Can People See When You View Their Instagram Profile, Story, Highlight, Post or Reel?

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Instagram has been a lifeline for many of you including me for the past few years. Whether you want to keep in touch with your friends or family, follow your favorite celebrity, or boost your business online, Instagram is perfect for all those needs.

That said, there could be times when questions regarding Instagram activity or profile viewing might cross your mind. One common question we often hear from Instagram users is — Can someone see when you view their Instagram profile or posts? Or you might have the question in reverse, can you see who views your Instagram profile.

Not having an answer to this question might leave you in a tricky situation, especially after you bump into your exโ€™s or an old friendโ€™s Instagram profile with whom you are not in touch. To be very honest, it could get very awkward for them to know that you went through their profile. They may thing you did not contacted them but you had time to look at their profile.

Fortunately, Instagram doesnโ€™t allow anyone to know if you view their posts and profile page. However, people will still be able to tell if you viewed their Instagram Stories, Highlights, or DMs. Now that you are here, you’ll get answers to all your queries. So, sit back relax, and keep reading.

Can someone see when you view their Instagram profile or posts?

Instagram profile and posts
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Although Instagram has been making some changes to profile page including ability to add music, it still doesn’t let users see who viewed their profile or posts. Now, you must be wondering why. Well, the big reason is privacy. Although Instagram has all the necessary details and can easily track your activities, it doesn’t publicly reveal fearing a drop in user engagement on the platform.

Put yourself into this perspective and say would you be willing to use Instagram often if other people could view it when you looked up their profile? No, right? There are also many fellow Instagramers worldwide who don’t engage with people on the platform but still see ads as much as others. So, it would be Instagram’s loss ultimately.

That said, if you engage with someone’s Instagram post, they’ll know. Suppose, you accidentally hit the like button or comment on their post, Instagram will send a notification to the user. In addition, some of you may still be thinking can someone see how many times you view their Instagram profile or posts? The straightforward answer to this question is No. Instagram doesn’t let users see how many times others viewed their profile or posts.

Can someone see when you view their Instagram Stories?

Image credit: Instagram

Instagram Stories has a pretty straightforward viewing policy. The platform allows the original poster to see who views their stories for up to 24 hours. So, if you view someone’s Instagram Story, theyโ€™ll eventually know. It should be noted that the names of users who liked their Stories will still be visible in the Story Archives.

The same is true for the comments, votes on polls, and replies to question stickers posted on Instagram stories. While the votes on Instagram Story polls and response to question stickers can be seen only to whom the Story belongs, comments on Instagram Stories are visible to others including the original poster. So, when you comment on someoneโ€™s Instagram Stories, their followers can also see what youโ€™ve commented.

Can someone see when you view their Instagram Highlights?

For those who donโ€™t know, Highlights are a collection of saved Instagram stories that appear on someoneโ€™s profile in the form of a tappable circle just like the stories. Since you are here, we assume you might have accidentally viewed someoneโ€™s Instagram Highlights and want to know if they will be notified about it or not.

Well, the short answer is Yes. Instagram allows users to see who viewed their Highlights within 48 hours of posting. This feature allows tracking user engagement which can be handy for a creator to know about their audience and content choice better.

Can someone see when you view their Instagram Reels?

Instagram Reels
Image credit: Instagram

Instagram Reels are short-form video content that are up to 90 seconds in length. These days, Reels are quite popular among Instagram creators as they offer more reach and engagement than image posts. In fact, Instagram now turns every video posts into reels. The original poster of Reels with public accounts canโ€™t see who have viewed their Reels.

Now you must be wondering can someone see when you view their Instagram Reels posted through a private account. Well, Instagram doesnโ€™t reveal which user has seen the Reels. However, the original poster will know if you like their reel or comment on it. On top of that, Instagram also doesnโ€™t let the original poster know who has saved their Reels, though they can see how many times a Reel has been saved.

Also Check: How to Hide Likes and Views Count on Instagram [Official Method]

Can someone see when exactly you viewed their Direct Messages (DMs) on Instagram?

There can be times when you want to simply ignore an Instagram DM from that one person. But you end up seeing it accidentally. And so you might question, can someone see when you view their Instagram DMs? Fortunately, Instagram doesn’t let the other parties see when exactly you viewed their message. However, they’ll still be able to know that you’ve “Seen” their DMs, only when read receipts are enabled.

For the unawares, Instagram allows users to enable or disable read receipts for DMs. So, if you don’t want anyone to know that you have seen their Instagram DM, make sure to turn off the read receipt option (on Android and iOS) for each profile. Unfortunately, read receipts for DMs can’t be enabled or disabled from your computer.

Instagram DMs read receipts
Image credit: Meta

Can someone know when you searched for them on Instagram?

While no one can tell if you have viewed someone’s Instagram profile, some of you might be curious to know if the same applies when you search for someone on Instagram. Thankfully, Instagram never notifies anyone if someone is searching for them on the platform. Therefore, you are free to look for anyone on Instagram using the mobile app or desktop website.

While we have tried answering questions related to every possible thing from Instagram, there are a few things we need you to keep in mind.

Claims made by third-party apps about tracking Instagram profiles and post viewers

You may have heard about many third-party apps that claim to track and tell who views your Instagram profile. Honestly, we canโ€™t tell if their claims are true, nor do we recommend using such apps to keep track of profiles or post viewers for privacy reasons.

Such apps are mostly unreliable and could give false information. In addition, these apps violate Instagramโ€™s terms of service as a result using such apps may result in the termination of your account as well. Moreover, these apps can steal your information which could be your worst nightmare. You can read a related report from NBC NEWS by clicking here.

Thatโ€™s all we have for you in this guide. We hope it answers all your queries related to your profile and post-viewing on Instagram. So, next time your friend asks, “Can someone see when you view their Instagram?,” you’ll have answers. We’d be more than happy if you could share this guide with them for better insights. For more queries, please drop a comment down below.


FAQs

Q. Can someone see when you view their Instagram story even if you donโ€™t follow them?

First of all, if you are asking this regarding private accounts, you canโ€™t see stories until you follow them. So, that question doesn’t apply in this case. However, if you’re curious about viewing Instagram stories posted from a public account, you should know that the original poster can see the names of viewers for up to 24 hours.

Q. Can someone see if you stalk their Instagram?

Instagram doesnโ€™t offer any direct feature to track who is stalking a profile. However, people can get an idea if you engage with their posts or view their Stories or Highlights. If you aren’t doing any of that, someone canโ€™t tell if or how many times you are viewing their Instagram.

Q. Can someone see when you view their Instagram story multiple times?

Although Instagram provides a list with names of users who view Stories, it doesn’t tell the original poster how many times they may have seen it.

Related to Instagram:

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AUTHOR.

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Rishaj Upadhyay

Rishaj has been writing professionally for over four years with a passion for Android and all things tech. He likes to always be up-to-date on the latest news in the industry and write about it. When he is not writing, you can find capturing landscape shots, listening to podcasts, and more.

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