Is there somebody you want to follow on Instagram, but you don’t want them to know that you’re following them?
If you’re looking to follow someone on Instagram secretly, you fortunately have a lot of options.
In this article, we’ll share some methods you can use to follow an Instagram account without notifying them in any way – and they won’t see you when they check their followers list either.
Let’s get to it!
Can You Follow Someone On Instagram Without Them Knowing?
Yes, it’s possible to follow someone on Instagram, without them knowing in any way. Some examples include using an alt account, a third-party Instagram viewer, or asking a friend to view their profile on your behalf.
However, the exact method you should choose will vary depending on your specific circumstances.
Let’s look at each potential tactic in more detail.
1. Use An Alt Account
The first and easiest method is to use an alternate account, that isn’t tied to your identity in any way.
Instagram allows you to have multiple accounts, so you could certainly make an anonymous one to follow people without them knowing its you. Although they will be able to see that someone followed them, they won’t know it’s you as long as you don’t give them any clues.
Therefore, you should avoid posting pictures of yourself, using a similar username to your main account, or following your old account in any way.
Ideally, you should treat it completely separately. Even something like liking the same accounts can help give away who you are, if someone is determined enough to find out.
As long as you don’t leave any clues, the person that you’re following will likely assume it’s just a random bot account, and not pay any further attention to it.
This will allow you to follow them indefinitely, without having to think about it again. You’ll be able to receive all of their posts in your Instagram feed, even if they have a private Instagram account.
2. Use An Instagram Viewer
The next option is to bookmark an Instagram viewer, and use it whenever you want to view their page. One example includes AnonIGViewer.com, which allows you to view both posts and stories anonymously.
When you visit someone’s Instagram page within the app, it’s possible that you may end liking one of their posts by accident, or even following them by mistake. This can lead to embarrassing or uncomfortable situations, especially if you don’t want the person to know that you’re on their page.
However, when you use an anonymous Instagram viewer, there is no way for them to know that you’re the one on their page. Because you are not signed in, there is literally no way they can discover its you, and there are no mistakes you can make that would give away your identity.
While you won’t get their posts in your feed, you will still be able to check in on their posts as many times as you wish.
However, Instagram viewers do not work on private accounts. Therefore, if the person you’re looking to view has a private Instagram account, you will need to choose another method on this list.
3. Ask A Friend
Finally, the last thing you may consider doing is asking a friend who is following them to check on their posts, or asking if you can borrow their phone to look at the person’s page.
If the person has a private account for example and denies any follow requests you make on your alt account, this unfortunately will be your only option.
Currently, there is no way to view private Instagram accounts without following someone. And even after you send a follow request, the person has to accept it before you will actually be able to see their posts.
Asking a friend is a less than ideal solution, because they can always notify the account owner that you wanted to see their page – which can be uncomfortable for everyone involved.
Generally, if someone locks off their page and doesn’t want you to see it, it’s best to simply respect their privacy.
However, if their page is open to the public, then everything’s fair game.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are several different things you can do to secretly follow someone on Instagram – even if their profile is private.
However, the exact method you should choose will depend on your needs. While an occasional quick peek at someone’s profile can work if you only want to see what someone’s up to, you will need to actually follow them on one of your accounts if you want their posts to show up in your feed.
I hope that you’ve found this article helpful. If you have any other questions about Instagram, please ask them using the comment form below.
Wishing you the best,
– James McAllister