Winter has arrived, and it is no secret that one of the most popular methods of communication is done through social media. Instagram has become a platform of choice for many people, particularly for teens and young adults. As with all social media functions, Instagram offers numerous features and tools, including their story feature. But do people see if you watched their Instagram Story? And what does it look like for them? This article will explain in detail when people on Instagram can tell if someone viewed or watched their story, and what it looks like for them when someone watches their story.
1. What is an Instagram Story?
An Instagram Story is a feature on the photo-sharing app, Instagram, that lets users share photos and videos that are viewable for 24 hours. It’s a great way for users to post their day-to-day experiences and keep their followers updated on their lives.
Each post in an Instagram Story can include a photo or a video, as well as text, location information, GIFs, polls, and more. It’s easy to create a story and there are a few different options to choose from when creating one. For example, users can create a story by taking a photo or video in the app or by uploading one from their camera roll.
Users can also hide or feature stories on their profile so that they’re only visible to followers or to everyone. They can also reply directly to Stories, with their comments visible to the original poster, and view insights such as story reach, replies, and exits. Lastly, users can add stories to their highlights, allowing them to save their stories and have them appear on their profile.
- Photos/videos are only viewable for 24 hours
- Different types of media can be included in a story
- Options for hiding or featuring stories on profile
- Insights and replies available for original poster
- Stories can be added to highlights
2. How Do People Know If Someone Has Viewed Their Instagram Story?
When someone views someone else’s Instagram story, that person will get a notification about the view. That notification will appear either at the bottom of the screen or at the top, depending on the viewer’s notification settings. At the bottom of the story, the person who posted it will be able to see who has viewed the story – but only if there are fewer than 100 viewers. If there are more than that, they can see only the number of views.
The people who have viewed the story are listed in order of when they viewed it. People with verified account badges will have their badge next to their username. People who have seen the story several times will be listed multiple times, but only the first time they viewed it will be shown.
It’s important to note that the person who posted the story won’t be able to see who has taken screenshots of it. However, Instagram does send a notification to the person who posted it if someone takes a screenshot of their story. This feature is available for all versions of iOS and Android.
3. What Does it Look Like for the Person Who Uploaded the Story?
Once a story is successfully uploaded, the person who created it can view what it looks like on the social media platform. Most social media platforms have distinct, visually appealing ways of hosting content. Here are a few of the ways that the person who uploaded the story can view what it looks like:
- Video: Most social media platforms display videos in an HD, fullscreen format, often with accompanying sound that can easily be adjusted by the story uploader. It’s important for the story uploader to make sure that the colors and sound come across clearly and are in high-quality.
- Photos: Photos can be uploaded as one image or as a collage of several images. They can be cropped and edited, and story uploaders can choose from several presentation options, from a simple slideshow to a more dynamic animation.
- Text: Text can be uploaded in a variety of fonts and sizes. The text can be presented in either a standard post format or a more creative story format. Text-based stories are easy to read, and can be a great way to quickly share an idea or concept.
Story uploaders can also add tags to their stories, which helps potential viewers to find their content. Tags are typically hashtags, which are popular in social media and allow a story to be more easily discovered by those searching for it. In addition, story uploaders can choose to share their stories with specific people or groups, which may increase the chances of the story reaching a wider audience.
4. Can People See Who Has Viewed Their Story?
Unfortunately, the answer to this question is no. Currently, there is no feature that tells users which of their followers are viewing their story. That being said, there are other ways for creators to track their story activity.
1. General Story Views Metrics
The Instagram Insights feature (available to business profiles) gives creators an overview of the number of people who viewed their story. While this isn’t a specific user-by-user breakdown, it can still help creators understand which posts resonated the most on their story and with which audience.
2. Story Views Count Increments
The story views count displayed at the bottom of a post can also give creators an indication of audience engagement. When watching a story, the views count will increase by one per every view. If anyone stops re-watching the story, the views count will stop growing.
3. Video Insights
Video insights are also available to creators whose stories feature video content. These offer a deeper breakdown of viewing behavior than general story views metrics, such as the percentage of viewers who watched the whole video, a timeline of where the viewers dropped off, and more. This feature helps creators determine what content resonates best with their audience.
5. Tips for Maximum Privacy When Viewing Others’ Stories
Stay Anonymous
When viewing stories on social media, it’s a good idea to stay anonymous and not reveal your identity. Make sure to use an account that isn’t connected to your true identity, allowing you to remain incognito and protect your privacy. This ensures that you don’t accidentally reveal personal information while viewing stories. Additionally, it prevents users from tracking you down.
Disable Location Services
When viewing stories, it’s important to disable location services. When this feature is activated, information about where you’re accessing the stories from can be shared with the user whose story you’re viewing, resulting in a potential breach of privacy. As such, it’s best to always disable location services when viewing stories.
Adopt Privacy Setting
It’s also important to note that users can customize their privacy settings in order to limit the viewability of their stories. As a result, it’s best to adjust your settings and accept only those story requests from users that you already know. This ensures that your activity is restricted to users you trust and someone won’t see your activities that you don’t want to reveal it.
Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Finally, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings when viewing stories. Don’t view stories on public networks or devices and be conscious of those around you if you’re viewing stories privately. This keeps you from accidentally revealing information that you were not intending to share.
- Stay anonymous
- Disable Location services
- Adopt a privacy setting
- Be aware of your surroundings
We hope this article has given you a better understanding of how Instagram Story viewing works and has shed light on what’s happening on the other side for your contacts. Ultimately, privacy concerns are unique to each user and should be kept in mind when viewing somebody else’s Story. Keep in mind that Instagram has built-in safeguards to make sure that you’re not being watched too closely, so you can continue to explore the Stories feature with peace of mind.
