While the world continues to fight with challenges like COVID-19, Instagram keeps the young generation’s spirits high through its interactive features. Thanks to the gram, people now feel less lonely and more confident.
Despite a big chunk of the population using Instagram, some users have still not figured out a few things about the platform. For instance, what is meant by Instagram viewer vs. follow or follower vs. following?
This blog post has explained in detail what’s the difference between them as well as provided additional information on how these features work. So, let’s get started!
What is an Instagram Viewer?
Simply put, Instagram viewers are third-party tools designed to break into others’ Instagram account without them knowing. Since Instagram is quite strict about its privacy policies, no one can check out its content if a profile is set to private mode.
Following are the features that Instagram viewers claim to have:
1. View Private Instagram Accounts
According to their websites, these tools enable you to ‘unlock’ private Instagram accounts without following them. All you have to do is enter the target profile’s username, and press Enter to see their content.
2. Watch Instagram stories anonymously:
Whether it’s a public or a private account, Instagram story viewer tools allow you to watch Instagram stories without revealing your name to that person. While you can do that by yourself by watching in airplane mode, using a third-party tool offers more convenience.
3. Download posts from Instagram:
Another benefit of using Instagram viewer is that it allows you to download your desired person’s content on your device. And since Instagram doesn’t offer a downloading option on other profiles, the tool could be helpful in watching your favorite content as many times as you want.
4. Download or Zoom-in profile photos:
If you have been on Instagram for a while, you must know you can’t zoom in on a profile photo on the platform. However, third-party tools enable you to zoom in and even download a profile photo from Instagram.
5. Explore Instagram without a profile:
Lastly, the Instagram viewer allows users to explore and download Instagram photos, reels, stories, highlights etc., without creating an account. If you don’t have an account on Instagram, resort to these tools to view all the latest content of your favorite celebrities.
What does Follow mean on Instagram?
Just like you send a ‘Friend Request’ to a profile on Facebook, you send a ‘Follow Request’ to other users on Instagram to get added to their profile. Once you are added, you can view their posts and watch their stories, reels, and live sessions.
Now follower and following are two different terms being used on the platform. Followers are the people or profiles whose follow requests you have accepted to allow them to view your content.
On the contrary, following is the act of sending out follow requests to other profiles to ask them to add you to their account.
Instagram viewer vs. follow – What’s the difference?
An Instagram viewer is a tool while following is an act of sending requests to other profiles. You don’t need to have a profile on Instagram to use Instagram viewer. However, to follow anyone, you need to have an account of your own on Instagram.
Instagram viewer vs. stalking – What’s the difference?
Again, an Instagram viewer is a tool to check out public profiles without creating an account, while stalking is an act of checking out what others are up to on Instagram without them knowing.
Stalking can be done in two ways; by creating a fake account or by using an Instagram photo viewer.
You may also read: Instagram Viewer vs. Stalking
Are Instagram Viewers Legal?
In the United States, it is legal to use third-party Instagram viewers for harmless stalking. However, in some regions, these tools are strictly prohibited. If you are concerned about Instagram viewer legality in your country, try to open the tool in your region. If the page doesn’t load, it is banned in your country.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the viewer order mean on Instagram?
Viewer order refers to the sequence of viewers on your Instagram stories. Viewer order is based on how you interact with your followers rather than how you engage with these profiles.
Can you see who views your Instagram if they don’t follow you?
If you have a public account, you can see who has viewed your Instagram stories regardless of the fact that they follow you or not. That said, you can’t tell if they have viewed your posts or reels.
Can I see who viewed my Instagram?
Unfortunately, Instagram doesn’t tell who viewed your profile except for the stories.
What does the first 3 viewers on Instagram mean?
The first 3 viewers on your Instagram story shows you interact with them the most on the platform.
What is an Instagram ghost follower?
Ghost followers are pseudo or fake accounts that follow you on Instagram to contribute to your followers count.
Conclusion
Instagram viewer tool has recently gained popularity for showing public profiles anonymously without creating an account on Instagram. However, it is not something to be fascinated about as you can easily do that by creating a fake account if it’s only your name you want to hide.
Lastly, we would suggest using a simple ‘Follow’ feature on Instagram to get added to someone’s account rather than using unethical techniques like using Instagram viewers to peek into someone’s profile.
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