Can You Catch a Cheater on Instagram? We Tested Every Method

Can you catch a cheater on Instagram?

What do you do when your partner you love and cherish is suddenly spending way too much time scrolling on Instagram? Is there a new cooking habit they’re into or are they checking out the scantily clad photos of a potential new lover? 

Infidelity is the most common reason for a couple to break up. When trust is broken, it makes it incredibly challenging to rebuild relationships. When you look over at your partner and their nose is glued to the feed, could it mean they are being sketchy? 

If you want to catch a cheater on Instagram, you need to investigate some useful clues. While you don’t have the time to manually look at all their activity, there are ways to ensure that special someone isn’t lurking on the downlow with an online tryst. 

Method #1: Check Their Followers and Following

Start with the most obvious technique: check whether there are new follows or followings from a specific other account. Are these new accounts random attractive strangers they just happened upon, or do they have connections to your partner’s work, friends, and social clubs? 

The downside to this method is that Instagram doesn’t have a built-in method to track another account’s activity. You’ll have to manually take screenshots, record usernames, and then make a comparison in a giant spreadsheet. 

The Following list is where the clues begin – but one screenshot never tells the whole story

Method #2: Check Likes on Public Posts

Another good idea is to look at who is liking your partner’s public posts. Is there a new coworker suddenly appearing in comments and likes you’ve never heard of before? 

Keep in mind that one heart on a vacation photo the two of you took when out to dinner probably doesn’t mean anything, but what if that is combined with a bunch of comments when you’re on the beach, or your partner is the only one in the photo? Again, this will take time, and you’ll have to keep going back to old posts for confirmation. 

Method #3: Investigate Comments, Tags, and Mentions

To catch a cheater on Instagram, look at where they’re being mentioned. Is there a flirty comment below a photo or inside joke that keeps cropping up on Reels? Look for repeated exchanges and shared activities that indicate a pattern is developing between your partner and another account. 

Method #4: Look at What Has Disappeared

Sometimes, the best way to catch a cheater on Instagram is to look at older posts they shared. When you come across an account taking way more interest in your partner, check and see if they’ve recently removed photos of their old partner or rewritten captions to make it sound like they’re single. 

Instagram “scrubbing” is pretty well known. It’s often done to make a better impression or to control the narrative. If your partner or the person they’re interacting with is scrubbing, you might have to worry. 

Deleted photos, rewritten captions, suspicious messages: sometimes what disappears says the most

Method #5: Search for a Second Instagram Account

This method is the most heart-wrenching. Your partner may have a second Instagram account they’re keeping secret. An account they can use to DM potential lovers or continue a relationship with an “ex” right under your nose. 

The trouble is that a second Insta (or Finsta) doesn’t necessarily mean cheating. Plenty of people have secondary accounts for work or public profiles. It’s when the activity on that second account becomes contradictory to the life you think the both of you are leading. 

Method #6: Automate Instagram Activity Tracking 

If you want to catch a cheater on Instagram, manual tracking is the fatal flaw. You may notice they’re suddenly more active at 1 am in the morning, but that alone doesn’t mean they’re stepping out on you. What you need is a way to automate all your research. Something that doesn’t require spending hours monitoring their activity when you should be exercising, going to work, or enjoying time with friends. 

What you need is Snoopreport. This will automate the collection of follows, likes, and other Instagram activity for you. Instead of complex spreadsheets, you get an easy-to-read report sent right to your email address. 

All it takes to get started is the username of the account you want to track. For as little as $0.99 per week, you’ll find out if there are activity times, hashtags, and interests that confirm your suspicions as to whether your partner is cheating on you using Instagram to get freaky. 

Stop scrolling for clues. Snoopreport turns scattered likes, follows, and unfollows into patterns you can actually see

So, Can You Actually Catch a Cheater on Instagram?

Instagram by itself may not be all you need to see if your partner is cheating. What tracking their activity using a tool like Snoopreport can do is unveil patterns and behaviors that tell a more “full” story of their relationship with that new secretary you’re already worried about. 

Stick with the information that is easy for you to confirm. Never use a supposed Instagram activity tracker that forces you to provide a password or requires downloading suspicious software onto any device. Stick with a platform trusted by over 500,000 users to get the information you need to confirm your fears or put your mind at ease. 

FAQs

Does Instagram show who someone recently followed?

  • Yes and no. With the right tool, you’ll be able to see new activity, but there is no built-in system for alerting you to new followers. Tracking changes over time is the goal. 

Who appeared and who disappeared? Tracking recent follows and unfollows reveals changes Instagram doesn’t organize for you. 

Can you see everything your partner likes on Instagram?

  • You cannot see a centralized list of all your partner’s Instagram activity. It’s better to have a tool that analyzes this info for you and generates a report. Otherwise, you’d spend pretty much every hour of each day trying to confirm these details. 

Can someone remove Instagram activity after you’ve seen it?

  • Yes. Your partner may try to unlike posts, delete comments, remove tags, or archive their own content. That’s why it’s so useful to have a record of such activity from Snoopreport. 

Author:

Andrea McKinney is a social media strategist and content marketing consultant with over eight years of experience helping small businesses and creators grow their online presence. She has contributed to software-as-a-service (SaaS) startup campaigns and regularly speaks at digital marketing conferences. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring the art scene and experimenting with new social media equipment.