It is not uncommon for a person to have a strong desire to view a private Instagram account. If this is you, you'll be happy to know you're not alone. Most of us have come across a private account on Instagram – the type that's protected by a passcode that prevents you from seeing anything posted by the account owner unless you have access to it.
It's not too difficult to imagine a situation where you would want unlimited access to such an account. Maybe it belongs to one of your business competitors, and you can't wait to find out what they've been up to lately. Or maybe you are doing some research and want to grab data from their profile.
Whatever the reason, encountering this "Private Account" notification can be annoying and frustrating. But do not worry. With creativity and the help of third-party tools, you can display any protected content on Instagram.
Can I view a private Instagram account?
Instagram is a popular social media platform that brings people together to share life, business, and career advice. This is a particularly useful way for businesses to promote themselves and expand their customer base.
Many consumers and producers view Instagram as an extension of their brand and seek to establish a recognizable persona on the app. And these personas should not be accessed by anyone without the permission or invitation of the account owner. A private account helps them retain that personality.
Running a private account on Instagram can also stem from a desire to separate work and personal life. It also helps avoid annoying people, spammers, or marketers who might bombard them with messages for products they don't need.
But, is it possible to see a private Instagram account? The answer is yes.
There are several proven tricks and tools you can use to view just about any private profile on Instagram. Let's see how each works.
(a) Follow the page
The easiest way to unlock private content is to follow the page. When you make a follow request, the account owner must accept the request before you are allowed to see anything on their profile. If the person is an active Instagram user, they will probably see your request after a few hours or days and maybe give you the green light. This instantly gives you unlimited access to anything they have shared with their followers.
(b) Try Google
If you don't want to send a follow request and are waiting with no idea when the request will be approved (or if the owner will accept it at all), you can try Google.
This tip is rooted in the idea that Internet search engines don't forget. While one can set access restrictions as soon as they join Instagram, many users do so after successfully establishing their brand. Google retains all messages they posted while the account was public and provides this information with a quick search. All you have to do is enter their name, include "Instagram" in your query, and then hit the search button.
If a Google search doesn't turn up much, you can also check out their other social media accounts. Most people run multiple social media accounts, especially those who want to tap into different markets and impress users who prefer one platform over another. A person's Instagram biography can give you leads that can help you find their other social media accounts much faster.
You can also choose a photo – if you were lucky enough to find one – and do a reverse image search which might lead you to their Facebook or LinkedIn pages.
You might discover a library of photos or other useful information, which might be sufficient for your needs.
(c) Deploy the Trojan
If you want to be more discreet, you can deploy the Trojan, which consists of creating a "fake" Instagram profile based on information other than your real information and which seems legitimate in the eyes of the target. You can then bid and track a request and wait for approval.
For this trick to work, you need to be creative and take action to impress the owner of the private account and influence their decision. For example, let's say they are an elite marketer and they like to share tips on how to succeed in this profession through a private Instagram account.
Registering a follow request through your real account probably won't work, especially if it's not populated with trading information or other related details. As such, you could create a new account that feels like an elite trader's, with a dozen videos on key topics in the trading world. You can even add a litany of industry trending nuggets and give an opinion or two on the current state of the market, which would make a user feel like the private account owner would like to connect.
(d) Try Instagram viewer sites
If you don't want to worry about browsing social media or creating fake accounts that may go against your ethics and values, you can try dedicated Instagram viewer tools that will do all the work for you.
There are over a dozen Instagram viewing sites that claim to help you unlock just about any private account on the platform. Some go so far as to promise complete anonymity while you do so.
However, a good portion of these tools do not work, and most should not be trusted. You might end up giving away valuable personal data that can be used to infiltrate your social media accounts.
For this reason, most people use these tools with a grain of salt. We don't recommend these sites, but if you do, it's important to proceed with caution. At a minimum, you should do thorough background checks and scour online sources for reviews and other bits of information that might give you a better idea of what you're dealing with.
Be legit
If you're having trouble viewing a private Instagram account, we recommend going legit by submitting a follow request and waiting for approval. You can also try searching for their public posts or finding them on other social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
If that doesn't work, some third-party apps can help you view someone's private Instagram content. However, it is important to do your due diligence before using such tools.
Are there any private Instagram accounts that you have managed to crack? How did you do? Let's engage in the comments section below.
