Frequently asked questions

No. The viewers are free to use and there's no paid tier behind them. You won't be asked for an email address or a card.

No. There's nothing to sign up for and nothing to connect. Type a username in the box and the results load on this page, in any browser.

No. We only show content that an account has made public. If an account is private, you'll see a note saying so and nothing else.

Yes. It runs in Safari, Chrome or any other current browser, on a phone or a computer. There's nothing to install and no app to keep updated.

Each IP address can make 60 requests to our servers in 10 minutes, and one search uses a few of them. The message says how long to wait. If you search a lot in a short time we may also ask for a quick check that you're a person.

After a burst of searches in a few minutes we show a quick Cloudflare check, so bots can't drain the service. Once you pass it, it won't ask again for an hour.

We keep a copy of each result for a while so repeat searches load fast. Stories refresh within minutes, profiles within two hours, highlights within six and posts or reels within a day.

There's no account and no search history tied to you. We keep a copy of an account's public content under its username so the next search is fast, and our web server writes a standard log line per request, which we read only to fix errors and stop abuse and delete after 14 days. The privacy policy lists all of it.

Sometimes Instagram's answer doesn't say whether an account is public. When that happens we show nothing rather than guess, because a wrong guess would expose a private account. Trying again a few minutes later usually works.

The photo or video belongs to the person who posted it. Keeping a copy for yourself is one thing; posting it anywhere else needs their permission.

No. Shyview is independent and isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Instagram or Meta.

Email [email protected] with the page, the username you searched and what went wrong. A screenshot helps.

No. The story reaches this page through our server and a data provider, not through an Instagram account, so there is no name to add to their list of viewers.

We keep each account's stories for about five minutes so repeat searches load fast. Search again a few minutes later and the new story will be there.

Not here, because Instagram removes them after a day. Stories the owner pinned to their profile live on as highlights, and the Highlights Viewer opens those.

Yes. Open the story and tap Save. Photos download as JPG and videos as MP4, in the file Instagram serves. The name includes the username and when the story went up.

No. Close Friends stories are shared only with a list the owner picks, so they are never public, and they never appear here.

No. Instagram doesn't notify anyone about profile visits, and we don't use an Instagram account to look the profile up.

Yes. Tap the picture on the profile card. It opens at the largest size Instagram provides, and Save downloads it as a JPG.

We keep profile details for 10 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the account, so a fast-growing account can be a little behind. Search again later for a newer reading.

No. Those lists are only available to signed-in accounts, and we don't sign in to anything. You'll see the counts, not the names.

The 12 most recent load with the profile. Show more adds 12 at a time, up to 36. For older posts, open the account on Instagram itself.

Yes. Open any post and tap Save. Each photo in a carousel downloads on its own, as a JPG, and videos as MP4.

No. Instagram doesn't tell anyone who views their posts, and our server looks the account up without signing in, so no name reaches the owner.

The newest 12 load first. Show more adds 12 at a time up to 36, and then a note says that's the limit.

Yes, one at a time. Swipe to the slide and tap Save. Each slide gets its own file, numbered in slide order.

Yes. Save downloads the MP4 file itself, so any sound in the post comes with it.

The username, the word post and the publish time, like nasa_post_2026-10-01T14-32-00.jpg. Videos end in .mp4.

No. The search box takes a username or a profile link. Type the handle shown above the post, then find it in the grid.

We keep each account's posts for about a day, so a new one can be missing until our copy refreshes. Try again tomorrow.

No. You'll see how many there are. Open on Instagram takes you to the post to read them.

A story is removed 24 hours after it's posted. A highlight is a collection of earlier stories pinned to the profile, and it stays until the owner takes it down.

No. The highlight reaches you through our server and a data provider, with no Instagram account involved, so no name can appear among its viewers.

The account hasn't pinned any stories to its profile. If you expected some, check the spelling of the username.

Yes, one item at a time. Move to the photo or video you want and tap Save. You get the JPG or MP4 file Instagram serves.

No. Each item has its own Save button, and since every file name includes the posting time, the files line up in the highlight's order.

The player shows no date, but the saved file's name carries the date and time the item went up, in UTC.

Videos move on when they end. A photo stays until you tap the right side, swipe, or press the right arrow key.

We keep the list of highlights for about six hours and their items for about twelve. A new collection turns up on a later visit.

No. The reel reaches you through our server, and no Instagram account is used to fetch it, so there's no name to show the creator.

Yes. Open the reel and tap Save. You get the MP4 file itself, audio track included whenever the reel has one.

Phones only let a video start by itself when it's muted. Tap the speaker button once and the sound stays on as you move to the next reel.

All the reels our data provider returns for the account in one request. There's no Show more, so older reels stay on Instagram.

No. The search box takes a username or a profile link. Type the handle shown on the reel, then pick it from the grid.

They're as fresh as our copy, which we keep for about a day. A fast-spreading reel can be ahead in the app.

The account name, the word reel and the time it was posted, for example nasa_reel_2026-10-01T14-32-00.mp4.

No. The viewer shows plays and likes. To read the comments, tap Open on Instagram under the reel.

Enter the username or a story link, tap View, open the story and tap Save. Photos download as JPG, videos as MP4.

No. The file comes through our server, and no Instagram account is involved, so nothing carries your name.

JPG for photos, MP4 for videos. You get the file Instagram serves for that story, passed through our server unchanged.

Open the Files app and look in Downloads. To move one into Photos, open it there, tap share and save it.

Wherever your browser saves downloads. On Android that's usually the Downloads folder.

Yes. It loads every current story from that account. Find yours in the grid and tap Save.

The account hasn't posted a story in the last 24 hours. Stories it pinned to the profile can still be saved from the Highlights Viewer.

No. Each story has its own Save button, and the file names keep the files in posting order.

Yes. Open the account in the Highlights Viewer, play a highlight and tap Save on any item.

We keep each account's stories for about five minutes. Search again a little later and it will be there.