24
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Warnings
If you can see their profile by searching Google, but it doesn't show up on your personal Instagram profile, it's a clear indication that the person blocked you because of something you did, either accidentally or on purpose. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 1
Don't try to randomly follow private accounts just for the sake of stalking. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 5
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Reviewed by: Anyah Le Gilmore-Jones Social Media Marketing Expert This article was reviewed by Anyah Le Gilmore-Jones and by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Anyah Gilmore-Jones is a Social Media Marketing Expert based in Nashville, Tennessee. An innovative experiential and social media marketer, Anyah is skilled at creating engaging brand experiences and leverages her passion for connecting people and ideas to drive organic growth for purpose-driven brands. As the founder of GROW by Gilmore, a social media strategy company, Anyah develops data-driven social media strategies focused on authentic community building. She has over 4 years of experience spearheading viral campaigns and producing content for brands like HBCU Buzz, Black & Scholared, SHEIN, and Project Art Collective. She received her BA from Howard University in Political Science and Government. This article has been viewed 1,341,504 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 6Updated: April 10, 2025 Views: 1,341,504 Categories: Instagram In other languages Portuguese Indonesian Dutch Hindi Italian Chinese Thai Vietnamese German Spanish Czech Japanese
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Download Article Explore this Article Sections 1 Can you view a private Instagram profile without following? 2 Other Tricks to See Private Instagram Posts & Stories Other Sections Questions & Answers Tips and Warnings Related Articles References Co-authored by Nicole Levine, MFA Reviewed by Anyah Le Gilmore-Jones 
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Reviewed by: Anyah Le Gilmore-Jones Social Media Marketing Expert This article was reviewed by Anyah Le Gilmore-Jones and by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Anyah Gilmore-Jones is a Social Media Marketing Expert based in Nashville, Tennessee. An innovative experiential and social media marketer, Anyah is skilled at creating engaging brand experiences and leverages her passion for connecting people and ideas to drive organic growth for purpose-driven brands. As the founder of GROW by Gilmore, a social media strategy company, Anyah develops data-driven social media strategies focused on authentic community building. She has over 4 years of experience spearheading viral campaigns and producing content for brands like HBCU Buzz, Black & Scholared, SHEIN, and Project Art Collective. She received her BA from Howard University in Political Science and Government. This article has been viewed 1,341,504 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 6 Updated: April 10, 2025 Views: 1,341,504 Categories: Instagram In other languages Portuguese Indonesian Dutch Hindi Italian Chinese Thai Vietnamese German Spanish Czech Japanese 
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1 The only way to see someone's private Instagram profile or stories is to follow their account. Unfortunately, there are no workarounds—you'll need to tap the Follow button on their profile and wait for the person to approve your request.[1] 
2 Beware of apps that claim they can get around Instagram privacy settings. While there are many websites that claim you can view private Instagram accounts by installing certain apps, none of these apps work. There's no conceivable way for any app or website to show you private Instagram posts. 
1 Find them on TikTok. If you're looking for a private Instagram user's Reels or Stories, don't forget to check their TikTok account—a lot of TikTok users cross-post their videos to their Instagram Reels and Stories, so you're likely to find a lot of their private Instagram videos publicly available on TikTok. Of course, this won't be helpful if their TikTok is also private.[3] 
2 Check the person's Facebook account. If the Instagram user you want to check out is on Facebook, their profile might not be as locked down as their Instagram account.[4] Facebook's privacy settings are notoriously complicated, so many users share a lot of photos, posts, and other information publicly without even realizing it. 
3 Try searching Google for the person's username. If the person uses the same Instagram username on other platforms, you might be able to find other places on the internet where they've shared some of their photos. When viewing the Google search results, click or tap IMAGES at the top of the page to refine the results to images only.[5] Advertisement 
Community Answer If they have profiles on other social media sites that aren't private, you can probably see their Instagram content reposted (or just similar content) there. Without hacking, there isn't a way to sneak into someone else's private profile. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 49 Helpful 106 
Community Answer If you are unable to view a private profile, it means you are either blocked or your follow request has not been approved. If you are not blocked, you can send a follow request and await their approval. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 5 Helpful 25