4 Ways to See Stories on Instagram without ‘Seen’ [2024]

Digital footprints can be implicating. In many instances, they can be misinterpreted to select a spy or stalker. But the footprint can be that of a concerned parent, friend, or partner. One of the most see-through digital spaces is Instagram Story.

During the 24 hours the story is on, the names of the persons who check it will be displayed. Hence, this post discusses how to see stories on Instagram without 'seen.' You would also get pointers to common methods that do not work.

Can I Hide that I Viewed an Instagram Story?

Yes, you can hide that you viewed an Instagram story. In other words, you will not appear on the viewers' list of the story.

This list includes all the user names who have viewed the story. Instagram tracks everyone who views the story by showing their names for the first 24 hours. The user can swipe up on their story to see the user names of the story viewers.

After which, story owners can only see an increased view count of stories displayed on their highlight. However, you can avoid being seen on this list with a few tricks that will be discussed below.

4 Proven Ways to See Stories on Instagram without Seen

In this section, we explore the proven approaches to seeing stories on Instagram without being noticed. Other than these methods, creating a new account or using a friend's account to see a story without them knowing is the only other option.

1Watch in Airplane Mode

This method requires putting your iPhone or Android on Airplane mode. That way, you can check preloaded stories without appearing on the person's view list.

In addition, you have to log out of your account after viewing the status and log in again. If you do not, your view will still be tracked and recorded whenever you reconnect. Disconnecting from the internet before reconnecting would prevent Instagram from tracking that you viewed the story.

Open the Instagram app on your device and connect to the internet for the stories to load.

Tap your profile at the bottom right corner, and you will see the 'Setting and activity menu.

Open' Settings and activity' and scroll down to the bottom; you will see 'Log out.'

Turn on Airplane mode on your device.

View the story while in Airplane mode.

Log out of your account or uninstall the app while still in Airplane Mode.

Turn off Airplane mode and log back in or reinstall the app.

You'd better follow the steps to open your 'Setting and activity' and scroll to the bottom before enabling Airplane mode. Because it is hard to load Instagram settings on iPhones in Airplane mode. You should also confirm that you remember your Instagram password so that you can log in again easily.

2Half-swipe the Story Next to the Target One

The second approach is similar to peeping at a story without fully opening it. However, it would be best if you were very careful not to open the story. It works for only text and images that will be preloaded; videos or shorts will not play without being open.

Open the Instagram app on your device.

Go to the stories section and tap the profile before or after the one you want to view.

Hold your finger and slowly drag it halfway toward the target story without fully opening it.

3Block the User after Viewing

Another trick to watch Instagram stories anonymously is by blocking the person immediately after viewing their story. Blocking them will remove your name from their viewer's list. Once the story expires, you can unblock them without them knowing you watched their story.

Open the Instagram app on your device.

Go to the stories section and view the story.

After watching the story, go to the user's profile immediately and block them from the three dots icon.

Keep them blocked until the story expires in 24 hours.

Blocking the person arouses suspicion, especially when they check your profile or want to reach you. You need to keep blocking the person until the story expires. Otherwise, Instagram would log your view.

4Online Anonymous Instagram Stories Viewer

Instead of viewing the Instagram story on the official app, you can use a third-party app or website. With an online anonymous Instagram stories viewer, you can watch Instagram stories incognito. They are websites designed to view Instagram stories anonymously.

These websites allow you to input the username of the person whose story you want to view without logging into Instagram. Almost all of them only work for public accounts such as Instastories or StoriesDown. Please also well noted that using third-party tools may pose privacy and security risks by violating Instagram's terms of service. They are unreliable and could stop working after Instagram updates its platform.

Popular Methods We Tested That Doesn't Work

To help you have a seamless experience hiding your digital footprint when checking Instagram stories, we tried these methods, but they did not work. You will do well to avoid them because they are being suggested online.

Get Added to The Person's Close Friends

The Close Friends feature allows someone to share private stories with a subsection of their followers. However, being on this list allows them to see your name on the viewers' list. Even if both of you add each other to your Close Friends, Instagram will still show your name under the list of people who viewed the story. You would also be violating their privacy if you added yourself to the list without their consent. And if you do ask, your intention to remain anonymous would be defeated.

Browser Private Mode

Many web browsers feature incognito or private mode. However, this feature does not come with an Instagram account. It means you still have to log in to your Instagram before you can access another person's story. Hence, Instagram will log your account activities even when you use a private browsing mode. That way, when you view a story via the web, your username will appear on the viewer's list.

Hottest Question Related to Watch Instagram Stories

Here are some frequently asked questions related to viewing Instagram stories anonymously.

1Can I Look at Instagram Stories without an Account?

Yes, you can view stories without an account by using Instagram Stories Viewer. However, this method is only possible if the profile of the account whose story you want to check is public. If the profile is private, you will not be able to view their stories without logging into your account.

2Can Someone Still See That I Viewed Their Story If I Restrict Them?

Yes, someone can still see that you viewed their story even if you restrict them. Restricting a user only limits their interactions with you. It does not prevent them from seeing who viewed their story. Blocking them for 24 hours is an effective method to remain anonymous.

3Can Someone See That I Viewed Their Instagram Story If We Are Not Friends?

Yes, someone can see that you viewed their Instagram story if you are not friends. The viewer's list displays the username of anyone who has seen the story, even if they are not friends. Hence, unfriending them does not give anonymity when you check an Instagram story.

4Can Someone See If I View Their Instagram Story If I Don't Follow Them?

Yes, someone can see if you view their Instagram if you do not follow them. Instagram will show your name on the viewer's list even if you haven't followed the account. If the story is public and you watch it, your username will still appear in the list.

5Can Someone See How Many Times I Viewed Their Instagram Story?

No, no one can see how many times you viewed their Instagram story. Instagram does not track how many times a story is viewed. The story owner can only see that you viewed their content. After the first 24 hours, they will not see names again but the number of people who viewed the story.

6Can I View Someone's Old Stories on Instagram?

Yes, you can view someone's old stories on Instagram. The highlight feature allows users to make previously uploaded stories available to viewers. However, once a story expires after 24 hours, it disappears unless it is added to the highlight.

Conclusion

Many Instagram account owners want to know how to see stories on Instagram without being seen. However, Instagram does not have an official feature to help story viewers hide their identity. Hence, this post explored the methods to watch Instagram stories anonymously.

You can use airplane mode, half-swipe to the story, block the person, or use an anonymous stories viewer. Contrarywise, adding a person to the Close Friends list or using a browser's private mode does not help you view status anonymously.