In our technologically advanced era, digital footprints are meticulously scrutinized. Preserving anonymity on social media platforms like Instagram is both a challenge and a necessity.

Instagram Stories, a feature that allows you to post photos and short video clips that disappear after 24 hours, has accrued immense fame for its ephemerality and immediacy. However, watching these stories anonymously can be tricky.

Services like Ig story viewer AnonyPro have been working overtime to find an anonymous solution. Luckily, thorough research has finally solved the problem.

In this article, we will explore ten key strategies you can use to maintain anonymity while exploring Instagram stories. Use these strategies in combination to provide a sort of synergy or multi-anomaly.

Let’s delve right in:

Strategy 1: Use a Secondary Account

Creating a secondary account, or dummy account, is perhaps the simplest and safest method of maintaining anonymity while watching Instagram stories. If you open a genuine and authentic secondary Instagram account, you cannot violate Instagram community guidelines.

How do you go about it? It’s very simple. Just sign up the same way you did with your primary account. However, make sure this account has no personal information or any recognizable connections to your primary account.

When using this strategy, make sure the dummy account follows the target accounts you desire to monitor. This allows for seamless and anonymous story-watching.

Strategy 2: Employ third-party apps and websites.

Several third-party apps and websites have devised certain services that make it possible to view Instagram stories anonymously. Websites such as AnonyPro, which we alluded to earlier, allow you to enter the usernames of the target profiles and watch their stories without logging into your Instagram account.

However, you must exercise caution, as a number of these services may pose security risks and potentially violate Instagram’s terms of service. This may put your account at risk of deactivation or suspension.

Strategy 3: Use Airplane Mode

Another basic and fairly effective strategy involves using Instagram in airplane mode. Open your Instagram app and go to the profile with the story you’re interested in while still connected to the internet.

Once completed, switch to airplane mode. This will disconnect your device from the internet and guarantee you anonymity as you view the stories.

This trick is effective because the platform preloads contents like stories, and without internet access, it cannot register that the story has been watched. Also, close the app before switching off airplane mode to ensure you are incognito.

Strategy 4: Utilize Browser Extensions

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Browser developers also know the importance of social media anonymity. Therefore, they have come up with extensions such as Hiddengram for Chrome to help users view stories without revealing their identity.

The mechanism of action of these extensions involves masking your identity when you browse Instagram on your desktop. The strategy is a straightforward approach, devoid of the need for dummy accounts or additional apps. This effectively provides a convenient solution for maintaining anonymity.

Strategy 5: Leverage Instagram’s ‘Close Friends’ Feature

The fifth strategy involves a rather indirect method. It involves leveraging the platform’s ‘Close Friend’ feature. You will have to do some work. Start by creating a curated list of trusted people, and then share stories exclusively with them.

This way, you get the chance to maintain your privacy while interacting with stories from the friends you’ve included in your exclusive list. While this method does not allow you to view Instagram stories anonymously, it ensures you have a controlled and private sharing environment.

Strategy 6: Use Screenshot Notifications

The Instagram API sends notifications each time someone takes a screenshot of a disappearing direct message. This is not true for stories. However, if you desire to remain anonymous, refrain from taking screenshots directly.

Instead, utilize the screen recording features installed on your device and capture the still photos from the recording. This approach makes sure you possess a record without triggering any notifications.

Strategy 7: Access Instagram via Desktop Mode on Mobile Browsers

Our seventh strategy is using the desktop mode on your mobile to view stories without revealing your identity. Browsers like Safari and Chrome let you switch to a desktop view. Proponents believe that doing this sometimes bypasses the platform’s tracking mechanisms.

While this strategy might not be foolproof, it offers an added layer of hardship for Instagram to track story views accurately. Use it alongside other strategies discussed previously or here below for better privacy.

Strategy 8. Disable Data and Wi-Fi after Stories Load

Rather similar to the Airplane Mode method, this strategy involves disabling Wi-Fi and cellular data after the stories have loaded. This prevents the platform from recording your activity since the application is disconnected from the internet.

Ensure you close the application completely before disabling airplane mode and reconnecting to the internet to maintain anonymity. This strategy offers a practical option for quick and stealthy story-watching sessions.

Strategy 9. View Stories through Account Insights

For users with creator or business accounts, Instagram Insights are capable of offering a unique perspective. Although this strategy is more concerned with obtaining incognito view data than watching stories, it’s worth mentioning.

Through the analysis of engagement and demographic metrics, you can indirectly understand story interactions without exposing your identity. You will have to do some research to be able to understand the insights.

Strategy 10: Use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) 

A virtual private network (VPN) can obscure your IP address, adding an extra layer of anonymity to your social media activities, including Instagram story watching. It is important to know that even the best VPN alone will not make your story views anonymous; it will add to overall digital privacy by obscuring your location and IP address from Instagram.

This acts as a supplementary measure to the other strategies discussed above. It is also important to note the quality of the VPN you choose to work with. Poor-quality private networks can put your Instagram account at risk of privacy breaches.

Wrapping it Up

Anonymity is a double-edged sword. While it is capable of protecting your privacy, it also gives rise to a number of ethical issues. The ten key strategies we outlined above provide several methods to maintain your anonymity while viewing Instagram stories. Nevertheless, it is vital to balance the desire for anonymity with respect for others’s privacy. Do not use anonymity to carelessly invade someone’s privacy or engage in any malicious behavior.