Many Instagram users have their accounts set to private for one reason or another. This means you cannot view their full profile in the same way you typically can with a public account. There are, however, ways to access these profiles that still respect a user’s privacy. In this guide, we show you how to view a private Instagram account and the content within.
Finding ways to connect with protected accounts could help you develop your brand further and understand your target audience. However, you must also understand that most private users have a reason for locking their Instagram. Make sure that you stay within their boundaries when trying to connect with these profiles.
What Is a Protected Instagram Account?
A protected Instagram account is one that people cannot view in full without following. Though others can find the account by using the search bar, only their followers can see their posts or stories. Locked profiles still appear in metrics such as story views and can also leave public comments on your posts. You can usually send message requests to these accounts without following them first, though some may have stronger privacy settings.
A locked profile’s posts do not show up in the usual ‘Explore’ or hashtag pages. However, you may still be curious about how to view Instagram private account photos. You will also still get notifications when a locked account follows you. When viewing the profile, you can see if anyone you follow on Instagram is also following them. In addition to this, any profile’s bio is always visible to those viewing their account, even when in private.
There are many reasons why someone would learn how to make an Instagram account private. First, they might wish to keep their posts to close friends rather than broadcast their lives to everyone. They may also want to avoid flooding their profile with bot or scam followers. Some brands even make their accounts private to boost engagement and long-term following metrics. This encourages people to follow in order to get access to their page.
How To View a Private Instagram Account: A Step-By-Step Guide
While many people make their profile private, there are reasons you may want to still view their account. For example, if you run a brand, it helps to connect with your customers and followers. You can only do this if you have a better understanding of them, such as by seeing their personal profiles. Here are the main ways you can view a locked account:
1. Follow the Account
Your first course of action should always be to try to follow the account. If they reject this, it means the user does not want you to see their full Instagram profile. If they follow you, they will likely accept your request. Do not spam them with requests or use a fake profile to get access.
2. Message the User
To help the chances of them accepting you as a follower, send them a message request. Click on the three dots in the top right corner of the profile and select ‘Send message.’ If their privacy settings allow it, you can introduce yourself and explain why you want to connect with them.
3. Find Their Public Profiles
The user you want to connect with might still have public accounts elsewhere with no personal posts. For example, their bio may point towards social media profiles on other apps such as TikTok or Twitter (now X). These sites are less likely to have private photos and might be public.
4. Avoid Easy Online Solutions
There are many websites and apps that claim to offer an Instagram private account viewer. You should be skeptical of these claims, as they are often scams at best. Sometimes, they may even include malware that infects your device. To be safe, do not download or pay for these solutions.
How To View Instagram Private Account Photos
There are no reliable ways to view a locked account without them accepting your follow request first. However, you could check for their username in an online image search. Their photos may still show up, either from before they locked the account or from other apps. Joint ‘Collab’ posts are another way to possibly get around privacy settings. If one of the posters is public, you can see the private account’s content through the former’s profile.
On top of this, you can again look for their public profiles. Their Facebook is likely to have high privacy settings, while their Twitter (or X) will likely be public. According to a Pew Research Center survey, only 35% of respondents claimed to have a private Twitter account. Most of them actually had a public account, however. For best results, search usernames or real names both through a browser and on specific social media sites.
If an account is set to private, there is only so much you can do. The most reliable way to view a private account’s content is to follow them and hope they accept your request. Messaging them is again an option, especially if you want to get their opinion on your brand or account. Beyond this, you could possibly ask mutual friends to screenshot the account’s hidden posts. However, your friends may think this is an invasion of privacy.
It is similarly not possible to view a locked account’s story without following the account. There are, again, tools that falsely claim to be able to access or even download private stories. Be sure to avoid these websites and apps, as they may have a virus that could infect your device. You can only view private account photos, videos, and stories if you follow the account posting them.
There are, however, plenty of services that can view or download public story posts. These apps and websites let you save content that might inspire your future posts or teach you about your audience. They also help you save memories you want to keep with far higher quality than a screenshot. While protected accounts will stay locked, these tools are perfect for public profiles.
Can Businesses Protect Their Account?
Business accounts cannot set their profiles to private. In order to do so, they must change back to a personal account. Public accounts are often better for brands and influencers hoping to grow their following, but some companies are willingly private. If you want to boost your usual level of engagement, a private account has many benefits, such as:
• An exclusive community: As non-followers cannot view a private Instagram Story or feed posts, your account is a reward for customer loyalty.
• Encourages new followers: People enjoying your profile may not choose to follow you unless this becomes the only way to see your posts.
• A focus on quality: By protecting your account, followers will see you care more about creating personal content than getting a wider reach.
• Better engagement rates: If the only people engaging with your content are loyal followers, this boosts your profile in Instagram’s algorithm.
• Targeting the right audience: Taking charge of who can view your Instagram account helps you build a community that suits your preferences.
How To Make an Instagram account private
To lock your account, go to your profile and tap the three lines at the top right. Click on ‘Account privacy,’ then ‘Private account’ to lock it. Here, you also have the option to allow others to see your full-size profile picture with a single tap. For maximum privacy, you can disable this function, which Instagram enables by default. If you are under 18, Instagram automatically makes your account private but still gives the option to make it public.
What Is an Instagram Private Account Viewer?
Some tools or websites claim to offer an award-winning Instagram profile viewer but are not able to access private accounts. There are several more reliable services that can remotely view or download a profile’s current story, but only for public accounts. You must avoid tools that falsely claim to be able to view private accounts, posts, and stories. Many of them ask you to complete endless surveys to use these features and then sell the data you provide.
Even locked profile viewers without surveys are likely trying to trick you into paying a fee to view an account. If you want to know how to view private Instagram accounts, following is usually the only answer. Do not give your bank details or any private data to a website that claims to access private Instagram profiles. You should also never install an app you do not trust onto your phone or computer. This could mine your device for passwords or shut it down entirely.
Many brands wonder how to view a private Instagram account because this could allow them to better understand their audience. However, you should always stay safe and only use public accounts or story viewers. At snsflow.com, we use proven methods to help you grow your online following without any privacy risks. With our simple services, you can buy new followers or likes that naturally boost your network and metrics. Discover how snsflow.com can transform your Instagram account today.
