How to See Instagram Activity Without Apps or Giving Your Account Access?

Anita Best
4 min readApr 10, 2024

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There are numerous motivations for wanting to track someone’s Instagram activities — whether it’s doubts about a partner’s social media behavior, a desire to tailor content for your followers, or simply wishing to know more about the lives of your close ones.

Previously, Instagram made it straightforward to observe such activities through the ‘following activity’ tab, displaying actions like follows, likes, and comments made by those you follow. This feature provided insights into the interactions and preferences of your Instagram connections.

However, after Instagram axed the ‘following activity’ tab a few years back, tracking others’ interactions became significantly harder. Now, you can only see the list of accounts someone follows or is followed by, without any timeline to indicate the sequence of these connections.

So, how do you see someone’s Instagram activity now? Can you do it without having to download any apps or give away access to your account?

Absolutely, the good news is that yes! Keep reading to learn more.

#1 Installing An App On Their Phone

One approach people often take is downloading a specific app onto the phone of the individual they’re interested in monitoring. This could be a move made by parents wanting to keep an eye on their kids’ social media habits, or by partners suspicious of their other half’s online activities. This strategy typically requires installing a tracking application directly on the target’s device, but it’s not always the most advisable route for keeping tabs on someone’s social media interactions.

Attempting to monitor someone’s digital footprint by installing software on their device is a common tactic. This method is frequently employed by guardians looking to oversee their children’s online behavior, or by individuals concerned about their partner’s digital engagements. It entails directly setting up a tracking program on the person of interest’s phone.

However, this method can be invasive and is often easily detectable by the person being monitored. Not to mention, the amount of useful information garnered can be disappointing. Given these challenges, pursuing this strategy may not be the most effective way to observe someone’s social media use.

#2 Provide Your Own Account Access

Some platforms may offer the option to track the activities of accounts you follow by granting them access to your personal account. However, the benefits may not be as great as hoped, and this approach requires sharing your account credentials, posing potential risks.

Firstly, the safety and authenticity of these platforms can be questionable. There’s a risk that they might misuse your account access, potentially to harvest and sell your data.

Secondly, if the people you’re monitoring become aware of your actions, it could lead back to you, risking reports and potential bans from Instagram.

Even the most trustworthy apps and websites often fail to provide substantial information from their tracking efforts.

Ultimately, hitting another dead end in the quest for detailed Instagram activity insights!

#3 Dolphin Radar

The answer to all the problems above is Dolphin Radar!

Dolphin Radar grants you the ability to oversee the social media activities of any Instagram user effortlessly. This is achieved without connecting directly to their account or engaging in any behavior that might alert the user of being observed.

After you’ve created an account with Dolphin Radar, you just need to enter the username of the person you want to follow. You don’t have to give Dolphin Radar access to your own account to do this — not even your Instagram username — and the person you’re tracking won’t be alerted that they’re being watched.

With Dolphin Radar, you’ll start getting weekly insights into the Instagram activities of the accounts you’re tracking. This includes recent follows, likes, top interacted users, comments made, favorite content categories, and a list of those they engage with the most.

Dolphin Radar’s reports allow you to trace changes in Instagram activity over time, providing historical data comparisons.

Absolutely, Dolphin Radar is the top choice for discreetly observing any Instagram account. No app installations or account access required — just pure, in-depth insights. Get started with Dolphin Radar for the deepest dive into Instagram analytics available.

Feel free to share your suggestions and thoughts with me. You can find me on Twitter at @Anita Best — I’m always open to a good discussion!

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Anita Best

Indie developer into crafting cool things. Made Dolphin Radar for tracking Instagram likes and follows. Check it out at https://www.dolphinradar.com/