Have you ever felt curious about what someone is posting in their Instagram Stories but don’t want them to know you’re watching? With over 500 million daily Story viewers, you’re definitely not alone.
Instagram Stories have become a popular way to share casual, in-the-moment content. But when you view someone’s Story, your username shows up on their viewer list.
This leads many users to wonder – can you watch someone’s Story anonymously by blocking them after viewing?
We’re answering this question in-depth below. Read on to learn how to view Instagram Stories discreetly.
What Are Instagram Stories and How Do They Work?
Instagram Stories allow users to post photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. Stories appear at the top of your Instagram feed in a horizontal bar.
To view someone’s Story, you tap on their profile picture which will have a colorful ring around it if they’ve shared a Story recently.
Stories offer a more casual, raw way of sharing your life versus the highly curated Instagram grid. They give followers a behind-the-scenes look at your day or events as they happen.
Many users and brands use Stories to:
- Share personal moments and daily activities
- Post silly selfies, videos, and photos without editing
- Show their personality and humor in a casual way
- Give sneak peeks at upcoming projects or announcements
- Run polls, Q&As, and contests to engage followers
- Promote products, services, or offers
- Show off travel destinations or foods at restaurants
With Instagram Stories, you don’t have to worry about perfection – they’re meant for sharing little enjoyable snippets of your life as it happens.
Interacting with Instagram Story
When you view someone’s Story, there are a few ways you can interact with it beyond just watching:
- Respond to questions or polls: Story creators can add interactive polls or questions to their Stories that followers can respond to.
- Send a message replying to their Story: You can send a text chat message reacting to their Story, which they can view and respond to.
- Use creative tools and stickers: Instagram offers stickers like GIFs, emojis, location tags, hashtag and mention stickers that you can layer creatively on your own Story in response to someone else’s.
- Share the Story: You can also share someone else’s Story to your own Story or in a post to further spread their content.
Viewer Lists Show Who Watched Your Stories
Importantly, when someone views your Instagram Story, you’re able to see who watched it on your viewer list. Usernames only appear on the list if that account is public, but as the Story creator, you can see both public and private viewers.
So if you want to check out someone’s Story on the down low, does blocking them after viewing keep you off their viewer list? Let’s find out!
Can Someone Still See That I Viewed Their Instagram Stories If I Block Them?
A common question among Instagram users is: if I watch someone’s Story and block them right after, will they know I viewed it?
Many wonder if blocking an account removes you from their Story viewer list, essentially letting you watch anonymously.
To get to the bottom of this, we devised a test to find out definitively:
- A test Instagram account we’ll call “Account A” posted an Instagram Story.
- Using a separate “viewer” account (“Account B”), we watched Account A’s Story in its entirety.
- Immediately after viewing the Story, we blocked Account A from Account B’s follower list.
This simulates the situation of watching someone’s Story anonymously and then blocking them in hopes they won’t see your view.
Here’s what we found:
- If Account A was blocked quickly enough after viewing the Story, the username for Account B did not show up in their viewer list at all.
- However, if Account B interacted with Account A’s Story in any way (responding to a poll, question box, using stickers, etc.) before blocking, Account A could still see that interaction on their Story – just without the username attached.
- If Account B unblocked Account A within 48 hours of viewing the Story, the Account B username reappeared in Account A’s viewer list, exposing the Story view.
The key takeaway: Blocking immediately after viewing prevents the Story creator from seeing your username on their viewer list. But engaging with their Story in any way or unblocking too quickly allows them to detect your viewing activity.
If You View Someone’s Instagram Stories Anonymously And Block Them, Will They Know?
Given the results of our test, we can answer definitively:
If you view someone’s Instagram Story and block them immediately after without interacting, they will not know you watched their Story provided you stay blocked for at least 48 hours.
Here are the key guidelines to keep in mind:
- Do not respond to any polls, questions, stickers, or otherwise engage with their Story. Any interaction will remain visible to them.
- Block them immediately after watching their Story fully. Any delay in blocking provides a window for them to see your view.
- Once blocked, wait at least 48 hours before unblocking them. Unblocking too soon causes your username to reappear on their viewer list.
The key factors are speed and lack of engagement. As long as you refrain from interacting and act quickly to block them, you can privately view an Instagram Story without the creator being notified in any way.
What If You Accidentally Interact Before Blocking?
Say you forget and tap to answer a poll on their Story right before blocking. While your name won’t appear, they will see an anonymous viewer responded.
To avoid raising suspicions, here are some tips:
- Wait to unblock them until after their Story expires (24 hours).
- Before unblocking, post your own Stories and generate legitimate views from followers.
- When you unblock, check if they viewed your Stories from the viewer list. This helps validate your anonymous view of their Story seemed organic.
When Is It Safe to Unblock Them?
You should avoid unblocking the account for at least 48 hours to be safe. The ideal timing would be:
- Wait until their Story you viewed expires after 24 hours.
- Continue keeping them blocked for another 24+ hours.
- Unblock them after a total of 48+ hours has passed since you viewed their Story.
This ensures your username will not resurface in their viewer list, keeping your viewing activity completely anonymous.
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Final Thoughts
Viewing Instagram Stories anonymously is possible by following these guidelines:
- Don’t interact with any elements of their Story like polls or questions.
- Block the account immediately after watching their Story fully.
- Wait at least 48 hours before unblocking them.
This allows you to view someone’s Instagram Story privately without your viewing activity appearing in their viewer list.
To recap the key points:
- Refrain from any sort of engagement or response to their Story.
- Swiftly block them after viewing so your access to their profile is severed.
- Keep them blocked for at least two full days before unblocking.
By following this precise sequence, you can rest assured they will have no indication you ever viewed their Story. We’ve comprehensively tested and confirmed this method.
So if you ever want to check out someone’s Instagram Story on the down low, now you know how to do it! Just view, block, wait, then unblock and they’ll be none the wiser.
