How To View Instagram Without Account in 2024 [2 Methods]
- You can view Instagram profiles without an account by using certain methods, applicable only to public profiles.
- You can either access profiles directly through the Instagram website or use third-party services like Imginn.
- This approach offers anonymity but limits interaction with posts and access to private accounts.
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms out there. Viewing an Instagram profile is not an issue when you have an Instagram account. However, some people do not have an account but still want to view Instagram profiles. In this article, we will look at the different methods you can use to overcome this issue. So, without further ado let’s dive straight into it.
Table of Contents
Why View Instagram Without An Account
The Instagram app or browser page doesn’t allow you to do anything unless you log in with your account. Without signing in you cannot browse the platform, search users, like and comment on posts, see their stories, etc. However, there are a few workarounds for these situations. Some of these make use of third-party applications, whereas the rest of them are official methods.
READ MORE: How to Comment GIFs on Instagram Posts in 4 Easy Steps ➜
Methods To View An Instagram Profile
For all of the methods listed below, the profile you are searching for is assumed to be public. In case, the profile is private, the methods listed won’t work.
1. Through Instagram’s Website
The easiest method to view the posts from an account is through the profile URL. Here is the method to obtain an account’s URL:
- Launch the Instagram application and tap on the Search icon located next to the homepage icon.
Search Icon - In the search bar, type in the username of the account that you want to view ( mrwhosetheboss will be used as an example.)
- Open the profile and then tap on the three-dots icon.
Three-dots icon - From the menu box, select Copy profile URL.
Copy Profile URL option - Now you can send the URL to any person.
Profile Link Copied
Send these steps to any of your friends or family members and ask them to send the profile link to you. Alternatively, you can also directly view a profile by typing in (www.instagram.com/Username), where Username is the exact username of the Instagram account.
After opening the profile on your browser, you can scroll down a bit and see the media posted by the user. Initially, you will be viewing all the media posted on the account. However, if you only want to see the reels posted by the account, you can do so by clicking on the Reels option(see the above photo for reference).
After only scrolling past a few posts, you will be prompted to log in with your account to continue scrolling. The popup can not be closed and the only workaround is to refresh the page and quickly scroll down to the latest post you were viewing.
Before the popup appears, to view a photo or a reel, simply click on the post. This will expand the post properly by opening it and is the only way you can watch a reel. A few of the top comments will also be displayed on the side.
↪ Limitations
While this method allows you to view posts of the account of your choice, there are a few limitations.
- Cannot comment under posts
- Cannot like posts
- Cannot view account stories
- Cannot message the user
- Cannot read all the comments made under the post
READ MORE: How to Find & Use the Instagram Clipboard on Android & iOS ➜
2. Imginn
Imginn is a free, third-party website that allows you to look up specific accounts through their username. Here is how you can use this platform for searching Instagram accounts:
- Visit Imginn through your browser.
- Type in the username of the account you want to search.
- Select the correct account from the list of accounts that show up as search results.
- By default, you will be on the Posts page of the account. As you keep scrolling down, you will see all the previous posts from the account. There will also be a Download option below every post. Click on this option to download the post on your device.
Download option highlighted - To view the stories posted by the user, click on the Stories option. If the user has posted any story in the last 24 hours, it will be present here. Otherwise, “No Stories” will be displayed once you click on it.
Stories option - You can also view the posts the user has been tagged in. Simply click on the Tagged option next to the Stories option. You will be shown: who tagged the user, how long ago was the tagged post uploaded, and the option to download the post.
Tagged Posts of mrwhosetheboss
Imginn is one of the many such tools available on the internet. However, be very cautious while using them and never enter any personal information such as your name, DOB, or your account credentials, as more than often these are illegitimate tools used for data and identity theft.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Using Instagram Without an Account
Now that you know how to access Instagram account, let’s discuss whether it’s even worth it to do in the first place.
↪ Benefits:
- The major benefit of using Instagram through the methods listed above is anonymity. You can view posts, stories, and reels of an account without the creator knowing about it.
- If you want to follow just one account, or occasionally use Instagram to check something, having an account is not as effective.
↪ Drawbacks:
- The above-listed methods provide you with a very poor user experience.
- You cannot like, or comment on a post.
- You cannot send anyone a DM.
- Private accounts are inaccessible to you.
READ MORE: How to Know If Someone Has Restricted You on Instagram ➜
Conclusion
Hopefully, by now you know how to view Instagram without an account. Be aware of shady third-party services in this regard. In case of any query or suggestion, feel free to drop it down below. Until next time. Ciao
FAQs
The only way you can view a private account is by sending them a follow request on Instagram and the other person accepts it. No third-party tool will allow you to view a private account.
Creating an Instagram account takes about five minutes. However, finding your friends and sending them requests takes more time.
No, the only way you can send a DM to anyone on Instagram is through an account. Without an account, no message can be sent.