How to view Instagram without an account: from a phone or computer

Let’s start from some theory, this information is really important. Instagram limits unauthorized users. After watching several posts, they see a pop-up window calling to sign up, which can’t be closed. 

You can view up to 30 latest photos. Then, when you scroll the page down, you see the appearing window "Log in to continue".

Here are two solutions:

Now let’s go to the practical part of the article: see how to browse users profile pages without creating an Instagram account. Using a website version, you can see posts, Reels and IGTV. It’s not difficult: first I’ll show how to look at Instagram without an account from a computer, then from a phone. 

Open a web browser: Google Chrome, Safari or Edge — whatever you like. Then you type the link of an account in the address box. The URL should be of the following form:

Instead of "username" you put the username of a person whose page you want to see. 

A prime example: I want to check my own account when being not authorized. My profile address is www.instagram.com/juliamoorenyc. I type the URL in the address box and press "Enter".

Now I can view Instagram without logging in. But remember about the limits from the first part of the article. 

You can't click a post and open it from a profile page as you do when you are authorized. But there is a trick, open it in a new tab to view. You can also watch IGTV videos this way. 

Tap a Reel to watch it. You don't have to open it in a new tab. 

To view Instagram without an account from a phone, you need a browser again. The official app is not an option. You have to log in it to see a profile.

Open a browser and type a profile link in the address box. What browser you use doesn’t matter: Chrome, Safari, any will work.

After you follow the link, you see the person’ page. Now you can look at their last posts, there may even be pinned posts on the Instagram page.

You can also open a post or IGTV from a mobile browser to see them in full size. 

Reels are opened in a mobile browser as from a computer. Just tap it, no new tab is required. 

Instagram Stories are even easier to view without an account. Just tap the user's profile picture. You will see what they posted, and you can even screenshot these stories without them knowing.

You can view Stories without an Instagram account too. Use online services for the purpose. For example, InstagramDownloads.com.

It’s simple and it’s free. It doesn’t even require signing up. You can use the service both from a phone and a computer.

Here is how you can watch someone’s Stories on Instagram without logging in:

You’ll see an interface similar to Instagram’s. Switch between the tabs to see different content. You can see Instagram Stories, posts, Highlights, Reels without an account. If you want, you can also save them. 

To find someone on Instagram without logging in, open any page of the social network from a computer. It may be your friend’s page, relative’s profile — doesn’t matter. Just don’t open the main page. There you have to sign up or log in.

At the top of the interface, there is an Instagram search bar. Type the information to perform a search there: name, last name, or username. 

You can also search by a description: for example, a coffee shop. Available coffee shops' accounts appear on the list immediately. 

You can't view someone's Instagram Stories or posts without an account, but you can see their bio. If there is a link, follow it. It may lead to the user's link in bio page. It is a kind of About Me page, where you may find enough to finish your search. 

Such link in bio pages usually have information about the user, their photos and videos, there also can be posts from Instagram. Besides, there are links to the profiles on other platforms. Follow them to see more. People often repost their content to other socials.

This is what link in bio pages look like:

And what about you? Don't have your Instagram link in bio page yet? Don't miss out! Create it in a few minutes using a template. For example, here are templates of the pages above, they are available after a quick sign-up:

Read more about adding multiple links for your Instagram bio. 

Now you know how to view Instagram without an account. But you probably still have some questions. So we’ll briefly answer the most popular of them.

Can I see private profiles without logging in?

No, you can’t. You need to create an account and request following the profile. When the owner of the account confirms it, you can see their Instagram posts. 

Can you bypass the limits for unauthorized users?

No, you can scroll the feed without limits only when you’re logged in. 

How do I watch Lives on Instagram without login?

There is no way you can watch Instagram Lives without an account. You have to log in. 

All these methods allow you to see an Instagram profile if you don’t have an account or want to view them privately. If you do it because of loosing access to your account, read how to recover it. Use a browser or an online service to look at a profile without login. You can do it both from a computer or a phone.