How to Watch Someone’s Facebook Story without Them Knowing
In this article, you will learn how to anonymously see someone else’s story and not share your identity on the observed people list. Also, you will learn how to download Facebook stories.
Sometimes, you just want to watch a Facebook story anonymously, for whatever reasons you might have. But this isn’t an easy thing to do.
However, we’re going to guide you today through all the steps that you need to follow to watch somebody’s Facebook story without them knowing.
Hopefully this doesn’t come as a big surprise, but users who post stories on Facebook can see who watched them. If you want to be a bit sneaky, there are ways to do it – although none are ideal.
Just like watching an Instagram story anonymously, watching a Facebook story without the user knowing is not something that can be done by default. Facebook doesn’t allow you to hide yourself from the person who posted the story.
But there are ways to go around this limitation, if you so prefer. Let’s see how!
How to watch a Facebook story anonymously
There are actually few ways for you to watch a Facebook story without them knowing. Neither is ideal, but it’s better than nothing.
1. The “go offline” method
This is the method that works the best in most cases, as it does allow you to watch entire stories anonymously. There is a downside here – it doesn’t work for all stories, although if you try it a few times in a row, it might work.
Have in mind that this only works with the Facebook app on mobile (Android and iPhones alike). Here are the step by step instructions on how to make it work:
1. Launch the Facebook app and scroll through all the stories, so they’re all loaded and shown on your screen.
2. With the Facebook app running, open your phone’s settings and either go to airplane mode or turn off WiFi and/or Mobile Internet.
3. Now go back to your Facebook app and watch any and all stories that you want to see.
4. IMPORTANT: When done watching stories, force quit the app (close it and make sure it doesn’t run in the background by swiping it up).
5. Now you can reactivate the internet on your device.
The problem here is that sometimes not all stories will load and when you try to watch them, you will get an error saying that you have no internet connection.
The only thing you can do is turn the internet back on, reload the stories – try a couple of times as the story you want to see might load and become available offline.
But in some cases, Facebook simply won’t make it available… so you might want to try one of the two other methods below (which are less than ideal).
2. The swiping method
This method always works, but the problem with it is that it doesn’t really let you see the entire story, but get a preview of it.
However, depending on the situation, it might be just enough – especially if we’re talking about a photo only.
If it’s video, you will only see the thumbnail. But it’s better than nothing, as I said! Here’s how you do this:
Open a story on Facebook, then hold your finger on either the left or right side of the screen and swipe left or right without releasing the finger.
You will be able to see almost the entire first screen of the story to the left or right of the one you’re watching.
This allows you to see the Facebook stories to the left and right without them knowing. However, this is not ideal because you can’t see more than the preview.
3. Deactivate your account
Wow, this seems a bit extreme, doesn’t it? It is indeed extreme, but it also works. However, it’s not ideal because you won’t be able to use your account for around 24 hours.
But if you’re ready to take it to the chin just to watch a Facebook story anonymously, here is how to do it:
1. Log in to Facebook and watch all the stories that you want to see as you would normally do.
2. Once you’re done with this, you should deactivate your Facebook account. Doing so will not show you among those who watched the story, so you can stay completely anonymous. And you can easily reactivate your Facebook account afterward – once the story is deleted and the data no longer available. Nice trick!
In order to temporarily deactivate your FB account, go to Settings & Privacy (click the top right arrow on desktop or the three lines menu in the top right corner on mobile) then go to Settings – Your Facebook Information.
Now, depending on the platform you’re using, you will have different options:
- on desktop, click View next to “Deactivation and Deletion“
- on mobile, tap Account Ownership and Control – Deactivation and Deletion
Next, choose the option to deactivate your account (NOT delete!) and click Continue to Account Deactivation. Enter your password and you’re all done!
Your account is now deactivated and your name won’t be shown on the list of people who watched the stories you watched. You can reactivate Facebook after 24 hours, by simply logging back into the app.
IMPORTANT: Using this method comes with minimal risks. First, if you reactivate your account before the story you watched is removed from Facebook, you will be shown on the list of people who watched it. This is why it’s best to wait 24 hours, as that’s how much FB stories are live.
Second, if the person who posted the story checks out their stats before you get to deactivate your account, they will see your name listed there. But it’s a minimal risk in my opinion.
4. Optional: creating a new profile
If you really want to go the extra mile, you can simply try to create a new profile. Or ideally use a family member’s profile or a friend’s for this.
Most FB profiles will only show stories to people they are friends with, so the real challenge will be becoming a friend with the person you want to see stories anonymously from.
Most people nowadays won’t just add strangers as friends, but you can give it a try if none of the two methods above work. If the person adds you as a friend, you can watch their stories with your secondary profiles.
While they will see that you watched them – either from the new profile or a friend’s one – they won’t really know it was you who did it. A bit too much trouble, if you ask me – but in the end, it’s your choice to make.
5. Block Them
Another way to avoid being mistaken for one of the onlookers is to use this technique. This option will allow you to see the entire story and remove the user from your friend’s list because it entails blocking them.
So, if you’re okay with deleting that person from your friends’ list, you can give it a go. Following this procedure is as follows:
- Step #1: Log in to your Facebook account and click on the Story you’d like to see in more detail.
- Step #2: Once you’ve finished, move to step 2. After 24 hours, you can choose to unblock them again.
7. Wait Till The Last Minute To See The Story
Another approach to watching someone’s Facebook story without their knowledge is waiting just before it expires.
By subtracting 24 hours from how long the Story has been online, you can figure out how long it needs to go before it’s finished.
Using the half-swipe method outlined above, you can see how long it’s been up and make sure you don’t accidentally click the Story.
Once you know the time the story will end, you can begin watching it. Because you managed it so late, they are less likely to check who viewed their story, which means they won’t see your name on the list.
There is a greater likelihood that you will miss your mark if you wait too long. Just FYI
8. You Can View The Thumbnail If Someone Sends It To You
If a person you know is a friend of this person and can safely watch their Story, you can ask them to email it to you, and you can view the thumbnail in Messenger without clicking it, so you are not included in the list of people who viewed it.
It works best for still images, not video. “You can go one step further and have them capture a screenshot or screen recording of their Story so that you can see it in its entirety without their knowing.
9. Extensions And Sites
Finally, for individuals who prefer to browse Facebook Stories anonymously, there are solutions to be installed on your computer, Android, or iOS.
These services are available for PC users through a variety of less well-known websites (which we will not include here) and Chrome extensions. Each of these services follows its own set of regulations. Some of the options include:
- Save Story
- Chrome FB Story
- Story Ghost
11. Watch Their Highlights After
If you wait until their Story expires and they turn it into a highlight, you can watch their story without them knowing because your name won’t display on the list of individuals who viewed the Story.
The key is relying on the other person to transform their video into a highlight.
If a user highlights a prior post, they can no longer see the list of persons who read the post or go back to view it. Only while the Story is live can they know who’s been watching it and for how long.
Watching it in the Highlights will not reveal to the creator how many people saw their Story.
Steps To View A Public Facebook Story Anonymously?
A function on Facebook allows its users to view public posts. However, Facebook does not provide the names of those not on the user’s friend list but can give the total number of people who have viewed the user’s content.
Those who are not on the person’s friend list remain anonymous.
Even if you don’t have a Facebook account, you can still see the public Story.
- Step #1: Go to the Facebook login page, sign up for a new account, and create a second one.
- Step #2: Go to the profile of the individual whose Story you are interested in viewing.
- Step #3: Click on the profile icon and see if they have posted any stories for public viewing.
- Step #4: It will not be added to the list of watchers since you see it with a secondary Facebook account that is not a user’s friend and has no ties to the person.
- Step #5: Facebook does not disclose the name of non-friend viewers.
Can You See Who Viewed Your Facebook Profile?
NO, Facebook does not share the information on who viewed a profile.
Is It Possible To Check Who Has Viewed Your Facebook Story?
Yes, you can view who watched your Facebook story.
To find out who has seen your story, follow these instructions.
- Step #1: Go to the Stories section at the top of your feed on Facebook.
- Step #2: Click on the “Your Story” button to view your Story. To see a list of the people who have been watching, go to the Viewers drop-down menu in the lower-left corner of the screen.
How to Download Facebook Stories Anonymously
You can download pictures from stories on your mobile phone by long pressing the pic and clicking save image as. However, to save a video, you can’t really do that, which is why a few apps come in handy.
You’ll need the “Save Story for Facebook Stories” Android app. You can use it to download Facebook stories anonymously.
Without having to navigate between apps, you can access Facebook and communicate with friends via Messenger, thanks to these handy tools. You can read and view Messages and stories anonymously.
It’s also simple to download private photos and movies using the app.
Blocking Facebook advertisements and sponsored posts, as well as tracking user activity, are all included as well. Facebook also prevents random acts such as “likes” and others.
Frequently Asked Questions about Viewing Facebook story anonymously
Q1. Can I still know who’s seen my Facebook story without being friends?
A: By clicking on your Story’s link, you may see how many people have seen your article and who they are. If your account is open to the public, you may visit the total number of people who have seen your story by selecting the Other Viewers option.
They don’t tell you anything about themselves, so you have no idea who they are.
Q2. On Facebook Story, what does “Other Viewers” mean?
A: Only public accounts have the option to allow other people to see your content. As a result, once you post a story to your public profile, the entire world can see it.
However, you can restrict access to friends exclusively if you like. Your Story may have been seen by someone other than the people on your friend list if you have the “other viewer” option enabled.
Q3. How can I save someone’s Facebook Story after viewing it?
A: Story Saver is a Facebook extension that lets you save a friend’s Facebook story. It’s an add-on for Google Chrome. After downloading it, click on an account, which will be held in the Download option once installed.
Q4. After 24 hours, what happens to Facebook stories?
A: After 24 hours, you can remove stories from your story archive. It will only be accessible to you at this time. You can delete your photos and videos if you don’t wish to keep them.
Q5. Is it possible to save the stories from Facebook?
A: You can save anyone’s Facebook story via the Facebook app or Facebook on a computer. Follow the steps outlined in the preceding paragraph. ‘Save Story for Facebook Stories’ may also be used on Android phones.
Q6. How can I download other users’ stories from Facebook?
A: Open additional stories, tap, and hold on to the Story you want to download. To save it, click the download button. If this isn’t the case: Install the app ‘Save Story for Facebook Stories’ on your Android or iPhone to get started.
Then, log in to your Facebook account and click on the link that reads.
Open a story by selecting it from the stories list on the left. The small download button will be visible. Press the button to begin.
Conclusion
That’s it, these are all the ways we know of viewing a Facebook story anonymously, we hope this helped you with your issue. If we forget a method or got anything wrong, please leave a comment and we will update.
