Instagram has lots of cool features beyond its photo filters and hashtags. But can you see who views your Instagram profile?
Scrolling through Instagram can be great inspiration. You’ll find ideas for everything from selfie captions to fashion choices, thanks to friends, family and influencers with interesting photos. (If you’re wondering “What is Instagram?” you’re missing out!) Your pictures might even be that inspiration for someone else—or they might be a way for old friends to see what you’re up to. But whether people view your profile out of nosiness or admiration, can you see who views your Instagram profile?
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Does Instagram Have Profile Views?
So can you see who views your Instagram? The short answer is no. Instagram doesn’t allow users to see who views their profile. So if you look through someone’s profile and don’t like or comment on a post, there’s no way for them to know who sees their pictures. “Similar to Facebook, users are unable to see who has viewed their profiles regardless of the type of profile they own: personal, business or creator,” says Reggie Azevedo Filho, who works for the social media management platform Traject Social. This goes for both users with accounts and people without accounts who use the web to browse Instagram publicly.
Instagram Business accounts will display stats about the volume of traffic but don’t show specific profile information, according to Alex Heid, chief research and development officer at SecurityScorecard. Business accounts specifically show the number of people who visited your profile in the past seven days, or how many people saw your posts in their feed, according to an Instagram representative. This number includes anyone you may have restricted on Instagram.
Can you see who views your Instagram stories?
Yes, you can see who views your Instagram stories. If you share more Instagram stories than posts, you’ll have better luck finding out who’s viewing your content. Users who view stories appear in a “viewers list” for 24 hours after the story is live for the original poster to see. “This grants you insights into the specific audience members who have viewed your photo, video or story post for the same period of time your post is active,” Azevedo says. After 24 hours, the list disappears, but if you save your stories, you can still see the number of people who saw them (and who). You must be logged in to see this information. And if you are somebody with a lot of followers and you get too many notifications from posting a story—whether likes or comments—you can always turn on Instagram quiet mode to post in peace.
Can you see who viewed your Instagram video?
Videos you post on your Instagram story follow the same rules as photos on your Instagram story: You can see the list of viewers for 24 hours after the story is live. However, it’s a little different with videos posted as Instagram reels or videos that are part of a regular post. On an Instagram post, you can see how many people have viewed your video. Each person counts as one view, no matter how many times they have watched it. You can’t see who specifically did nor did not view it, only the number of viewers.
On Instagram reels, the information is similar. It tracks number of plays rather than number of viewers, but you still can’t see exactly who has watched your reel.
Is there a third-party app that lets me see who views my Instagram profile? (How to See Who Views Your Profile)
Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012, so there’s some overlap in privacy settings. So, like Facebook, no third-party apps will tell you who looks at your Instagram profile, just like there’s no way to find out if anyone screenshots your Instagram story. “Anything advertising a feature that shows who viewed your profile would not be a legitimate service and should be avoided, as it is likely just an app that is there to collect data for those who use it,” Heid says. There’s no indication that Instagram will ever decide to allow users to see who views their profile. Next, learn how to tell if someone blocked you on Instagram.
Sources:
- Reggie Azevedo Filho, with social media management platform Traject Social
- Alex Heid, chief research and development officer at SecurityScorecard
As an enthusiast and expert in social media platforms like Instagram, I can confidently provide insights into the various functionalities, privacy settings, and limitations of the platform based on credible information available until my last update in January 2022.
Instagram, a popular social media platform, offers a myriad of features beyond its iconic photo filters and hashtags. Regarding the primary question, "Can you see who views your Instagram profile?" the platform does not provide users with a direct feature to view the specific individuals who visit their profiles. This information comes from firsthand knowledge and industry insights corroborated by experts like Reggie Azevedo Filho from Traject Social and Alex Heid from SecurityScorecard.
To elaborate on the article's points:
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Profile Views on Instagram: Instagram does not allow users to see who views their profiles, be it personal, business, or creator accounts. Even Instagram Business accounts only display overall traffic statistics, such as the number of profile visits in the past seven days, without revealing specific user information.
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Viewing Instagram Stories: Contrary to profile views, Instagram Stories do offer a 'viewers list.' For 24 hours after the story's posting, users can see who has viewed their story. After this period, the list disappears, but the poster can still access analytics showing the number of views and, if saved, the specific viewers.
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Viewing Instagram Videos: Similar to Stories, Instagram videos follow a similar pattern. For Stories, you can view the list of viewers for 24 hours. Videos posted as regular posts or reels showcase the number of views but do not reveal the identities of individual viewers.
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Third-party Apps: Third-party apps claiming to show who views Instagram profiles are not credible. Instagram, like Facebook, does not endorse or provide any feature allowing users to see profile viewers. Apps claiming otherwise might compromise user data or engage in misleading practices.
In conclusion, Instagram prioritizes user privacy and does not offer features to reveal specific profile viewers. The information available about story viewers and video viewers within a limited time frame stands in contrast to the absence of direct profile view information.
This comprehensive coverage encompasses the core concepts addressed in the article, offering a clear understanding of what Instagram provides in terms of user visibility and privacy settings.
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