After spending a lot of time on Instagram, you might be curious that can You See Who Viewed Your Instagram Video or not?
Instagram only gives a peek; you can see exactly who viewed Stories (while they’re live), but for feed videos and Reels, you only get totals such as views and likes.
A “view” counts after about three seconds (or 5% of a 60-second clip). Keep reading to learn what each format reveals, and then try the tips below on your next post.
Who Viewed Your Instagram Video?
The question of who viewed your Instagram video remains a top curiosity for many users. I’ve examined Instagram’s viewing capabilities and found some surprising limitations.
What Instagram Officially Allows You to See
Instagram offers different levels of audience visibility for different types of content, and if you have a problem with posting content on Instagram, see what we suggest to fix it.
In the case of Stories, I am able to find out the exact people who have looked at my content just by swiping up on the Story. This functionality is independent of the viewing time; even a one-second view is listed among the viewers.
In the case of regular videos and Reels, Instagram informs about the total number of views only without giving a hint to the individual viewers.
A view is counted if the person watches more than 3 seconds or at least 5% of a 60-second video.
Moreover, your own views are not counted. Private accounts may not see view counts until they have reached a certain level.
Differences Between Stories, Reels, & Feed Videos
Each Instagram video format offers distinct viewer analytics:
| Video Format | What You Can See | What Remains Hidden |
| Stories | Complete list of viewers | How long each person watched |
| Feed Videos | Total view count and likes | Individual viewer identities |
| Reels | Total view count and likes | Who specifically watched |
| Direct Messages | “Seen” status | Whether they watched the full video |
Unlike the popular belief that swiping up on regular videos reveals viewers, this action merely takes you to external links or additional content.
Furthermore, Instagram only counts views from within the app; embedded posts or browser views don’t register.
Why Instagram Hides Viewer Identities
Instagram limits the given information about who is viewing by only showing a few people who have interacted with the content.
The platform is keeping regular video viewers anonymous on purpose, while for Stories, viewer lists are used as engagement metrics, but not when you delete your Instagram stories.
This decision is a result of Instagram’s privacy-centered policy. Since August 2024, Instagram has made “views” the main metric for measuring the performance of all content types.
There is also another good reason for this, which is content monetization. A lot of creators, who are the main source of Instagram’s revenue, have to be allowed to have very clear and unmanipulable view-counting methods to make money.
How to Check Views on Different Instagram Video Types
In line with the recent change on Instagram where the primary performance metric has been altered from “Impressions” to “Views“, it is very important to learn how to find out who viewed your Instagram video in different formats.
Based on the type of content, the social media network has different degrees of viewer transparency.
Instagram Stories: See Exact viewers
Looking to discover who viewed your Instagram video in Stories? Simply open your active Story and swipe up to see the complete list of viewers.
Even after your Story expires, you can still check viewers for up to 48 hours through your archive. To access this hidden feature:
- Go to your profile
- Tap the menu (≡) icon
- Select “Archive”
- Open your expired Story
- Swipe up to reveal viewers
The viewer list shows profiles in order of viewing, making it easy to track who’s watching your content most frequently. And if you’re wondering how to see the view count on an Instagram profile, check out our guide.
Instagram Feed Videos: View count & Likes only
For standard feed videos, Instagram only shows total view counts without revealing individual viewers.
A view is counted after 3 seconds of playback, and importantly, rewatching does count as additional views. Moreover, Instagram now applies “Views” as the universal metric across all content types.
Instagram Reels: What You Can & Can’t See
For Reels, Instagram provides more detailed analytics but still keeps individual viewers hidden. To check Reels’ performance:
- Tap the Reels tab on your profile
- Select your Reel
- Click “View insights”
You’ll see metrics including views, watch time, accounts reached, average watch time, and follows generated.
Particularly valuable is that views count every time a Reel starts to play or replay, giving you insight into repeat engagement.
Videos in Direct Messages: Seen Status
When sending videos via Direct Messages, Instagram displays a “Seen” indicator once the recipient opens your message.
Essentially, this status appears beneath your message, changing from “Delivered” to “Seen” when viewed. Unlike Stories, DM videos don’t provide a viewer count; they only indicate whether the message has been opened, not necessarily if the video was watched fully.
Can You See Who Viewed Your Instagram Video Easily?
Instagram limits the visibility of the viewers: You can see who opened the Stories (while live), but feed videos and Reels only show aggregate metrics. Third, party applications cannot effectively distinguish individual viewers and are frequently a threat to your account.
To get more in-depth information, rely on Business account analytics and the Stories Archive, and concentrate on real engagement metrics rather than the number of individual viewers.
Instagram Views & Privacy
- 1. Can I secretly see which users watched my videos?
Yes, Instagram Archive allows you to view expired Story views within 48 hours of posting. In addition, business accounts can get more detailed analytics through the Insights feature.
- 2. Do third-party apps truthfully display the users who viewed my Instagram videos?
No, third-party apps that say they show video viewers are a bad idea and can even harm you. They usually go against Instagram’s terms of service and might make your account less secure.
- 3. What effect do privacy settings have on the visibility of videos on Instagram?
If you change your account to private, you will have more control over who can watch your videos. Only followers that you have approved will be able to see your content, and your videos will not be available in public searches, thus increasing privacy but potentially decreasing overall reach.