I recently heard about a new app called Instasnoop that allows users to browse photos and videos from Instagram without the ability to like or comment on them, avoiding the “accidental-double-tap nightmare.”
Wait, what? There’s an app out there that encourages/allows Insta-stalking? Don’t get me wrong, we all accidentally like a crush’s/ex’s/new fling’s/total stranger’s  photo from 85 weeks ago, but this is a next-level creepin’ tool.
Out of curiosity, I decided to download it. Let the creepiness begin.
The first thing you have to do after downloading the app is sign in to your Instagram account.
Once you log in, you see your own profile.
There are the menus that you can access from the top left and right corners: ones that let you search, go to the home page (your page), add or switch to another account, pay to remove ads, check out the app’s privacy policy (LOL) and sign out on the left, and on the right you can find your ~Snooplist~. This is where you can keep track of all the profiles you’re snoopin’ in.
To start snoopin’, I searched for my friend/roommate, Faith.
Her profile looked like a normal Instagram profile, but with options to add her to ~my list~, view her photos in a grid or feed format, and to open her profile in Instagram.
To test out the double-tap-proof guarantee of Instasnoop, I went to her last photo and double tapped it with all of my might.
Nothing happened! No heart in the middle of the screen, no increased number of likes, no sudden sinking feeling!
It was at this point that I realized that you can ZOOM on photos! This girl is ready for her close-up!
And there you have it. Stress-free Internet creeping—how cool was that?Â
Takeaways:
The app was really easy to navigate. I didn’t have any issues with finding the profile I wanted and changing up the viewing options. The ability to zoom on photos is huge—I think Instagram’s been one-upped with this feature. Overall, it’s a very useful creeping tool. You’ll be well on your way to being an Internet PI!
However, there were some drawbacks.
The app is actually pretty limiting in terms of what you can and can’t look at. Private profiles are off-limits; if you search for a user with this setting, you’ll get an error message. Beyond that, the app won’t let you see who has liked a photo and links to people’s profiles that normally appear when they comment on a photo on Instagram aren’t there. If you want to look at one of these profiles, you’ll have to start over.
If you want to check out some Insta profiles worry-free, go for it! The app is free and takes less than a minute to download. Â Stay creepy, my friends.