Can You View a Private Instagram Account?

Instagram is a social media platform that has almost 2 billion active users worldwide. Most people keep their Instagram accounts private because they do not want to entertain other people. It is also a safe way to prevent your account from hacking, stalking, and spamming. 

By keeping a private Instagram account you can keep your posts out of public scrutiny and attract less attention to your content. It saves you the trouble of safeguarding your private information. 

However, if the tables are turned, it becomes a bit tricky to view someone else’s private Instagram profile. So, to help you view someone’s private Instagram account, we have created a detailed guide that can help you reach out to the person in a few simple steps.  

Key takeaway

People can now view private Instagram with easy access to Instagram. Read this to know how you can view private Instagram accounts. 

Can You View a Private Instagram Account? 

Yes, one can now view a private Instagram account safely by following extremely easy hacks. Below are some of the basic steps to follow for viewing a private account without any problem. 

#1. Send a Follow Request

Sending a follow request is one of the easiest ways to get viewing access to someone's private account. You'd be able to see their posts, likes and stories they post. 

Here's how you can send a follow request to the private account holder:

• Open Instagram account

Open Instagram in the web version or the mobile app and Sign in to your account. 

• Click on the search bar

Click on the search bar, type the username and search for the respective account.

The search bar is available for you to search for Instagram accounts or sounds or relevant reels. It is advisable to use either their name or username to search for the respective account. 

• Open the profile

Once you have found the profile, click and open it. 

• Send a follow request

If their account is private, you will get the ‘follow’ option on their profile itself. Click on that option to send a follow request. 

Once they accept your follow request, you will be able to view their profile. 

#2. Check Via Google

If you are unable to find any Instagram profile through the app try searching for the account on Google search. Here are the steps you need to follow so that you can view the private Instagram account: 

• Head to your Chrome

Open Google Chrome on your mobile or laptop so that the search page opens. 

• Enter the person's name into the search bar

On the search page, enter the person's name you are looking for on the search bar. You can add Instagram as a keyword after the user's name to refine your research. 

• Search page loads and your search results will be displayed.

The search page is where all important information is. Here all the relevant options with your search query will load. If it is not on the first, make sure that you’re scrolling properly so that you can find it. 

• Select particular account to follow

Once you've found the result, click on it, and you will be redirected to their Instagram account via the app (if you're using a mobile) or mobile version (if you're using laptop). 

• Send request

As soon as their profile is loaded, you will come across the Follow tab on it. Make sure to hit that follow button and wait until it is accepted. 

#3. View Through a Common Friend

If you have mutual friends, you'll be able to view the person's profile from their account, too. 

• Open Instagram account

You need to open the Instagram account of a common friend.

• Go to your mutual friend's account

Visit the mutual friend's page and check for all results. 

• Check through mutual friends

Once you have found the person via the mutual results, make sure to save it. 

• Once found send request through them

As soon as you find the account, open the profile and hit that follow button. Their account will only be visible to you when they accept the request. 

#4. Search Other Social Media Platforms

Now when you have lost the battle of looking and finding the person on Instagram, you can always turn to other social media platforms. After all, a person who is active on Instagram will potentially have a social media account on other channels too. So, why not use that opportunity? 

• Open Chrome or Safari

You can open any website on your device. 

• Check the person’s name with their Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat, or Pinterest account

Since there are different types of social media accounts, you will have to enter their username, particularly with the keyword. The keyword in this case will be the social media platform. 

• Select particular account to follow

Once you have found the Instagram profile in the respective social media account, you can decide on which channel you will want to interact with. 

• Send request

You can either send a Friend request on Facebook or follow requests on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat and TikTok. Every time they post something on their profile, you will be notified about it once the request is accepted.

#5. Create a Fake Account 

Do you want to prevent your name from being unveiled to the user when you search their profile? Well, in that case, you can create a fake profile and send a ‘follow’ request from that to view the private Instagram account. Some of the key steps that you need to create a fake account and follow the private account are as follows: 

• Open Instagram app

You can download and open the Instagram account on your phone. 

• Create a new account with a fake name

Sign up on Instagram using a fake name, email ID or phone number. Use a secure password. 

• Search for person 

Once your profile is created, you should search for the person you want to view. Visit their private profile. 

• Send a follow request

On their profile’s main menu, you will receive the ‘follow’ option. Click on it to send the following request. 

#6. Use Third Party Tools 

If none of the above steps works out, you can always consider searching for the person using third-party tools. These third-party Instagram viewer tools like Glassagram and uMobix are extremely easy to use and will allow you to view private Instagram profiles.

You should read the terms and conditions of the third-party app and check how long it will take for the app to display the results. 

Why Do People Have Private Instagram Accounts? 

Having a private Instagram account seems to be a trend in today's time. Some of the major reasons why people are making their Instagram accounts private include the following:

#1: To Get More Followers

When your account is private, it increases the curiosity among users and there are chances that more people end up sending follow requests. A lot of celebrities, too, have private accounts wherein they provide exclusive sneak peeks into their lives. 

#2. Protecting Your Content

It can be pretty annoying when someone steals your content and grows on Instagram. Isn’t it? So, the best way is to protect your content by making your Instagram account private. This way you can protect your essential content,  business strategies and plan overall growth safely. 

#3. Help with Follower Retention

Private accounts are a great way to retain your followers. When you send a follow request on some private Instagram account it gets accepted only if the user wants you to follow that account leading to a higher retention rate.

With a private account, you will have enough space to interact with your followers directly whether it is via DM or comments which helps in the long retention of Instagram followers. 

#4. Protect accounts from bots

Public accounts that have a significant number of followers are often prone to bots. This means that when your following increases, there are chances that the bot accounts might follow you too. Bot accounts can often bring down the credibility of the account. 

On the other hand, private accounts let you choose who can follow you. Thus, you'd be able to decline the request of bot account holders. 

#5. Don't want to get reported

Public accounts can be easily reported as their content is available to a large group of audience. On the other hand, content from private accounts is visible only to limited followers, so you can post according to their humor without the risk of offending anyone. 

5 Reasons to View a Private Instagram Account 

While a lot of Instagram accounts are private, various businesses or individuals want to check out these private Instagram accounts for several reasons. Some of the major reasons people want to view a private Instagram account are mentioned below:

#1. Stay updated with business strategy

As a business or content creator, you would want to know what your competitors are doing. Well, this can be slightly complicated if their accounts are private. When you view their private Instagram accounts, you will have a basic idea of what their strategy for posting is and how they are acquiring new customers. 

#2. Curiosity

Most people try viewing private Instagram accounts out of curiosity. When an account is private, you can't view the profile generally. Thus, there's always a curiosity regarding what's there in the account, which may want you to explore the information. 

#3. Extract information about person

If you want to know about a person, their Instagram account can be a commendable source to do so. A lot of people often turn to viewing private accounts so that they can learn more about the person. 

In today’s time, most people are active on Instagram so you can surely find most of the details that you need to know in this platform itself.  

#4. Employers check Instagram profiles to know the candidate better

A lot of employers also check the Instagram profile, even when it is private (via different ways) to understand the candidate better. Since Instagram is a place where most people are frank and candid about their lives, their accounts can provide insights to the customers regarding the type of person the respective candidate is. 

#5. Parents keep track of youngster

Parents view the private Instagram account of their kids to keep track of them. Social media can often turn out to be a slightly unsafe place, therefore, monitoring their activities is extremely crucial. 

Safe Practices to View Private Instagram Accounts 

Since you will be viewing someone's private Instagram account, there are certain ethical considerations you need to be aware of. These include:

#1. Do not stalk

Never indulge in invasive behaviour that may come off as stalking. If you want to follow them and view their profile, you must not constantly keep sending them follow requests as it may appear intrusive. 

#2. Try searching on other social media platforms

If you're not able to view them on Instagram, you should try out other social media platforms. The other channels may help you get some insights about the respective person without any breach of their privacy. 

Facebook and Twitter are some of the other popular social media channels where you can search for the respective user. 

#3. Be aware of legalities

Viewing a private Instagram account is very similar to viewing private information. Thus, before you take any such step, you must understand the legalities and Instagram’s terms of service. 

Visit the ‘Help’ or ‘Terms & Conditions’ section of Instagram to understand the legalities if you are confused about the regulations.

#4. Do not share personal information

When you're viewing an individual's private account, you should be careful about not sharing personal information, especially when you're trying to gain access. If you share your personal information, there will not be any anonymity. 

As a result, if the person wants they can also put up a case if they feel a breach of privacy. It is always advisable to be careful and do everything safely.

Final Thoughts 

People who do not want to share their social media content or safeguard their privacy often make their profiles private. This guide will help you get access to Instagram's private profiles in a safe and easy way.

If you own a private account and want to increase your followers, you should consider buying Instagram followers from Thunderclap.com. Moreover, you can also purchase likes and followers which will help in increasing the credibility of your account. Check out Thunderclap.com to know more!