How to see someones instagram story without letting them know

So we all know the best part about Instagram stories is that we can see who's watched ours, and the worst part about Instagram stories is that other know when we've watched theirs. Until now, that was the unquestionable nature of the story-watching game.

But no longer. Are you ready to have your fucking mind blown?

Here's how to watch someone's Instagram story without them knowing:

Click on the story before or after the one you want to watch

For the purposes of this exercise, we're creeping on babe's fav (read: only) associate editor, Caroline Phinney, so we're watching the story right after hers.

Watch until it's somewhere relatively benign. Like an aesthetic Instagram you follow to make you feel young again or a celebrity.

Then press pause

I didn't know you could do this until like, a week ago, but if you press and hold an Instagram story it pauses. Who knew!

Wow, artsy.

Swipe and peek, but don't swipe completely!

This is the tricky part. Once you've paused an Instagram story, you can swipe a bit to the left or right and Instagram will play the other stories around it without registering that you've seen the story.

Wow, what secrets she holds…

It will even keep the circle saying you haven't watched the story completely in tact

I'm not sure if this is a loophole or an intentional move on the part of Instagram, but either way, it's real and I fuck with it.

Here's a video on how to do it

Here’s how to watch someone’s Instagram story without them seeing you’ve see it

Posted by Babe on Thursday, February 8, 2018

Tread carefully

Honestly, it's pretty easy to fuck this up and accidentally watch the IG story. I made Caroline post random bullshit twice before I successfully took a screenshot. But if you aren't planning on taking a screenshot and don't tend to go overboard on swiping, then get your fucking creep on without getting caught. I know you can do it.

Related stories recommended by this author:
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• This Instagram account is calling out every celeb’s horrible Photoshop fails

@k80way

• You can view Instagram Stories anonymously by using an unidentifiable account or, to an extent, by turning on airplane mode.
• Third-party sites and apps that promise anonymous Instagram Stories viewing can be unreliable and may not be secure, though some do 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.

How to view Instagram Stories anonymously

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. 

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. 

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

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, however, 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 that the site only works for public accounts, and won't be able to access a private account's stories. 

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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