Stalking on Instagram has become a common threat these days. So you better be aware of the stalkers on your social media. This article is going to give you a step-by-step guide on how to know who is stalking you on Instagram.
During the pandemic, the number of social media active users has increased. With the growing number of its users, Instagram users also report cyberstalking. According to a study conducted by a national stalking advocacy service, there was a surge in cyberstalking, especially involving social media.
Who Is Stalking You On Instagram?
Typically a stalker would just go through all your posts without interacting with you. If they interact with you by commenting or liking your posts then they can not be classified as “Stalkers”.
So do you often wonder who might be stalking you? It’s a pretty common concern almost every Instagram user has in their mind. Here are some tricks to know who is stalking you on Instagram.
How to know who is stalking you on Instagram?
1. Check Who Viewed Your Instagram Story
Just like Snapchat, Instagram has a feature for uploading stories. The story disappears within 24 hours, after uploading a photo or video. You can see the list of people who watch your story.
You should upload stories regularly and check who watches your stories but does not follow you on IG. That is how you catch the stalker!
Post A Story
First, you need to make your account public so that the people who do not follow you can be caught stalking. Once your profile is public, everyone can watch your stories. So the stalker will definitely watch it.
See Who Watched Your Story
After uploading a story, wait for a couple of hours. When the number of viewers exceeds 60, Instagram’s algorithm automatically starts ranking your viewer list based on how frequently a user interacts with your profile Now see who is at the top of the list. So if you see a user in your viewer list that is not one of your followers then it can be a stalker who views your profile on a regular basis.
2. Instagram Profile Suggestions
If you repeatedly get profile suggestions for anonymous people then it may be the stalkers. What happens here is that when someone interacts with your profile regularly, Instagram’s algorithm automatically shows that IG profile in your suggestions or “People you may know“. It is a clear sign that this person stalks your Instagram profile.
3. The “Like” Notification
If your notification showed a person “Liked” your photo but it won’t show up. That person accidentally double-tapped your photo thinking it would zoom. Or they accidentally hit the like button white scrolling down your feed This is a common blunder that often happens when we are stalking someone. We all have experienced this at least once in our lives.
4. Use Third-Party/Instagram Analytics Apps
There are many apps available that help you know who stalks your IG profile. Not just who stalks you but all the other information you need to know about your profile. Like who blocks you, who unfollows you. These apps give you a complete analysis of the profile. They accurately calculate all the data and give you stats.
But most of them are paid apps. It will cost you a little amount of money but it will be worth it because you will get an accurate analysis that who is stalking you on Instagram.
Some of the best apps are listed below;
- Profiles + Followers
- Followers Analyzer for Instagram
- InReports – Followers Story analyzer for Instagram
- Followers Insight for Instagram
- Find my stalker
- FollowMeter for Instagram
What To Do If Someone Is Stalking You
You can apply the above-mentioned tricks to see who stalks your IG profile. Now that you know who is the person lurking on your Instagram, you can take precautions to avoid any harm. Stalkers can be dangerous sometimes and can give you threats. It’s better to protect your account by taking the following steps
- Instagram has developed tools that help you make your account private. It means that if someone wants to follow you and see your feed, they must get your approval first.
- You can specify who can see your story by creating a Close Friend list.
- Also, there is an option for making your Direct Messages private so no one outside your follow list can send you messages.
- A comments filter can be applied to hide any offensive inappropriate comments. Similarly, a bullying comment filter will remove the comments that are threatening in nature.
- There is always an option of blocking. Blocked profiles won’t be able to contact you or see your profile.
- You can also mute, remove, and archive the accounts you do not want to contact
Conclusion
As soon as you feel threatened by someone online. No matter how minor you may feel it is, it’s always better to reach out to the police or cyber security. It is advised to keep any interaction with the stalker as proof. It will help you build a case against that person
