How to See Your Instagram Stories: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to See Your Instagram Stories: A Step-by-Step Guide

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There are a ton of great stories being posted on Instagram every day, but what if you can’t see them? There are many different ways how to see your Instagram stories, so this guide will help you figure out the best option based on your needs. Let’s get started!

Instagram has been continuously developing its app and adding new features to enhance your experience—one of the latest being Instagram stories. This feature allows you to share short photos or videos with your followers that disappear after 24 hours of being posted. 

If you’re not sure how to see your Instagram stories or haven’t figured out how to view them as fast as your friends are sharing them, here’s a step-by-step guide that will help you keep up with your closest friends without getting left behind in their stories feed!

Where Do I Find My Instagram Stories?

where to see IG stories
To make the best stories, there should be less perfection and more authenticity.

If you’re wondering where to find your Instagram stories, it’s easy—they’re just a couple of taps away! To view your stories, open the Instagram app and look for the bar at the top of the screen that says “Your Story.” The stories at the top of this bar are the most recent ones you’ve posted. If you want to watch someone else’s stories, just tap on their name or photo at the top of your IG home feed.

How Can I See a Story on Instagram After 24 Hours?

When you post a story on Instagram, it only lasts for 24 hours. However, there are a few ways that you can still see them after they’ve disappeared. 

If you want to view your story, all you have to do is go to your profile and tap on the “Stories” bar. This will show you all the stories you’ve posted in the last 24 hours. 

If someone else has posted a story that you want to watch, just find their profile and click on the “Stories” bar. This will similarly show you all the stories they’ve posted in the last 24 hours. 

You can also view stories by tapping on the clock icon at the top of the main Instagram screen. This will take you to a page where all the stories from people that you follow are listed.

What Happens If I Delete My Story Before It Ends?

delete
Though Instagram stories are built to be seen for 24 hours, some users would prefer displaying their content shorter than that time frame.

If you delete your story before it ends, it’ll disappear from all your followers. They won’t be able to see it even if they go back and check your profile. If you’re not finished with your story yet, there are a couple of ways to make sure that it still appears on your profile. 

First, you can save your story as a draft. To do this, click the “Save” button at the top right corner of the screen. This will save your story as a draft, and it’ll stay on your profile until you delete it. Alternatively, you can share your story with just a few people. To do so, click the “Share” button at the top right corner of the screen. Then, select the people that you want to see your story.

Can I View My InstaStory Offline?

The quick answer is yes, you can! To view your Instagram stories offline, open the app and go to your profile. Tap the three lines in the top left corner, and select “Story Settings.” Toggle “Save to Camera Roll,” then exit out of the menu. Your stories will now be saved to your phone’s camera roll, and you can view them offline.

Can Others Reply To My Story?

reply
A single reply on your Instagram story can build a long-lasting relationship with your followers. So, engage consistently.

Engagement is key to growing your Instagram followers, and one of the best ways to interact with them is by allowing them to reply to your story. So if you’re curious if people can reply to your Instagram stories, the answer is yes! Here’s how you can see who has replied: 

  • Open your Instagram Stories camera screen.
  • Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to view your Story viewers.
  • Tap the “Reply” button at the bottom of a story to see replies from viewers.
  • If someone has replied to your story, their username will be listed at the top of the “Reply” section with a little chat bubble next to it.
  • Tap on a username to open a chat with that viewer.
  • To send a reply back, tap on the chat bubble and type your message!

To monitor your Instagram story replies effectively, you can use a social media management tool like the one in this Postfity review

Can I Download My Story To Watch Later?

Another great possibility with Instagram is you can download your Instagram story to watch it later. Amazing, right? Here’s how to do it: 

  • Open the Instagram app and go to your profile page.
  • Tap on the three lines at the top left corner of the screen.
  • Go to “Story Highlights.”
  • Tap on the three lines at the top right corner of the screen.
  • Click “Export Story.”
  • Select which photos and videos you want to export and then tap on “Export.”

How to View Old Stories on Instagram 2022

archive
Just like polaroids, Instagram stories can be kept and recollected through the “Archive” section.

You may wonder: how can I see my old Instagram stories? Just recently, the platform has introduced a new feature that allows users to view old stories from 2015 onwards. This enables you to revisit past posts and see how your content has evolved over time.

To view your old stories on Instagram, follow the four simple steps below:

Open the Instagram app

With any action, the first thing you’ll have to do is to open the Instagram app. The last story you posted will be at the top of the screen. If you scroll down, you’ll see stories from people you follow in reverse chronological order.

Tap on the Profile icon

Tapping on the profile icon at the top left-hand corner of your Instagram screen will take you to your profile page. From there, you can see your account statistics, such as how many followers you have and how many posts you’ve shared. Most importantly, you can view your old stories by tapping on “Stories” at the top left corner of your profile page.

Scroll down and tap on “Archived Posts”

On Instagram, your stories last for 24 hours and then they disappear. But what if you want to revisit a story from a while back? Scroll down and tap on “Archived Posts.” This will show you all the stories you’ve ever posted, in reverse chronological order. 

Tapped on a story and want to share it again? Just swipe up on the screen and it will be added to your current story. You can even include the dates on your post for a more nostalgic feel. 

Select the date range and tap on “Done”

When you open Instagram, you’ll see a bar at the top of your home screen with the current date range selected. Beneath that is a list of your recent stories. To view an old story, tap on the date range at the top of the screen and select “Done.” This will take you to a page with all your stories from that day. You can also swipe left and right to view your stories or tap on one to watch it.

How to See Who Viewed Your Instagram Story

Instagram is a great way to share photos and videos with friends and family. Some people use the platform to share updates about their lives, while others use it to show off their creative work. Whatever the purpose of your Instagram story, knowing who your Instagram story viewers are is important. Learn how with these two methods:

Check the list of viewers manually

It can be difficult to keep track of who’s viewing your Instagram stories, but the first option is to manually see a list of all the people who have viewed your story. To do this, just go to your stories page and tap on the three lines at the top left corner. Then, select “Story Viewers.” 

From there, you can see a list of everyone who has viewed your story, as well as when they viewed it. If you see someone on this list that you don’t want to see your story, just tap on the name and select “Hide Story.”

Use a third-party app

There are a few third-party apps that you can use to see who’s viewed your story, even the ones who have passed the 24-hour window. Two of the best options include:

View Insights

View Insights is a great tool for Instagram stories. It allows you to see how many people have viewed your story, what percentage of your followers have seen it, and where they’re from. This information can help you better understand which stories are most popular with your followers and how you can improve your storytelling skills.

A close alternative to View Insights is Mish Guru. The app not only tracks your data analytics on Instagram but also on other social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Learn more by reading this Mish Guru review

Vero App

Since its launch in 2015, the Vero app has been a key tool in the Instagram story arsenal. The app allows users to post pictures and videos that disappear after 24 hours, just like on Instagram stories. But there are a few key differences.

First is that on Vero, you can see who has seen your stories even after 24 hours of posting them. This is a great way to keep track of how well your content is performing. The second difference is that posts on Vero can be shared with specific people, as opposed to just all your followers on Instagram. This makes it a great tool for building closer relationships with a few of your IG followers.

How to View Instagram Stories Without Them Knowing

Stories are a fun way to share short, daily updates with your followers. However, if you want to view stories without the person who posted them knowing, there are a few ways to do so. See our list of the best Instagram story viewer platforms below:

Qoob Stories

Qoob is a website that allows you to view and download anything from Instagram—whether it be public or private accounts. This can include stories, posts, images, and even videos. The website is easy to use—all you have to do is enter the Instagram username of the account you want to view or download from. 

The website will then display all the content from that account. You can either view the content on the website or download it to your computer.

Cocospy

Cocospy is a monitoring app that helps you track the activities of other people on Instagram. You can use it to spy on their stories, posts, and followers. The app is easy to use and provides a lot of useful information. 

It’s also a great tool for parents who want to keep track of their children’s social media activities, or for business owners who want to monitor their competitors. The best part? Cocospy is affordable and has a user-friendly interface.

Instalkr

Instalkr allows you to view the deleted contents of any account, whether it’s your own or someone else’s. This means that you can see all the stories that have been deleted, as well as all the messages that have been removed.

This app has already caused quite a stir among Instagram users, with many debating whether it’s ethical to be able to view someone’s deleted content. Some people argue that it’s an invasion of privacy, while others claim that it’s simply a way to learn more about someone.

No matter where you stand on the issue, there’s no doubt Instalkr is a powerful tool. It allows you to see things that were once hidden from view, and this can be both helpful and revealing.

mSpy

mSpy, an app that allows parents to spy on their children’s phone activity, can be used to track Instagram stories. This means that parents can see not only the photos and videos that their children post but also the comments and messages that they receive. This can be a great way for parents to keep tabs on their children, but it can also be a cause for concern. So, use spy apps purposefully

Hoverwatch

Hoverwatch is another software that allows users to track what their kids are posting on their Instagram stories. It also enables them to see who’s contacting their kids online. This can be a great way to keep your kids safe online.

Final Thoughts

Graph on Instagram story viewers retention rates
IG stories’ retention rates may vary, depending on the type of content you share. | Source: RivalIQ

By following this handy guide, you’ll be able to see your Instagram stories or someone else’s regardless of who has blocked you. Keep in mind also that some people may still be able to see your stories if they’re following you, even if you’ve blocked them. So, if you’re really concerned about privacy, make sure to adjust your story settings accordingly.

Want to boost your Instagram account through stories? Check out this article for the best tips: “Top 10 Creative Instagram Story Ideas 2022.”

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