We all want to know who is hiding on our social media profiles, but the truth is that none of the major social media platforms will give you access to this information – not even if you are a verified user.
Despite this, there are an endless amount of third-party apps for Instagram that promise to:
- Show you whether another user has searched for you.
- Track which users recently viewed your profile.
- List followers who see your posts, even if they do not comment or like.
To be clear, there is no way a third-party app can find this information for you. It does not detect which users – or programs they install – have access to.
These fake apps and browser extensions are safe look convincing. Here’s why: they can fill your ‘recent views’ with randomly generated lists of real accounts that update every time you refresh the app. This is a clever trick, but still a trick. These views are not real.
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If an app or browser extension claims that it can show you who’s looking at your Instagram profile or viewing your posts, it’s lying. Do not download it and uninstall any similar programs you have tried. Depending on how bad the app in question is, it could track and sell your data, overload you with ads, or use your device with malware. And even if it’s completely innocent, it will not do anything useful.
The only way to know if someone has seen your Instagram post is if they like or comment on it – or if they mention it to you in person. Yes, you can of course see who was watching your Instagram stories, but it’s different from a regular Instagram Post.
Some programs may alert you when someone follows you. This is different from tracking your profile, as your followers list is always accessible to you; these programs simply warn you of a change that would not otherwise be mentioned.
Sure, LinkedIn Premium users can get a snapshot of how often their account appears in searches and a list of who checked their profile – if they were willing to pay for it. But there are no such features available for Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter or Facebook, and whatever that promises, no app will be able to eradicate your stalkers and secret admirers.
[Mashable]