Instagram how to view a private account

View private Instagram profiles Without Following [in 2023]

Written by: Hrishikesh Pardeshi, Founder at Flexiple, buildd & Remote Tools.
Last updated: Mar 29, 2023

TL;DR & Summary

Viewing private Instagram profiles is difficult, but there are some methods to try. One way is to send a follow request and hope the user accepts it. Another method is to create a fake account and send a follow request, but this is against Instagram's policies. Using third-party apps or websites is not recommended as they are often scams or can harm your device.

When would someone need to view private Instagram accounts?
What are Private Instagram Profiles?
Difference between public & private Instagram accounts
How to Make a Private Instagram Account
Fix 1: How to view private Instagram profiles - Follow Requests
Fix 2: How to view private Instagram accounts - Google search
Fix 3: How to view private Instagram profiles- Ask A friend
Fix 4: See private Instagram profiles - Fake Instagram Account
Fix 5: See private Instagram stories & accounts - Third-Party Services
Best practices for viewing private Instagram profiles
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion

When would someone need to view private Instagram accounts?

So, it seems like your curiosity has got the best of you. Isn't that why you searched how to view private Instagram profiles in 2022? No judgment there!

Who doesn't like to know what's up with 'XYZ'? Suppose you were friends with them but don't talk anymore. Who wouldn't want to look into their profile and see what's up with them?

What's stopping you might be the fact that you don't follow them. Sadly, their Instagram account is private and you can't view their posts or stories.

Privacy is a priority for Instagram. Therefore, like other social networking platforms, Instagram users can also make their accounts private. You know it already, right?

Users can hide all of their photos and videos from the people who are not following them. But what a drag!

You feel curious to check out a private account. What to do?

If you don’t know, don’t get anxious. We have all that you need to know! But before discussing how to see a private Instagram account, we'll discuss what private Insta accounts are.

Check if you knew everything already or if there is more!

What are Private Instagram Profiles?

Your Instagram account has everything about you, doesn't it? It is more thorough than your resume probably. (Just kidding!)

But let's agree, your Instagram profile reveals more personal details than any other social account. By default, your account is open to everyone. Yes, everyone can view your posts and stories.

But you can always make it private! If your account is set to private, only your approved followers can see your photos, videos, etc.

What setting your account to private on Instagram means is that not everyone can see your business. Only the people who follow you can engage with your content. Even when you use popular hashtags, your posts stay hidden from those searches.

It also means that non-followers have to send a follow request first to view your posts.

Difference between public & private Instagram accounts

	Public	Private
Who can follow you?	Anyone with Instagram profile	Only follow requests you approve
Who can see public following & followers?	Anyone on Instagram	Anyone on Instagram
Who can see your private following & follwers?	Anyone on Instagram	Your followers
Who can see your photos and videos on your profile or in feed?	Anyone on Instagram	Your followers
Who can see your photos & videos in search results, Explore section, hashtags and location pages?	Anyone on Instagram	No one
Who can see your profile information, including your profile photo, name, username and bio?	Anyone on or off Instagram	Anyone on or off Instagram
Who can share your photos and videos with other people on Instagram and see what's shared?	Anyone on Instagram, unless you update your settings	Your followers, unless you update your settings
Who can remix your videos?	Anyone on Instagram, unless you update your settings	No one
Who can embed your photos and videos off Instagram?	Anyone on or off Instagram	No one

How to Make a Private Instagram Account

This is pretty easy. As easy as adding 2 and 2.

Here's how you can make your Instagram account private:

Open Instagram & tap on your Instagram user profile in bottom right corner
On your profile, click on hamburger menu
Tap Settings
Tap on Privacy
Toggle “Private Account” to make your Instagram account private

Fix 1: How to view private Instagram profiles - Follow Requests

Let's get to business, shall we?

One of the easiest ways to view private Instagram profiles in 2022 is to follow people.

It is the first and easiest thing you can do to check anyone’s private Instagram account. Easy, right?

And it is no big deal.

All you have to do is tap on the follow button for notifying the users at the other end that you want to view their posts.

After this, you just have to be patient throughout. It may sometimes take a long time in approving your follow request.

Once your follow request has been accepted you will be able to view the related Instagram private profile without any issues.

Is that the only way? No, no! We have more on how to view private Instagram accounts for you!

Fix 2: How to view private Instagram accounts - Google search

Now, what if you can't follow this person on Instagram? You've got no alternative, you have to figure out a different method to see a private Instagram profile.

Still, wondering about how to view a private Instagram Profile? When Instagram users keep their profiles private, they leave trails of their posts with image search engines.

Yes, you heard it right! This allows Google to create a library of their previous pictures.

These are posts made before the account was made private. All you have to do is enter the image into the Google Image Search.

There’s a great chance this person left some traces. Maybe a picture or two? Go find out!

Fix 3: How to view private Instagram profiles- Ask A friend

Often, you’ll have a friend who’s already following the person. I mean who wants to know what's going on with someone they don't even know?

If you do have a friend who follows the person, great! Just ask them if they will let you look at the account. Or if they can save and forward the person’s posts to you.

How does one know if you’ve got friends who are already following the person? Simply ask!

Fix 4: See private Instagram profiles - Fake Instagram Account

Your follow request has been ignored or unattended. Isn't it very annoying? Well, worry not.

If someone is not accepting your follow request from your original Instagram account, try using some other or fake one.

And no, it is not illegal although slightly unethical to create a fake Insta account. However, you can easily create a fake Instagram account and use it. It might convince those who are not in the mood of sharing their posts with you.

While creating such a fake Instagram account, just make sure that you are keeping your account private. This way you can keep yourself safe throughout the process.

You can also make sure you have added up some of the photos earlier in this fake account. Why? Because this way it appears to be a genuine one.

What other methods can be used to view private Instagram accounts? You can use third-party tools for this purpose.

Fix 5: See private Instagram stories & accounts - Third-Party Services

Instagram won't let you break through the wall of privacy. But sure, there are other ways to do it! Unbrick the wall with third-party tools.

Thanks to technology for blessing us all with the best inventions. There are a large number of apps and websites to serve this purpose. These have been particularly developed so that you can use them to view private Instagram profiles.

Do you want to check out someone’s private account without signing up for your account? We have good news for you!

You can easily make use of these apps for viewing others’ accounts quite easily. If you don’t know which one to choose, don't get worked up.

Here we are with the best ones for you!

1. Instastories.watch

Instastories.watch is undoubtedly one of the best private Instagram viewer platforms in the series. It helps you in viewing any of your preferable private accounts without any issues.

It is a free platform. And yes you can easily use it on different operating systems such as Windows, Android, iOS quite conveniently.

The best thing about this wonderful web platform is that it offers users the facility of accessing private Instagram accounts. Can I do it without filling out surveys? Yes, it has no surveys to attend.

2. InstaLooker

If you are interested in getting an Instagram viewer app, look no further. The InstaLooker app can help you in accessing private Instagram accounts without spending any charges.

We highly recommend using this application.

Again, it is one of the finest and easiest apps to use. All you have to do is just make a very few clicks and proceed further with the process. The app successfully fetches the feeds you want to check.

It also offers users the facility of viewing and downloading any of the photos from their private Instagram accounts without any issues.

The only drawback of this app is that you have to complete the different surveys before accessing it.

3. PrivateInsta

PrivateInsta is a wonderful app that is being designed to work effortlessly on different platforms such as Windows, iOS, Android and OSX, etc.

The app has been made very user-friendly. Also, it helps the users to browse the photos and videos of any private account quite easily.

Go ahead, try the app!

4. InstaRipper

Quite a name, right? Well, it pretty much rips down those walls and helps you. It is a wonderful tool that is specially designed for people like you. Use this app and easily keep an eye on the private Instagram profiles of your choice.

The app is specially designed to work effortlessly on desktops and smartphones and can be easily downloaded for free from its official website just within a few seconds.

InstaRipper offers users the facility of viewing and downloading the photos of a private account just within a few seconds.

5. Instagram Private Profile Viewer

Instagram Private Profile Viewer is another wonderful private Instagram viewing app. This app makes it quite easier to spy on private Instagram accounts.

It is a free app that hardly takes a very few minutes of yours to provide your preferable data without any issues. You simply have to add up the username of the private account you want to access and also have to add up the maximum number of photos you want to check out, that’s it.

Once done, you will be redirected to the Instagram servers and will successfully retrieve the photos you are looking forward to checking in.

6. IGLookup

IGLookup is one of the gems in the list of tools designed to view private Instagram profiles. The app is free to use. It helps users check out private Instagram accounts without signing up.

Yep, you heard it right! It requires no signup. Hence, no account is required. Now, isn't that something unique and amazing?

You just have to open up IGLookup on your browser. Then, add the username of the Instagram account you want to spy on. Indeed, an easy and hassle-free process.

Once you do it, the tool will connect you to Instagram. It will help you in fetching photos from your target account.

7. InstaDPS

InstaDPS is one of the finest private Instagram viewing apps. It has a smooth UI that is designed to be quite simple and easy to use.

It is a free private Instagram viewer app. Just open it and add the Instagram username of your targeted private Instagram account. Then, proceed further with the process.

The servers scan for related Instagram accounts and provide access to you within a few seconds. Users here can freely save and download the related private Instagram account. You'll seldom come across any issues.

8. Likecreeper

Like other tools, Likecreeper is a leading web-based tool. It allows its users to view private Instagram profiles without signing. No account is needed.

You can easily browse photos and videos of private accounts anonymously on your device. It also works on all OS. Moreover, it helps you to see who viewed your Instagram profile.

Best practices for viewing private Instagram profiles

Viewing private Instagram profiles without permission is a violation of their policies and can lead to legal consequences. However, here are some general best practices for using Instagram:

Respect others' privacy: Do not attempt to access private profiles without permission.
Be cautious of third-party apps: Using third-party apps that claim to allow you to view private profiles can be dangerous and may compromise your personal information or device.
Do not share personal information: Do not share your Instagram login credentials or personal information with anyone, as this can lead to unauthorized access to your account or sensitive data. Even if you have kept your Instagram profile, private, there's a high chance that those who follow you might misuse the personal information that you share.
Do not engage in stalking: Stalking or harassing someone on social media is never acceptable and can result in serious legal consequences.
Respect the platform's policies: Instagram's terms of use and community guidelines prohibit unauthorized access to private profiles. Violating these policies can result in the suspension or termination of your account.
Try searching for the account on other social media platforms: If you know the person's name, you might be able to find their Instagram account by searching for them on other social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter. Once you have found their account on another platform, you can try to use the information you find to track down their Instagram profile.
Understand the legalities: Viewing private Instagram profiles using third-party tools is not legal. These tools are often in violation of Instagram's terms of service and could potentially infringe on the privacy rights of the user whose profile is being viewed. In Using such tools could lead to the suspension or termination of the user's Instagram account. View profiles only through the official Instagram app and to respect the privacy settings of other users.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I view a private Instagram account for free?

Yes, absolutely. There are a few online tools available on the internet. Using these you can see private Instagram profiles for free.

2. Is it possible to view private Instagram without following?

Sorry, but we have to break it to you. It is not possible to view a private account’s private photos without following it first. However, remember the third-party tools we just discussed?

You can access these details by using those tools. In this article, we have mentioned some of these useful tools available online for free.

3. Does private Instagram viewer work?

Yes, If you are using the right tool then it does work properly. There are several third-party tools available on the Internet to view private Instagram profiles.

Unfortunately, not all of them work properly. Make sure you use one of the recommended tools or might stay stuck in a loop of surveys.

4. How can I see private Instagram stories without them knowing?

Instagram Stories are only visible to the people you choose to share your stories with.

Again, to view someone else’s story, you will need one of the third-party tools.

As we have previously mentioned, the Instastories.watch tool is the best tool available in the market. You can view others' stories by searching their usernames without letting them know.

Conclusion

Spying on some private Instagram accounts has become pretty simple now. It is no more an issue. If you want to check out someone’s photos, stories, and videos, you just need to use a few tricks.

We designed this guide to provide you with a complete overview of various solutions for this.

These methods can help you access private Instagram accounts without any problem. And it is as easy as popping a candy! Isn't it?

Along with some of the most popular Instagram viewing apps, we also have added up a few basic tricks. With this, we hope you can easily view private Instagram profiles.

Try to stay away from cracking or spyware tool. They can cause some serious threats to your security and privacy. Save yourself for troubles, ok?

Now, what more do you want to know about how to view private Instagram profiles? We have covered all bases! However, if you want to know who viewed your profile, check the best Instagram stalker apps here!

Can You View a Private Instagram Account?

Like most social media platforms, Instagram allows users to make their accounts public or keep them private. The latter means most users cannot see posted content and key profile details without friending the user.

It isn’t uncommon to want to view a private Instagram account. Perhaps you want to see what an old friend is up to without showing them what you’re posting. Maybe you’d like to check out a successful account and get ideas for your own. Whatever the reason, there are some ways to view a private Instagram account.

This article will teach you everything you need to know about viewing private Instagram accounts. However, there’s no guarantee that you can see everything someone posted. Now that we have established it is possible, let’s review all of your options.

Follow the User

Your first, most reliable, and morally acceptable way to see a private Instagram account is to simply send a follow request. If you’ve already tried this and it didn’t work, keep scrolling for more options, but if you have yet to send a follow request because you aren’t sure how, or you’re worried the private user won’t accept, this is the section for you.

Before you send a follow request, there are some things you can do to increase your odds that the user will accept it. Here’s what we’ve learned:

Have mutual friends (the more, the better)
Interact with their public comments on other’s posts
Ensure your profile is complete and you have interesting posts
Send them a direct message to introduce (or reintroduce) yourself

When you’re ready, it’s time to send a follow request on Instagram. Here’s what to do:

Open Instagram on your mobile device or computer. Use the Search option to find the user’s profile you’d like to see. Then, select the user.
Click Follow to submit the request.

Assuming the other user accepts your follow request, you can browse their entire account, including all posts (beware that they will know when you watch their Stories), but if they don’t respond positively to your request, you’ll need to try another method.

Ask a Mutual Friend

Another good option that doesn’t take much work is asking a mutual friend. As long as someone you know is following the user that interests you, you can ask them to let you see the private profile. But, how do you know which friends are mutual?

Fortunately, Instagram will tell you which friends to ask. Here’s how to see another user’s mutual friends:

Open Instagram and navigate to the private user’s profile.
Tap on the link under their profile picture next to Followed by.
Finally, you will see a list of mutual friends.

Scroll through the list and find a friend who may help you. If you have no mutual friends, you can try to friend others first.

Use Google to View a Private Instagram Account

If you don’t want to send a follow request and wait without any idea when the request will be approved (or if the owner will accept it at all), you may want to try Google.

This trick is anchored on the idea that internet search engines don’t forget. Although one can establish access restrictions as soon as they’ve joined Instagram, many users do it after they’ve successfully established their brand. Google keeps all the posts they made when the account was public and provides this information with a quick search. All you need to do is enter their name, include Instagram in your query, and then hit the search button.

If a Google search doesn’t yield much, you could also check their other social media accounts. Most people run multiple social media accounts, especially those who want to tap different markets and impress users who prefer one platform over the other. A person’s Instagram bio can give you leads that may help you find their other social media accounts much faster.

You can also pick a photo, if you’ve been lucky enough to find one, and do a reverse image search which might land you on their Facebook or LinkedIn pages.

You could discover a library of photos or some other useful information this way, which might be enough for your needs.

Use a Fake Instagram Profile to View a Private Instagram Account

If you want to be more covert, you could deploy the Trojan Horse, which involves creating a “fake” Instagram profile that appears legitimate in the eyes of the target. You could then tender a follow request and wait for approval.

For this trick to work, you need to be creative and take steps to impress the owner of the private account and influence their decision. For example, let’s say they are an elite trader and like sharing tips on how to succeed in that profession through a private Instagram account.

Lodging a follow request via your real account probably won’t work, especially if it isn’t related to trading information or some other related details. As such, you could create a new account that resembles that of an elite trader, complete with a dozen videos on key topics in the world of trading. You could even add a litany of trending industry nuggets and throw in an opinion or two about the current state of the market, all of which would create the impression of a user the private account owner would like to link to.

Use an Instagram Viewer Site to View a Private Instagram Account

If you don’t want to deal with all the hassle of scouring social media channels or creating fake accounts that may go against your ethics and values, you might want to try dedicated Instagram viewer tools that will do all the work for you.

There are more than a dozen Instagram viewer sites that claim to help you unlock just about any private account on the platform. Some go as far as promising complete anonymity while you do so.

However, a fair proportion of these tools don’t work, and most shouldn’t be trusted. You could end up giving away valuable personal data that can be used to infiltrate your social media accounts.

It’s for this reason we don’t recommend these sites, but if you do, it’s important to proceed with caution. At a minimum, you should do thorough background checks and crawl online sources in search of reviews and other pieces of information that might give you a better idea of what you’re dealing with.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to more questions you may have about private Instagram accounts.

Can I view someone’s Story without them knowing?

Unfortunately, no. Instagram Stories are one of the rare aspects of social media where creators can see who viewed their posts. If you view someone’s Story, they will see the Instagram account you used to watch their content.

How will I know if someone accepts my Follow request?

Instagram will send you a notification when another user accepts your Follow request. You can also tell they’ve accepted it because the Follow button will change to Following.

Go Legit

If you’re having trouble viewing a private Instagram account, we recommend going legit by sending a follow request and waiting for approval. You can also try looking for their public posts or find them on other social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

If this doesn’t work out, some third-party apps may be able to help you view someone’s private Instagram material. However, it’s important to exercise due diligence before using such tools.

Are there some private Instagram accounts you’ve managed to crack? How did you do it? Let’s engage in the comments section below.

How to view photos and posts of a private Instagram account without subscribing

Many users of this social network have a desire to see a private profile on Instagram*. And there are several effective methods to implement this.

Content

Closed Instagram account*: can it be viewed

When creating an account on the social network Instagram*, the user chooses its type.

There are two options to choose from:

Open . In this case, the page is displayed to all people who visit it.
Closed . All content is closed to third parties and is available only to subscribers.

You can open and close your profile for free. But is it possible to see a private profile on Instagram* without following it? Let's try to figure it out.

Features of a closed account

When you complete a standard registration on Instagram*, we get an open profile available to every interested visitor. Records, subscriptions and subscribers, as well as stories remain in free access. Also, at any time, the visitor can subscribe to the account and follow the updates. By the way, if you have 0 subscribers on your account, then the probability that you will be subscribed to tends to zero. On an empty account, I advise you to at least tweak the subscribers a little, for example, here

Hidden account features:

business functions are not available. You will not be able to enable the status "Author" or "Business";
missing statistics;
cannot be signed without the consent of the owner;
The account holder can refuse a subscription request.

After pressing the "Subscribe" button, automatic subscription will not happen. First of all, the page owner must review the request and decide whether to accept it or refuse it. After approval of the application, the subscriber will be able to follow all publications and materials. If the request is rejected, then only the data from the profile header will be visible to visitors.

In addition, closed accounts are not searchable by geotag or hashtags. You can find them only by nickname. You will not be able to view a private profile on Instagram* without a subscription.

How to view a closed page

To view a photo in a closed Instagram profile*, it is recommended to subscribe to it and wait for the page owner to approve the application.

How to view a hidden profile:

Go to Instagram* - find the page you need.
Open - click on the "Submit Request" button.

If there is no answer, you can try to subscribe to the page from the second profile. The social network Instagram* has no limits on the number of pages you can create.

How else can you see a photo in a private profile

Let's consider a few more ways to see a private account on Instagram*. The task itself is not easy, but to gain access to individual publications, you can use workarounds - create a second account.

Free analysis of Instagram followers

Do you want to know the quality of the audience, who watches and reads you, as well as how many bots are on your account? Make a free analysis right now. Click on the button

Start Instagram account analysis

How to make a second account:

Go to the application - Settings.
Scroll to the bottom - Add another page.
Go to the data filling page.
Press: "Register" - create another account.

One effective option is to analyze other social networks. It is possible that publications on other pages are duplicated, but access to them is unlimited. The chances of success are low, but still there.

Is it possible to bypass restrictions? After all, the social network support service has created all the conditions for the materials closed from third parties to be securely hidden and inaccessible for viewing without the user's approval. You won’t be able to see them either from a smartphone or from a browser version for a computer. This also applies to third-party applications.

So, there are special web resources and utilities for downloading posts from Instagram*. However, they are not able to access the closed page on Instagram* to download important materials.

How to view using other social networks

Can I view a private Instagram* profile using other social networks? In most cases, users connect the synchronization of accounts from several social networks. So, if we are talking about Instagram*, then it is customary to associate it with a Facebook* account.

If there is a link to another social network in the description of an Instagram* account, then by clicking on it, you can see all the photos and videos. Often they duplicate content from Instagram*. The advantage of this method is the following points:

You do not have to spend a lot of time and effort on registering a second account and other manipulations.
You can see almost all published materials.
The link will be followed within a few seconds.

However, this method is not as efficient as the previous ones. If the profiles are linked, it will work and you will be able to get into a closed Instagram account* to see hidden posts.

Installing a browser extension to view a private profile

Owners of devices running the iOS operating system can try to view the story in a private Instagram* account through a special extension Instagram*++.

To do this, follow these steps:

Disable automatic screen rotation.
Go to settings and select the "Basic" section on your device.
Find the item "Updating content in the background" and make sure that the option is activated.
Launch a browser and select https://hxtweaks.com.
Go down to the very bottom of the main page to the item "All applications" and enter "Instagram *".
After opening the app named "Instagram*++", click on it to add the app extension to the main social network client. A new window will appear on the screen where you need to carry out a few simple manipulations.
After a few seconds, the commands should activate and you should be able to access the private account.

Android owners also have the opportunity to see the publications of a closed account through this extension. The only thing they need to do is turn off automatic screen rotation and go to the above site. It remains to repeat the above steps and try to view private accounts.

Phone app

People looking for a quick and efficient way to view a private profile often look to third-party services and apps that promise to give you access to hidden content in seconds. The description of such tools mentions that they can unlock almost any account and display private content. However, experts strongly advise against using such methods, as they often contain malicious files to collect sensitive data.

The biggest problem with such tools is that they are not able to decrypt the Instagram* API, since the social network servers are protected from third parties and it is almost impossible to extract information from hidden profiles without a subscription.

But you can extract information from open profiles using the InstaHero service. You can find out how many bots, men, women, inactive accounts are subscribed to a profile. A very useful feature before buying ads from a blogger.

How to view a private Instagram profile*

June 9, 2020 Likbez Technologies

There are no guaranteed ways. But there are simple tricks that can work.

All private profile stories and posts are available only to its subscribers. To view the content, you need to become one of them. But what if the account owner denies your subscription request or you want to access their content anonymously?

On the Internet, you can read about many ways that allegedly help to bypass the restriction of the social network. Lifehacker will tell you which ones are worth trying and which ones are better not to mess with. But whether you are driven by jealousy, shyness, or just simple interest, think carefully before using any of these methods. Treat other people's privacy with respect.

What methods might help you to view a private profile on Instagram*

Use a friend's account

If you know someone from the followers of a private account, you can ask this person for help. He has access to all the necessary data. Perhaps a friend will agree to lend you his smartphone for a few minutes or even download all the videos and photos you want for you.

Check the pages of the author in other social networks

View the pages of the user who owns the closed account on other sites. Many duplicate their publications in several social networks: Facebook *, VKontakte and others. Perhaps in one of them the author did not close his profile and you will see at least part of the content published on Instagram*.

Create a fake profile

Another option is to create a fake account and send a subscription request from it to the owner of the private profile. To increase the likelihood that you will be given access, you can name the fake by the name of one of your "victim's" friends.

But first, you should get at least a couple of dozen subscribers: without them, the new account will look suspicious. It is not difficult. Upload some snaps and follow random profiles. Some of them will react in response.

Now Reading 🔥

How to Download YouTube Videos to Any Device

Definitely Not to Do to View a Private Instagram Profile*

Use Third Party Services

Instagram* developers have taken great care to protect user privacy. Yes, sometimes news leaks about vulnerabilities in the social network. But the Instagram* team quickly eliminates them. Therefore, numerous services that promise access to private profiles are almost always useless. Don't waste your time and money on them.

Use the services of hackers

You may have heard about hacking various social networks, including Instagram*. In the arsenal of an experienced hacker, there will certainly be means to get the right account for you. But is it worth trusting such a person? He may tell the “victim” about you for a fee, or he may simply take the payment and do nothing. After all, hacking into someone else's account can lead to legal problems.