Sharing your Instagram content is a great way to connect with your friends and other social media users. However, if you take a closer look at the viewing insights for each story you post, you may be wondering how to hide which accounts have seen it. In this article, we will explore how to hide who has viewed your Instagram Stories.
1. Introduction to Viewing Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories are an important part of many people’s online presence, allowing users to share their lives with family and friends in the form of disappearing photos and videos. To enjoy all the fun of viewing stories, you first need to understand the basics of the feature.
To view Instagram stories, you can either click on a profile photo from the explore page or from your list of followers. You will see a series of circles at the top of the feed that represent stories currently posted. To view these stories, simply click on the circle belonging to the profile you would like to view. This will display a row of recent stories from that user. To move from story to story, click or swipe left or right. Using these simple steps, you can start viewing helpful, entertaining, and exciting stories with ease!
In addition to viewing stories, some users also have the option to interact with them. Common interactions include liking stories with a heart, sending messages to friends, or saving stories. These interactions allow you to engage more deeply with the stories you enjoy. Remember to be respectful when using this feature and to only comment or like stories you genuinely enjoy.
- Click on a profile photo from the explore page or from your list of followers
- Select the story you want to view from a row of circles
- Optionally interact with stories you enjoy
2. Understanding Who Sees Your Instagram Story
When you post a story on Instagram, anyone who follows you can view it. Your story also appears on the relevant profile page of the person you tag in it, if applicable. But it cannot be seen by everyone who follows you –– each user’s story shows only to the people it has been shared with.
However, you don’t necessarily have to follow someone to view their story or tag them in yours. Stories can be seen by anyone with access to the respective user’s profile, provided they are public. If the profile is private, the story will only be viewable to the followers of that user.
It is important to remember that Instagram stories are not deemed a secure place to post private information, such as your phone number or email address. That being said, you can limit the visibility of your stories:
- Switch the Settings of the story post from ‘Public’ to ‘Close Friends’
- Choose a specific audience from the list of your Followers
- Mark the story as ‘Hidden’
3. Is it Possible to Hide Who Views Your Instagram Story?
No, it’s not possible to hide who views your Instagram story.
Explanation: This is due to the workings of the platform. It’s impossible to keep track of who views your story with any degree of accuracy.
Instagram displays the list of viewers in the order that each person watches you story. By default, the list will also appear at the bottom of your story.
You can however, restrict who can see your story by:
- Editing the settings of a specific story post, which changes the audience reach of your post
- Archiving the original post, and then nothing appears when someone clicks on your profile picture
- Blocking a user, which prohibits them from accessing your content.
You may also see your story analytics, which provides the reach of your story, the unique accounts that have viewed it and how long viewers watched the story for.
4. How to Restrict Who Sees Your Instagram Story
1. Press the Story You Want to Restrict
Open Instagram, and go to your profile or the profile of person whose story you’d like to block access to. Click on the story that is located at the top of their profile. You will access the story inside a story viewer page.
2. Click “More”
You will see a number of options on the left side of the story viewer. Click on the “More” button, and then select “Story Settings”. This will bring up the settings page for the story.
3. Select “Hide Story From”>
At the bottom of the Story Settings page, you’ll find an option that says “Hide Story From”. Click on this, and you will be given the option to select who can, and cannot, see the story.
You can choose from your list of followers or friends, or you can add individual usernames to the list. When you select a user from this list, their profile will be removed from the list of people who can view the story. Once the changes are saved, the story should be hidden for the individuals you removed.
5. Final Thoughts on Hiding Who Views Your Instagram Story
Now that we’ve gone through the method of hiding who views your Instagram Story, let’s recap on some key points to consider:
- Be aware of the viewers: even though you have the ability to hide your story viewers, it’s important to consider who might still be viewing it. Your posts should be thoughtful of those viewing them so you don’t unintentionally hurt anyone’s feelings or make them feel uncomfortable.
- Don’t overuse the setting: While the option to hide story viewers is convenient, it should not be used all the time. It’s important to remember that a story, like any other post, should be shared for accountability and for the purpose of engagement. Continuously concealing who views your post could look suspicious and weaken the connection between you and your followers.
- Be cautious when conveying sensitive content: Always be mindful when posting sensitive content. In these cases, turning on your viewer setting is the best move to ensure the content remains between the desired parties. Not only will this provide reassurance that it’s only seen by those you choose, but it will also ensure privacy and an even better understanding between you and your followers.
Hiding who views your Instagram story can be a useful tool if you know how and when to utilize it. Always remember to be aware and responsible when using the option. When done correctly, you can use it to your advantage to better engage with your followers, as well as protect your content in the most appropriate way.
As long as you consider the key points, you will have no issues hiding who views your Instagram Stories. With the help of these tips, be sure to use the option responsibly and accurately!
In conclusion, it’s not possible to hide who sees your Instagram story. Becoming a private account and deleting past stories can help minimize the number of people that see your stories, but the story viewers list will still display when a new story is posted. Keeping that in mind can help you decide what kind of content to post, who you want to share it with and provide reassurance that your content is safe.