It may seem strange to wonder how to see someone’s activity on Instagram. After all, if you follow them then you’ll be able to see all their posts.
But, what happens if you’ve chosen to unfollow them or you don’t want them to know you’re monitoring their activity?
It sounds sinister but there are plenty of genuine reasons why you may wish to monitor an account.
For example, a parent wants to keep an eye on what their child is doing online.
The good news is there are several ways in which you can see someone’s activity on Instagram, without being a follower.
Considering the vast number of Instagram users and the amount of information people share, you may be amazed at what you can find out.
Understanding The Following Activity Tag
It used to be easy to follow someone and identify all the activities connected with a specific post.
All you had to do was select the heart icon next to the post and then choose the tab marked following.
You would instantly be able to see who liked the post and what comments have been left, as well as by whom.
Sadly, this is no longer an option. Instagram has removed it. Officially it was to improve the running of Instagram, especially on mobile devices.
Unofficially, it was because very few people used it.
The fact that almost anyone could leave distasteful comments is likely to have contributed to this decision.
It may be gone but that doesn’t mean you can’t see someone’s activity.
How To See Someone’s Activity On Instagram (That You Follow)
There are several options depending on whether you are a friend/follower or not.
1. Start With Recent Posts
If you’re already a follower then you can head to the Instagram welcome page. It appears as soon as you log in.
Take a look at the news feed and you’ll see if they have posted anything recently.
You can then click on it to check the post or link through to your friend’s account to see what else they have been posting.
If you’re not currently following them then you can use the search function on Instagram. Simply enter the name of their Instagram account and you will find them in the search results.
You can then select them and be taken to their profile.
This will allow you to see their latest posts, the latest posts always appear at the top of the screen. Older posts will be further down.
Scroll through the posts and you’ll get a great idea of what the person has been doing.
You can even select any of the posts, it will tell you when it was created.
It’s also possible to link to people that have viewed the account and see what they have been posting.
However, you should note that this isn’t an option if the Instagram account is set to private. That means their details, including posts, can only be seen by friends.
You’ll need to send a friend request.
If they accept, you’ll be able to see all the posts but they’ll know you’re monitoring their activity.
2. Check When They Are Online
If you want to see when someone was online, you’ll need to start a conversation with them via the direct message feature.
You don’t need to do this every time but you do need to do it once.
You’ll then be able to go into the list of Instagram contacts, which is found inside your direct messaging option.
Simply select the relevant account and you’ll see when they last posted online. It will give you a time and date.
It’s worth noting that an account in the list with a green dot next to it is currently online.
3. Check Recent Followers
You can access the follower list in any friend’s profile. This will show you who is following but it won’t tell you who followed most recently.
That makes it difficult to follow activities and threads if you don’t know who people were talking to.
Fortunately, you can access your Instagram account on a computer or via your phone but using the web browser instead of the app.
This automatically puts the followers in chronological order, allowing you to identify the most recent followers.
4. Create a Fake Account
You can create a fake Instagram account to help you visualize your posts before you upload them to your genuine account.
It can also be a great way to follow someone without them knowing.
To create a fake Instagram account, you’ll still to complete an Instagram profile. That means your account name, a profile picture, (or logo), and a brief description.
This will allow you to follow specific people and stay on top of all their activities. Of course, they will need to approve you as a friend first.
How To See Someone’s Activity On Instagram (That You Don’t Follow)
If you’re not following them then you can try this:
1. Log Into Their Account
This is an unusual approach and only works if you’re dealing with an account belonging to a close relative, such as a child.
If you know their account details you can log in and see everything they have been posting. But, be warned that they may look in their history and see when they last logged in.
That could give away the fact someone else is logging into their account.
2. Instagram Activity Trackers
Perhaps the best option when you want to see someone’s activity on Instagram is to use an Instagram activity tracker.
There are several on the market but one of the best is uMobix.
This is an easy to download Instagram spy tool and runs in the background.
It’s invisible to the phone user, making it the perfect way to monitor what they are doing and posting on their account.
Of course, this is technically spying and shouldn’t be done on an adult. But, it is acceptable when trying to follow the Instagram activity of your children.
There are simply too many cases of online bullying and abuse to leave your child unprotected online.
uMobix offers the ability to gain full access to an Instagram account, including posts and followings.
It also allows you to manage your child’s account and prevents them from seeing inappropriate content.
This app will update every 5 minutes, ensuring you know everything they are doing. You’ll get screenshots that allow you to see whatever they are doing on Instagram.
Benefits Of Using uMobix
uMobix is an excellent tool to help you monitor activity on Instagram. In fact, there are an array of benefits.
You should note that this app works best with Android devices. Although it can work with iOS it won’t give you as much information.
Plenty Of Details
The app gives you regular screenshots of the phone, helping you to see what your child is doing. The regularity of this can be adjusted by you.
It also shows you all the messages that your child has been posting on Instagram.
You’ll be able to see account names, pictures, whether they are having a private or group chat, and the messages sent back and forth.
Contact Blocking
This app allows you to check all the contacts on your child’s phone and look for any which are suspicious. If you have concerns you can use uMobix to block contacts.
In other words, they won’t be able to call or message your child again. Best of all, the block isn’t visible to your child.
Easy-to-use Dashboard
The uMobix app always opens on the same dashboard and it’s very easy to navigate. The dashboard shows you the most frequent calls and messages.
It also shows you a summary of social media apps and then allows you to log into a specific app, such as Instagram, to see your child’s activity.
You can even look at the most often visited websites and any bookmarks that your child has created.
Additional Benefits
uMobix doesn’t just help you monitor Instagram activity. It can also offer a keylogging function, ensuring you know everything your child is typing.
Alongside this, it uses GPS tracking to help you know where your child is and ensure they are safe.
It’s Invisible
Being a parent can be hard. You want to give your child independence but you also want to keep them safe.
Using uMobix allows you to see what they are doing without any risk of being caught.
Just be careful what you do with the information you discover. Confronting your child directly may tell them you’re watching them.
Free Trial
You can download and try uMobix for free to assess what you think of it.
There is no obligation to subscribe when testing the app and, if you decide to use it, the cost is surprisingly cheap.
How To See Someone’s Activity On Instagram With uMobix
To do this you’re going to need to install the uMobix app onto your child’s phone. The process takes approximately five minutes.
That means you need their phone for at least that long without them knowing. It’s a good idea to do it while they are busy doing homework or showering.
Just make sure you don’t get caught.
Register For An Account
The first step is to register for an account with uMobix. You’ll need to provide a few basic details and choose whether to pay for a subscription or start with a free trial.
In most cases, the paid subscription is the better choice.
Once you’ve created the account, you’ll get an email that tells you your login details and your password.
Add The App To The Phone
This is the trickiest part. It takes approximately five minutes to download and install the app on the intended phone.
You’ll need to make sure your child isn’t around for at least five minutes.
You can install it from the cloud or directly from the uMobix site. The app will be hidden and you can set up the parameters from your own device.
The good thing is you don’t need to be tech-savvy, it tells you exactly what to do at each step.
You will need to disable Google Play Protect on the phone or you won’t be able to install the app. This is because Play will classify it as harmful.
Study the Data
You’ll start receiving data from the phone straight away, allowing you to see someone’s activity on Instagram. The data gets better the longer you use the app.
Discover How You Can Hide Activity
If you’re concerned that someone may be trying to see your activity on Instagram without your permission then you can do the following.
- Go into Instagram
- Open the menu, simply click the top right corner of your screen
- Find the activity status option in the list
- You’ll find you can have activity status showing or not
- Choose the off option and your Instagram activity will no longer be shown to the general public. Only followers will be abler to see it
It won’t prevent an activity tracker but it will stop someone from watching your Instagram activity via any other means.
Final Thoughts
If you’re concerned about what your child is looking at or posting on Instagram then, as a good parent, you will want to see their activity.
Although there are several options, when dealing with children the best is undoubtedly an activity tracker.
It won’t just let you see their Instagram activity, it will help you to keep them safe and ensure they only see age-appropriate material.
It’s discreet and effective, making it a better option than trying to view their phone or follow them as a fake friend.
Just remember, think twice before acting on any information you discover. Doing so is likely to give away that you’re tracking the Instagram account.
