Searching for profiles of celebrities or people you may know on Instagram is a common activity if you are trying to locate someone to follow, figure out information about a person, or simply satisfy your curiosity about a person.
However, you might be worried that the individuals you are looking up can tell that you are searching for their profile, something that can be problematic depending on the profile of the person you are searching for.
Our article answers the question about whether or not someone can see if you’ve searched for them on Instagram and when it might be possible that your viewing information is visible.
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The Information Instagram Searches Show
An Instagram search consists of navigating to the search bar, typically on the app, and typing in the profile username that you are searching for. You can also use keywords or hashtags to bring up accounts and posts that are related to the topic or person you are searching for.
Keep in mind that you won’t be able to search for an account using the real name of a person or information like their phone number; this is kept private by Instagram and will not show up in a profile search.
Once you have located someone’s account, you can typically see their followers, who they are following, and their recent posts. That being said, if the person’s account is set to private, you will not be able to see this information until you have requested to follow the person and they have accepted your follow request.
People will not know if you have searched or viewed their Instagram profile unless you request to follow them, like or comment on their pictures, or otherwise interact with their account. However, your search history will be viewable on your Instagram app the next time you visit the search bar.
Does Instagram Send Notifications for Profile Searches?
Instagram does not send notifications to people that their profile has been searched or recently viewed by another account. The only way that someone will know you have been viewing their posts or account is if you like, comment, or interact with that person. Follow requests and messages also let the person know you have been viewing their profile.
It’s important to note that the more you search for someone or interact with their profile, the more you are likely to see them in your feed. This is because Instagram’s algorithm will pick up on what you are most interested in and show it to you more often to drive engagement. It will not, however, show your profile more often to the person you are searching for. This will only happen if they have been searching and interacting with your profile more often.
Is There an App That Shows Profile Views?
Plenty of third-party apps may offer to show who is viewing your profile, but these might not be the most reliable things to trust. Installing apps or software onto your phone or other devices that promise to send you identity information, or giving these apps access to your personal Instagram account and information, might result in viruses, malware, or stolen information.
Instagram does not make information about profile views available, and any app or software that promises this information to you is likely not the most reliable. It’s best to avoid these apps or software altogether, as frustrating as it is to not have answers about who might be viewing your profile.
Checking Instagram Story Views
One of the only ways to see who might be regularly viewing your profile, or at least the stories you post, is by checking your Instagram story views. Once you post an Instagram story on your account, it’s available to be viewed for up to 24 hours by either the public, such as anyone who visits your profile and taps on the story icon, or by those who you’ve added to your ‘close friends’ story, which is an option that allows you to control who can see what you post.
To check your Instagram’s story views, simply tap on your story and swipe up to see the profiles of everyone who has viewed the post. You can then interact with the profiles from there and view the accounts, send messages, or view their stories.
Understanding Instagram’s Search Functions
Instagram offers plenty of search functions and ways to interact with the various accounts or posts across the platform. However, it can sometimes be confusing to know whether or not people on Instagram can see if you’ve searched or viewed their profile. Unless you’ve interacted with a profile after you’ve searched it, such as by liking posts, commenting on pictures, or messaging the owner of the account.
Make sure you don’t fall for apps trying to collect your data by promising information on profile views because this isn’t possible on Instagram – you won’t know who searched your profile and others won’t know if you search theirs unless interactions with the account are made.
And if you need help figuring out whether or not someone has an Instagram account in the first place, don’t forget to try using a person lookup service to locate the social media profiles someone might have.
