How do you view a story on instagram


How to Find and Interact with Instagram Stories

Instagram has a popular feature for users called stories. Instagram stories are located in a bar at the top of your newsfeed and are represented by a multicolored ring around the profile picture of the story’s creator. Tap the profile picture, and the story opens full screen for you to watch.

How to find stories to watch on Instagram

New stories (personalized for you) are shown first. By scrolling left, you can see all stories that the people you follow have published in the last 24 hours. The story vanishes 24 hours after it was posted.

View Instagram stories by tapping a profile picture at the top of your newsfeed.

When you view a person’s story, they can see that you’ve watched it. There is currently no way to block this feature. So, be aware if you’re looking at an ex's story. They know!

You can see who saw your story by tapping on the Seen By link at the bottom left of the screen.

Instagram stories are also accessible from the top left of a person’s profile page. If the person has an active story, their profile picture has a multicolored ring around it.

You don’t need to be following the person to see their stories, as long as their account isn’t private. Tap the profile picture, and the story opens full-screen for you to watch. After that person’s stories have finished, the stories page closes and you’re returned to their profile page.

View Instagram stories from a person’s profile page by tapping their profile picture.

If you want to watch a continuing sequence of stories from people you follow, you must access the stories from the top of your Home feed. Instagram always takes you to the content you haven’t seen in that person’s story.

For instance, if you watched two out of five stories by someone, Instagram would play the third story in the sequence when you came back within the 24-hour window of the post. Each person’s story has white dashes at the top that indicate the number of stories for that person that day.

Instagram stories continue to play through each person’s entire sequence, and then go directly to the next person you’re following who has a current story, until you tap the X to exit (iPhone) or swipe down (Android) from Instagram Stories. (You’ll see some ads interspersed with stories from the people you follow.)

On iPhone, tap the X at the top right of a story to exit. On Android, swipe down.

How to interact with Instagram stories

Instagram stories aren’t just for watching; you can interact with them too. You can skip the stories you’re not interested in, rewatch things you want to see again, pause a story, and react to a story.

Forwarding through Instagram stories you don’t like

With so many Instagram stories out there, there are bound to be some you’d rather not watch. Lucky for you, it’s easy to skip through individual stories from one person, or a complete story sequence from a person.

To forward through one story within a person’s full story sequence, simply tap on the right side of the screen. You’ll skip to that person’s next story, unless it’s their last or only story; in that case, you’ll be taken to the next person’s story.

To forward through a person’s entire sequence of stories, swipe left from the right side of the screen. You’ll skip that person’s full set of stories and move on to the next person’s stories.

If you’re searching for a particular person’s story, it may be easier to go directly to their profile and watch, or you can scroll through the profile circles at the top of your Home page to find the person whose story you want to watch. Tap that person’s circle to see their story.

When you’re finished watching, tap the X at the top right of the screen or swipe down to be returned to your Home screen.

Going back to Instagram stories you want to see again

The process of going back to see a story is the opposite of forwarding through a story (makes sense, right?). If you’ve already watched a few stories from one person, and you want to rewatch one or more stories from them, tap the left side of the screen until you reach the story you’re seeking.

To go back to a different person’s sequence of stories, swipe right from the left side of the screen until you get back to that person’s story.

Similar to forwarding, if you’re seeking a certain person’s story, it’s easier to go directly to their profile to watch, or scroll through the circles at the top of your Home screen to find that person.

When you’re finished watching, tap the X at the top right of the screen or swipe down to be returned to your Home screen.

Pausing an Instagram story

Instagram stories tend to whip by pretty fast, and sometimes people add lots of text, or talk really fast to squeeze a lot of info in before getting cut off. Lucky for you, there is a way to pause a story so you can take it all in. To pause a story, just tap and hold anywhere on the screen, and the story remains frozen until you let go.

Reacting to an Instagram story

Reactions to stories are more limited than posts in the regular Instagram feed. You can’t “like” a story; you can only send a direct message or send a photo or video message back.

To send a direct message in response to a story, follow these steps:

  1. Tap the Send Message area at the bottom of the screen. Quick Reactions (emojis) and a keyboard appears.

    Send a message by tapping in the Send Message box and typing.

  2. Type a message or use one of the Quick Reaction emojis above the keyboard.
  3. When your message is complete, tap Send.
To send a photo or video message in response to a story, follow these steps:
  1. Tap the camera icon at the lower-left side of the screen. The photo/video screen appears with all the capabilities to add text, emojis, GIFs, and so on.
  2. To take a photo, tap the white circle. To take a video, tap and hold the white button for up to 15 seconds. You can turn the camera for selfie mode by tapping the circle arrows at the bottom right.
  3. Add any text, emojis, or GIFs you’d like to add to your photo or video.
  4. Use the slider at the bottom of the screen to allow the person to View Once or Allow Replay.

    Use the slider at the bottom to choose your viewing method and tap the profile picture to Send.

  5. Tap the profile picture above Send to send your message.

Instagram story limitations

If you’ve watched a few Instagram stories by now, you’ve probably noticed that they’re all in vertical or portrait mode, and videos are in short sequences. Following, are the exact criteria for your Instagram photos, videos, and graphics in stories.

Upload criteria limitations

All photos, graphics, and videos are best in the following formats:
  • Image ratio: 4:5 (vertical only) or 9:16 for photos
  • Image size minimum: 600 x 1,067 pixels
  • Image size maximum: 1,080 x 1,920 pixels

The best size for an Instagram story image is 1,080 x 1,920 pixels.

  • File type: PNG or JPG for photos/graphics or MP4 or MOV for videos
  • File size max: 30MB for photos, 4GB for videos

If you take a photo or video within Instagram stories in portrait mode, you won’t have to worry about these size ranges — it will automatically fit. If you import photos, graphics or videos from other sources, you need to pay closer attention to sizing.

You can upload photos, graphics, and videos that are not in these image size ranges, but the Stories editor will likely either cut off part of your image or zoom in to wherever it likes, causing poor image quality.

Playing-time limitations for Instagram stories

Currently, you can only record or upload in 15-second increments. If you’re filming within the app, the camera will stop recording at the 15-second mark, and longer videos will not load from your camera if they’re over 15 seconds. This can be very challenging if you’re trying to explain something or tell a story.

If you need to record for longer amounts of time, there are several apps available to help you. Try CutStory, Continual, StoryCutter, or Storeo. They all work in a similar manner, allowing you to record a single longer video on your smartphone outside of Instagram, and then splitting it up into 15-second segments that are placed on your camera roll so you can upload them one-by-one. The app also makes the transition between stories more seamless than when you film them within the Instagram app.

How to View Instagram Stories Without Them Knowing

  • You can view Instagram Stories anonymously by using an unidentifiable account.
  • You can also accomplish this via airplane mode on your phone — though that method can be faulty.
  • 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 discretely. 

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.

Note: If you're looking to view a private account's stories anonymously, you'll need to be following it; otherwise, the below methods will only work for public accounts.

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.

Tap Add account to create an anonymous one to view stories. Devon Delfino/Insider

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. 

Toggle on airplane mode for potentially anonymous Stories viewing. Devon Delfino/Insider

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. 

Use 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. Many of these sites aren't particularly secure and some don't even work, so them use at your own discretion.

If you are looking to use one, though, in a test we conducted, the website InstaStories successfully viewed a public account's stories without notifying the user of a view. Simply enter an account handle on the site's homepage to view an account's stories. 

Note: This site only works for public accounts, and won't be able to access a private account's stories. 

Jennifer Still

Jennifer is a writer and editor from Brooklyn, New York, who spends her time traveling, drinking iced coffee, and watching way too much TV. She has bylines in Vanity Fair, Glamour, Decider, Mic, and many more. You can find her on Twitter at @jenniferlstill.

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Devon Delfino

Devon Delfino is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist specializing in personal finance, culture, politics, and identity. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Los Angeles Times, Teen Vogue, Business Insider, and CNBC. Follow her on Twitter at @devondelfino.

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How to watch stories on Instagram anonymously in 2022

Hello friends! 🙋🏻

This article is for those who value anonymity. Especially when it comes to personal relationships. You don't always want your friend or girlfriend to see that you are following all their stories. But this problem is known and solved. Made a selection up-to-date at the end of 2022. Happy reading.

For those who do not have time to read - a short summary. Just watch stories anonymously on the site - this is https://anonstories.online/ru, if you want a convenient tool always at hand - telegram bots @getstoriesbot and @anonimsavebot

Okay, now let's get more specific. We love Instagram Stories because we know exactly who is viewing them. It is curious to know who is watching our profiles with you, and ordinary publications do not give us such information.

At the same time, sometimes it is not so pleasant that you and I appear on the lists of those who have watched other people's stories. By the way, if you are wondering how Instagram makes a list of views of stories, you are here. It's one thing to watch the stories of popular Instagram bloggers and just interesting accounts. It is not so important for us that these profiles will know that we are viewing them. But what if you want to watch someone's stories and go unnoticed, so to speak? Well, for example, accounts of competitors, enemies or former friends / girlfriends? nine0003

It turns out that secretly viewing other people's stories is easy! What is not on the Internet! There is almost always opposition to every function 😁 And, personally, I sometimes also use this opportunity if I want to maintain my anonymity.

Now there are many applications and sites that will allow you to do this without unnecessary "gestures". Personally, I prefer to watch stories anonymously through the telegram bot @GetStoriesBOT, since it is shareware. Conditionally, since it shows only one story from the current ones, but the most important thing is that every time I can make sure that it works for free and anonymously get this story. And if there is only one story, then he will tell me about it, and if there is more, then you can see everything for 1 ruble. nine0003

But there are many methods and analogues on the market. Among them, I decided to find out.

In this article, I will tell you about four ways to view Insta Stories anonymously . I think that here you will find a method that suits you best.

  1. anonymous viewing of stories online without registration and download (computer or phone)
  2. Anonymous viewing of Stories through mobile apps
  3. View stories anonymously using browser extension (PC only)
  4. Telegram bots for anonymous viewing of stories (or rather about him)

How to view Instagram stories anonymously online

This is, in my opinion, the easiest and most convenient way to view secret stories on a computer or through a browser on a phone. Applications are still less convenient than the sites, which I will discuss below. nine0003

You can, for example, try the following sites:

  • https://t.me/anonymsavebot (stories + tracking new ones): This bot can also be used through the browser version of Telegram or in the application on the phone. Just enter the nickname of the person you want to follow (or a link to it) and in 2 seconds you will get all his stories. You can also subscribe to new human stories and the bot will send them to you as soon as they appear.
  • https://t.me/getstoriesbot (free story): I mentioned above, but I'll repeat it. That the bot shows 1 story for free, and if there are more stories, you can watch them for 1 ruble. nine0028
  • https://anonstories.online/en (stories, email/messenger tracking): This is an online service. That is, they simply passed, inserted the desired nickname and got the story. If you wish, you can anonymously subscribe to new stories and receive them by email or telegram.
  • https://igrab.online/: It's very simple. Enter a link to the user's profile or nickname and click "Download". A list of stories available for download appears. Click the "Download" button. The site also has detailed instructions, although everything is extremely simple. nine0028
  • https://instanavigation.com/ (stories + highlighted stories): Enter your account name (without @) in the search field and press Enter. Under the search column, you will see an account avatar with a description and information about the number of published stories, and below you will see all the selected stories of this profile. To open stories, click on account information.
  • https://instavisor.ru/ (stories + pinned stories): enter the account name in the form and click the view button. As a result, you will see all the stories that the user has at the moment. To download a story, open it for viewing and click on the download button in the upper left corner. It will be saved to your computer or phone. nine0028

I give several similar sites at once, since periodically such services stop working. So, at least some link should work.

200 Instagram followers per day in a couple of clicks, excluding the possibility of blocking.

How to view your Instagram story anonymously through iOS and Android apps

As I said above, mobile apps for secret story viewing are a little less convenient than the sites from the section above. Since viewing stories anonymously is against the rules and desires of Instagram, there are no mobile applications that would specialize in this particular function. Usually this option is offered by applications for downloading content from Instagram. nine0003

Application for iOS

I would like to note that Instagram is working more closely with the App Store to remove applications that are unwanted for them, so at the moment you will not find a single working application, although there are quite a lot of them in the AppStore search and, attention, very many are targeted just for you to subscribe. Sometimes they even lure you with a conditionally free subscription for 1 ruble, and in fact write off 4000r . Be careful and read app reviews before installing. nine0003

I previously recommended Story Reposter for Instagram, but now it doesn't work either.

Android Apps

Compared to iOS apps where there is only one app, Google Play has many more apps for anonymous story browsing. These are usually free apps. I think StorySaver+ is the most popular app in our category.

StorySaver+ allows you to view the stories of other accounts and save them to your mobile device. What's more, with this app, you can anonymously watch and save your live Instagram feeds, as well as download posts, avatars, and even videos from IGTV. nine0003

And in order to know which of the subscribers is most active in your profile, and which is just a number in the “subscribers” section, use the InstaHero service. In this service, by the way, you can also remove unwanted audience from subscribers.

How to view Instagram Stories anonymously using the Google Chrome extension

If the first method doesn't work for you and you prefer using browser extensions, then the Stories for Instagram extension for Google Chrome will help you. It is absolutely free. The only disadvantage of this method is that it only works on a computer; such an extension, of course, will not work on smartphones. nine0003

With Stories for Instagram, you can not only view stories anonymously in your browser on your computer, but also search for stories, download them, watch Instagram Live.

To prevent the author of the story from knowing that you are secretly watching his content, click on the eye icon next to the list of stories. When clicked, the message "Anonymous Viewing Enabled" will appear. Views of stories through this extension are not counted by Instagram, so the author will not know that someone is even trying to do this. nine0002 7 tools for automatic promotion and analysis of your Instagram account

How to anonymously watch stories from Instagram through Telegram bots

I personally think that a telegram bot is the most convenient way, since all the stories that I watched are saved there.

This method will allow you to go unnoticed and see the stories of any Instagram account. As with the other methods, the story author will get +1 story views from some unknown account, but at least they won't know it was you. nine0003

You can try, for example, bot @AnonimSaveBot

How does it work?

  1. In the Telegram search, enter the name of the bot @AnonimSaveBot or just click on this link
  2. Write a message to the bot with the name of the account whose history you want to see secretly.
  3. Just one moment and the bot will send you stories published by the profile you requested in video file format.
  4. Download the file to your phone if you want

Other bots have now complicated their algorithms and require registration of their own accounts for fake data and installation of applications, so for me personally there are no alternatives now.

I have been in the topic for several years and all these years there has been a constant change in services. Some die, others arise and this is due to:

  • Instagram is struggling with anonymity
  • Services don't survive without funding because parsing algorithms need to be constantly maintained
  • Instagram blocks sites by legal methods, so the surest option is to use the advice of only relevant articles written in 2022 at least. Like this one, for example!

Well, that's all for today! I hope this article was helpful to you. I personally concluded that it’s difficult to reinvent the wheel in this niche and the usual reliable tool is the best choice, so I will continue to use the @getstoriesbot telegram bot from my mobile phone, and if you want to quickly go to the site, then AnonStories. Online, but I will be grateful if you share your personal experience of using different services in the comments with a comment why you like them. nine0003

Everyone can try it for free, so I recommend it.

I would be very grateful if you share this post with your friends, acquaintances and colleagues in the social. networks.

Have a great mood, spies! 😉 What other life hacks do you know?

Girls, look what I found on Ali

Watch Instagram stories anonymously - Instagram stories without registration

Most common questions


  • Will I need to make a separate account to view profiles?

    To view other accounts through the InstaNavigation service, you do not need to enter data about your real profile or specially register. All that is required from the user is indicate the nickname of the person of interest to him. It is very important to ensure that the data is entered correctly. Even the smallest mistake can cause you to you will get to the page of the wrong user or even encounter an error, because no such nick exists. nine0003

  • What kind of content allows you to view and download your service?

    Any of the users of our service has access to publications, highlights and stories. At it is important to note that the profile you want to view must be public, because otherwise our service will not have access to these pages. nine0003

  • What devices can use the service? Whether there is a restrictions?

    You can use InstaNavigation from any device without restrictions. The only condition - the presence of any Internet browser on the gadget, as well as access to the Internet. We can ensure that you can view and download from both your laptop and tablet, and from the phone. Which device you use doesn't matter. nine0003

  • Do the conditions of anonymity apply in cases where the photos or videos are not just viewed, but also downloaded?

    Yes, you can download whatever you like and not worry about the owner profile will know that you are downloading its content. But before proceeding with this, check if the necessary account is open for all users. Unfortunately, from closed account will not be able to download anything. nine0003

  • How much will it cost to use the service?

    When using InstaNavigation, you also don't have to worry about the fact that the service is too expensive pleasure. Since our project offers to use all the services absolutely free. An additional advantage is that before starting work No the need to pass verification on the site. All you need to do is enter the correct nickname. In this way, you can significantly save time and avoid unnecessary registration. nine0003

  • Is it possible to use the received photos and video?

    Content ownership belongs to its owner. Therefore, subsequent use such stories, videos and photos are highly undesirable. All this information can be downloaded from one for informational purposes only. But it is also worth clarifying that there are exceptions. Such rules do not apply to content that is already publicly available on the Internet. nine0003

  • In what format can the content be downloaded?

    InstaNavigation works with two formats. For photos it's JPEG, and for video it's MP4. Whole content is downloaded in the highest quality. At the same time, the final quality directly depends on source. Therefore, if the original material is made in good quality, then what you receive will be in good quality. But the opposite also works. Our service provides the fastest possible download, due to the fact that this happens at maximum speed, Avoid errors during saving.


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