Are you getting a “1 other person viewed this story” on Facebook story? Here‘s the full sentence, “1 other person viewed this story. As it was shared to Public, a person you aren‘t friends with saw it”.
If you‘ve ever seen this message after posting a Facebook story, you may be wondering—who are these "other viewers," and why can‘t I see who they are?
As a social media marketing expert with over 10 years of experience, I‘m going to shed some light on this somewhat confusing Facebook story viewer designation.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover:
- What exactly "other viewers" means on Facebook stories
- How to view these anonymous watchers (and why you can‘t)
- How to prevent "other viewers" from seeing your stories
- Whether "other viewers" means you‘re blocked
- Expert tips for managing your Facebook story privacy
Let‘s dive in!
The Rise of Social Media Stories
Before we get into the nitty gritty details, it helps to understand the history and context of social media stories.
Back in March 2017, Facebook launched its own take on ephemeral “stories”—photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. This was Facebook’s answer to the exploding popularity of Snapchat stories, which had proven irresistible to users.
Over the next few years, other social platforms like Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter and more followed suit with their own versions of stories.
The appeal of stories is simple: they let users share quick, candid moments of their lives with friends and family in a casual format. You don’t have to worry about over-posting or cluttering up timelines.
As a social media marketer, I‘ve seen how stories have become a prime way brands engage audiences with behind-the-scenes, “day in the life” content. For individuals, it‘s an easy way to give your close connections a window into your daily activities.
Viewers can see who has watched their stories via the viewer list. But occasionally, confusing terms like “other viewers” pop up…which leads us to the topic at hand!
What Does “Other Viewers” Mean?
When you see “x other viewers” on your Facebook story, it simply means that x number of people who are not your Facebook friends have watched that story.
For example, if it says “3 other viewers,” it means 3 non-friends viewed your story.
This only occurs if your story privacy is set to “Public.” By default, Facebook makes stories visible to “Friends Only.” But if you change the setting to public, your stories can be seen by anyone on Facebook or Messenger—not just direct friends.
So when a non-friend catches your story, they‘ll be lumped under “Other Viewers.” Essentially, it‘s a catch-all term for strangers and acquaintances outside your friend circle.
There‘s also a “Custom” setting where you can restrict stories to a customized group of friends. But other viewers won’t appear with this setting, since it blocks public access.
Why You Can‘t See Other Viewers
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to identify any of these incognito viewers on Facebook. Their names and profiles remain hidden.
According to Facebook, if you share a public story, you can only see the number of followers who watched—not their identities.
This opacity has frustrated many users, who have no way to learn who these anonymous watchers are.
In my experience as a social media professional, most users want to know exactly who has seen their content. Viewer lists provide valuable feedback on how far your stories are reaching.
Being unable to identify a portion of watchers seems like an obvious shortcoming in Facebook‘s otherwise detailed analytics.
A Change.org petition created by Wendy Williams captured this sentiment, demanding that Facebook reveal other viewers‘ identities. At the time of writing, it has over 7,500 signatures.
As it stands, Facebook has no plans to introduce other viewer identification or profiles. Users will remain in the dark, for now.
How to Prevent Other Viewers
If you want to bar unknown viewers entirely, the solution is straightforward:
Change your story privacy setting to “Friends” only.
With this setting, only confirmed Facebook friends can access your stories. Strangers and unconnected viewers will no longer gain access.
Here are simple steps to keep your stories friends-only:
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Open the Facebook app and tap the Add Story button.
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Add your photo or video as desired.
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Before posting, tap Privacy in the bottom left.
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Under the privacy setting, select Friends instead of Public.
That’s all it takes! Going forward, your new stories will be visible to friends only. You’ll never have to wonder about those mysterious “other viewers” again.
For many users, friends-only privacy is the safest approach for Facebook stories. It ensures complete control over who can take a glimpse into your daily life.
As a social media expert, friends-only is my top recommendation for everyday users. Public stories come with privacy and safety risks that simply aren‘t worth it.
But what if you want to reach a wider audience with certain stories? Say you have a public profile or represent a brand. Read on for guidance.
Safely Posting Public Stories
For public figures, creators and businesses, public stories can be a valuable promotional tool. Fans and followers appreciate behind-the-scenes snapshots you won’t find anywhere else.
But with great (viewership) power comes great (privacy) responsibility. Here are my tips for safely opening up public story access:
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Review story content carefully before posting publicly. Don‘t share anything private, embarrassing or sensitive.
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Use viewer feedback to assess whether public stories are worth it. If you‘re not seeing an engagement uptick, revert to friends-only.
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Create a professional or “creator” profile separate from your personal account. Never mix public branding content with private moments.
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Remain mindful of security risks. While unlikely, public stories could expose your account to stalkers, hackers or bad actors.
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Consider alternate platforms. Popular sites like Instagram and Snapchat give creators more control over public content sharing.
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Utilize available privacy tools, like Facebook‘s Restricted List which limits views from sketchy accounts.
With vigilance and common sense, the benefits of public sharing can outweigh potential downsides. But proceed with caution—and make sure your personal profile stays locked down.
Does "Other Viewers" Mean You‘re Blocked?
This is a common question that I often receive: Could other viewers indicate that someone has blocked you?
The short answer is yes, it‘s possible—but extremely unlikely.
Remember, other viewers are simply non-friends who’ve come across your public stories. They could be old classmates, distant relatives, local townspeople…anyone!
That said, here is one theoretical scenario where other viewers might suggest a blocking:
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Jim posts a public story. His friend Ashley views it. Right after, Ashley blocks Jim.
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From Jim‘s perspective, Ashley will appear as "1 Viewer" in his story views. Her name won‘t be shown since she blocked him.
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So from Jim‘s view, Ashley is essentially an "other viewer"—an anonymous watcher.
Of course, this presumes Ashley spitefully blocked Jim immediately after viewing his story (which seems pretty far-fetched!)
In most cases, other viewers are harmless. But let this serve as an illustration of how blocking could produce a similar viewer effect to strangers viewing public stories.
The takeaway: other viewers are almost certainly just that—other people who caught your public story. But in fringe cases, a baby blocker might slip into the count.
The Bottom Line
Hopefully this guide has cleared up the mystery of those baffling “other viewers” on Facebook stories! Here are the key takeaways:
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Other viewers are non-friends who have seen your public stories. Their profiles stay hidden.
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This occurs when your story privacy is public. Friends-only stories prevent other viewers.
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You unfortunately can‘t identify other viewers on Facebook currently.
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Blocking is unlikely to produce other viewers, but technically possible in niche cases.
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For everyday users, friends-only privacy is strongly recommended for all stories.
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Public figures can benefit from public stories, but should proceed with caution.
Facebook‘s other viewer conundrum persists for now. But as a social media marketing expert, I predict that identifiable viewer lists are inevitable.
Facebook will have to adapt to user demands for more transparency and insight into exactly who engages with their content. Until then, be thoughtful about your story privacy settings and audience.
Have more questions about mysterious Facebook viewers? Feel free to reach out! I‘m always happy to lend my social media insights.
