While Instagram is the fourth most popular social media platform the world over, not everyone has – or wants – their own Instagram account. If you are uncertain about whether or not to sign up for Instagram and you want to look around first, or you want to see a particular account without signing up, there are ways to do this.

Just be aware that there are limitations on what you can do without an Instagram account. Many of the platform’s features will be unavailable.

This short guide will explain how to view Instagram without an account, what you can do, and what restrictions you will face.

How to View Instagram Without an Account

You can view most Instagram accounts and content without having an account of your own, or without logging into your account if you have one. If you want to see a particular profile, you will:

• Need a direct link to the account
• Need to type its username into the URL

That’s because you cannot use the site’s search function without an account.

To search for an Instagram account without a provided link, you will need to know the username of the individual. Once you have it, type the following into your browser on mobile or a computer:

• https://www.instagram.com/[username] (Replacing [username] with their actual username.)

Once you hit enter, you will see the account’s posts and any comments on those posts. However, you will not be able to interact with the user or their posts. Without an account, you will be unable to comment, like, or save posts, but you can share them to third-party platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook.

How to Use Instagram Without an Account 

There is a way to make use of some of Instagram’s features without creating an account: you can use a third-party service such as Imginn.

To use this service to search Instagram without an account, follow these steps:

1. Open your chosen web browser and go to Imginn
2. Type what you’re looking for into the search bar, then click Enter
3. Look for the account you want to view in the search bar
4. Click on the profile to view it
5. Click on any image you want to view

Services like these will allow you to search for content and accounts that you are not already familiar with, but you still cannot comment on or like posts, and you will not be able to message or follow accounts. Even still, services like these make it easier to browse anonymously.