So, you start dating someone new, swap Instagrams, and all of a sudden you’re noticing every little thing they do online. The pictures they like, the people they follow, and most importantly, where they appear on the list of people that have viewed your Instagram Story – does it mean they're your one true love if they're always at the top?
It sounds ridiculous, but with the addictive nature of social media, it’s hardly surprising so many of us have taken to noting down these seemingly minor changes in someone’s online behaviour. You might even find yourself posting stories with the intention of having a certain someone see it (who doesn’t love a thirst trap??)
But what does the order of your Instagram story viewers actually mean? If a frenemy suddenly starts appearing at the top of the list, does that mean they’re stalking you relentlessly? If the person you fancy drops to the bottom, have they stopped engaging with your profile?
We know we shouldn’t care – but frankly, we do.
So, does the order of your Instagram story viewers really mean anything? Are those at the top of your list really that obsessed with you? We've got the answers.
What does the order of your Instagram story viewers mean?
Basically, we know that you want to know if Instagram Story viewers are really ranked in order of how much they fancy you?
Product lead for Instagram Home, Julian Gutman, revealed this very information to The Verge in 2018 - and not much has changed since then. ‘The people that show up on that list are not the people that stalk you the most, it’s actually based on your activity and the people you’re closest to,’ Gutman said.
But this also depends on how soon after posting you're checking.
If your story has less than 50 views and zero interactions (for example, a heart emoji reaction to it), then the order is listed in reverse chronological order of people who have viewed it. Once your story hits above 50 views, your list will reshuffle into a list resembling those you interact with most.
Those who have loved your story (which will show a little red heart next to their profile icon) will always appear at the top of the list, no matter how much you interact with them. If you want someone to notice you're paying attention to their stories, best to give it a little heart.
How does Instagram decide who you interact with most?
‘There are a lot of confounding factors,' Gutman explains on how Instagram chooses people. 'Do you visit their profile, like their feed post, comment on their feed post, view their stories? Do you check the list multiple times? If you [do], [the algorithm] tries to show you a new set of people, it’s trying to give you new information every time you check the list.’
So, in the same way that pictures come up on your feed first based on who you interactive with most – as opposed to chronologically, like they used to in the glory days of Instagram – Story Viewers will appear like that too.
The same applies to those at the bottom of your Instagram Story Viewer order, where you'll likely find the accounts you don't follow. As you interact with them the least since you don't follow them, Instagram ranks them at the bottom of the list.
What does it mean when someone is at the top of your Instagram Story Viewers list?
It might seem logical to guess that your top story viewer is stalking your page - but it actually doesn't work out that way. As Gutman explains, the order of who views your story is based on your activity, which includes likes, comments, profile visits and messages. Essentially, those who are at the top of the viewer list are the people your algorithm has deemed your nearest and dearest, based on your interactions.
But, that being said, social media is a two way street. If you're often liking and interacting with their posts, there's a good chance they're your close friends and family, and they're interacting with you the most too.
Why is it always the same person as my top Instagram Story Viewer?
First, let's get to it from a technology perspective. They may rank highly on your story due to the fact you interact with them, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're checking your profile 20 times a day.
But if you want our opinion, it probably means they're obsessed with you.
So no, you aren't delusional. That hottie constantly cropping up in your story views is clearly intrigued by everything you post, whether it's a weekend brunch or a sweaty gym selfie, and there's a pretty good chance they are into you.
Bonus points if they are always one of the first people to view your story, or, even better, they pop you a cheeky like. And if we turn out to be wrong? There's plenty more Story Viewers in the sea, as they say.
Can people view my Instagram story anonymously?
There has been a rise in third party apps, such as Insta Stories Viewer, which allow people to view your story anonymously - and even without logging in to Instagram. For public accounts, all you need to do is type in someones username to view their story, without them being able to trace it back to you.
However, there are some downsides to this. Recently, lots of people have reported an increase in bot activity on Instagram, with some getting a frustrating amount of story like notifications. One theory posted on Reddit suggested that these bots could be the disguised Instagram story views from third party apps and sites.
So, really, it's not completely out of the question that the sketchy account liking your Story could actually be a curious ex.
One of the ways you can stop this is by making your Instagram profile private, which means these apps won't be able to access your story. You could also collate a list of 'close friends' and post your stories there.
Should we actually be viewing someone's Instagram story anonymously?
Inevitably, these apps and sites come with some major problems. By using one to view someone's Instagram Story anonymously, you're essentially breaking the social contract that comes with the app, which is based on transparency. They also can facilitate toxic behaviours like stalking, which is even more worrying given that the user can't keep tabs on who is viewing their story.
There are also apps out there that allow users to delve even deeper into their Instagram followers, seeing who follows and unfollows them, as well as who clicks on their profile. These, however, aren't advisable. Alongside promoting some pretty unhealthy behaviours, Instagram has cracked down on the use of third party apps - meaning you might find your account permanently shut down.
Georgia Aspinall is Features Editor at Grazia UK. An award-winning writer, she covers women's interest stories across politics, health, dating, travel and pop culture.