Instagram is a social media platform that allows users to share photos and videos with their followers. One of the key features of Instagram is its search function, which allows users to find content based on keywords, hashtags, usernames, and locations. By typing in a search term, users can explore a wide range of content related to that term, from popular accounts to trending hashtags.
Instagram’s search function also includes personalized recommendations based on users’ activity, such as the accounts they follow and the content they engage with. This makes it easier for users to discover new content that is relevant to their interests.
Easy-mode
How to Turn Your Account into a Private Account
Open Instagram – Open your profile – Tap on the three-dot icon – Open settings – Tap on private account to turn on the feature – Confirm
Will They Know If You Search for Them on Instagram 2023?
There are many different possible interactions you can have while using the Instagram app. You can like posts, comment, replay, post, and search tags or people among other things. The thing with almost all of the examples I made is that, if you do them, someone will be notified. Although this is the case when it comes to liking or commenting on a post, replying to a comment, or watching someone’s story, the same cannot be said for searching people. If you search for people on Instagram, they will not be notified. So, feel free to search for anyone you want. As long as you do not follow them, do not like their posts, do not comment on what they post, do not watch their highlights, and some other stuff, they will not know you peeked at their profile.
Are you curious about how you can see who has viewed your highlights on Instagram and what highlights are? Take a look at my guide here: How to See Who Viewed Your Instagram Highlights After 48 Hours.
Does Instagram Notify When You Look at a Profile?
It is obvious why you would search for someone on Instagram: to look at their profile and see what is there. Rest assured, similar to searching for someone on Instagram, they will not be notified that you viewed their profile. So, if you need to look at their posts to get some idea for your works or to get some idea as to what you have not done before and what would be a good idea for a new post done together, go ahead.
Did you know Instagram allows you to post with someone? It is called a joint post. If you are curious to know more, take a look at my guide here: How to Post with Someone on Instagram. Also, if you face any problems in the process, you can have a look at this guide: Why Can’t I Do a Joint Post on Instagram.
How to Follow Someone Without Them Knowing on Instagram
Instagram is a great app, definitely one of the bests at what it does. However, it has one huge flaw: You cannot really stalk around without people knowing what you did. Sure, you can view someone’s profile and their posts, but that is about it. You also run the risk of double-tapping on a post by mistake. In that case, that person will for certain know you have been around. Especially, you cannot follow them. So, you will have to go through the process of searching for them every time.
A Solution?
There is this amazing app called Instasnoop. You do some really interesting things with it. However, what we want to look for here is its ability to follow people without them knowing. It is called Snooplist. You can add people to this list and have them followed, and they will not be notified that you are following them.
Another important thing is that this app will not tell you viewed their posts, and it does not allow you to like anything. So, there will not be any accidental double-tapping. Also, you can see you are following those who do not follow you back.
Do you want to hide your likes on Instagram? Take a look at my guide here to find out how: How to Hide Likes on Instagram.
How to Protect Yourself from Being Stalked on Instagram
The annoying thing about social media is: you can get stalked quite easily. Sometimes, you might find someone over-obsessive constantly commenting below all your posts, liking everything you post. That is not a problem until it is, I mean when it becomes annoying. How to deal with them? There is not much you can do really. Instagram does not really offer much. Your best tool to get rid of these people is to set your account to private. Once you have put your account on private, no one will not be able to see your profile without first having followed you. To follow you, they will have to send a request, and you can either accept or deny them. You should only accept requests from those whom you know. This is the surest way to keep stalkers away. Take a look further down to find a guide on how to turn your account private.
Can You Use Third-Party Apps to Find Out?
Be careful about third-party apps. If you see any app claiming they can find who viewed your profile, how long they were checking it, and how far they scrolled down your profile, it is quite likely they are trying to scam you. Instagram might or might not record such information. Even if they do, they would want to sell it for a hefty price. So, it is quite unlikely these third-party apps might have access to such information. The only other way they can have access to such information is to illegally access Instagram’s database. Considering these apps usually ask for personal information such as your username, password, e-mail address, and phone number; and if we assume they actually can hack into Instagram’s database, it is best you stay away from them. Who knows what they will do with you if you provide them with such information?!
Remember, almost none of these apps are endorsed or suggested by Instagram. If you find an app endorsed by Instagram officially, you can use it safely without having to worry about your personal information.
What Happens When You Search for Someone on Instagram?
As I said, no one will be notified if you search for them on Instagram. However, it does not mean nothing happens when searching for someone or something. Instagram uses cookies to improve its different services. That means every time you search for someone or something, certain tags related to them will be marked by Instagram. Then in the future, when the app wants to suggest users, posts, or reels, it will suggest anything with similar tags to what you have searched for more.
If you are curious to find out more about the suggest system, its mechanisms, and algorithms, and how you can get rid of suggested reels or posts, take a look at my guide here: How to Clear Suggested Reels on Instagram.
How to Turn Your Account into a Private Account
Now, let’s see how you can turn your account to private to prevent those whom you do not want to see your profile. These steps are completely the same on all devices and platforms.
Step 1:
Open Instagram on your device. The icon looks like a multi-colored camera.
Step 2:
Tap on your profile. It has your profile picture as an icon and is located in the lower right corner of your screen.
Step 3:
On the upper right corner of your screen, tap on the three-dot icon. Then open settings.
Step 4:
Scroll down among the options until you find a private account. Tap on it to activate it.
Step 5:
You will be asked to confirm your decision. Tap on ok. Please note that once you turn this feature on, no one will be able to see your profile without following you. To follow you, they need to first send in a request. You can either accept or deny their request.
TIPS
If you are using other social media platforms such as Facebook, and you have linked your Instagram account to your Facebook, then you can share your picture there as well. Please note that anyone on your friend list will be able to see them on Facebook, regardless of whether them having followed you on Instagram or not.
If someone is already following you on Instagram, they will be able to see your private photos. So, instead of turning your account private to keep them away, it is better if you just block them. Do not worry, Instagram will not notify them!
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Can turning my account private hurt the number of my followers?
A: It is quite possible that by turning this option on, you will get fewer followers. Most people do not actually go through the process of sending a request and waiting for it to be accepted. So, if you care about your followers more than your privacy, we do not suggest using this option.
Q: Is there any other benefits other than privacy to turning my account private?
A: If you have a profile with a very high number of daily visits, turning this option on will probably affect the rate at which you get followers negatively. However, if you do not get all that many visitors every day, turning on this option will prevent them from just taking a look at your posts and then leaving without following you. They might be curious enough to follow you just to see what is in your profile. And once they are done, you might get lucky and they forget to unfollow. That is easy followers, yay!
Q: If I make it private on the app, will it be private on the desktop too?
A: Yes. Whether you make your account private on your Windows, iPhone, or Android device, it will still affect all your other devices with the same account. The change is account-bound and not device bound. So, it will affect all your devices as long as they are using the same account. It will not affect your other accounts on the same device though!
Q: Can I put privacy on a specific picture on Instagram?
A: Unfortunately, no. It will either affect all of your account or none of it. The choice is yours!
Conclusion
Instagram is one of the most popular social platforms out there. Instagram offers many features. You can post photos and videos, you can make reels, or share your moments in the form of stories, you can chat with other users, comment and tag people, etc. There are currently over 2.35 billion monthly active users. There are surely many whom you do not know. There are also those whom you know and would like to follow, but you do not want them to know you are following them. Today, I explained what happens when you search for someone on Instagram and look at their profile, how you can follow them without them knowing you have, how to protect your privacy better and how to make your account private, and if the third-party apps can be helpful or not. Hope you found this guide useful! Good luck.
