How to turn off read receipts on Instagram: A Quick Guide

Instagram is a popular platform for sharing photos and connecting with friends, but sometimes you may want to keep your conversations private. If you're wondering how to turn off read receipts on Instagram, this guide will walk you through the steps and provide additional tips for managing your privacy.

Table of content

Accessing Your Profile

To begin, open the Instagram app on your mobile device. Once the app is open, tap on your profile icon located at the bottom right corner of the screen. This will take you to your profile page where you can access your settings.

Opening the Settings Menu

Next, tap on the three horizontal lines (menu icon) in the top right corner of your profile page. This will open a menu with various options. From this menu, select "Settings" to proceed to the settings menu.

Navigating to Privacy Settings

In the settings menu, navigate to "Privacy." This section contains various options related to your account's privacy and security, including settings for messages and activity status.

Finding Message Controls

Within the Privacy settings, look for "Messages" or "Message Controls." The exact wording may vary depending on the version of the app you are using. Here, you can find options related to read receipts and activity status.

Managing Activity Status

In the Messages settings, you may find options related to read receipts or activity status. To prevent others from seeing when you are active, toggle off "Show Activity Status." However, it's important to note that this does not directly turn off read receipts.

Understanding Read Receipts Limitations

Currently, Instagram does not provide a direct option to disable read receipts (the "Seen" feature) for direct messages. This means that if you read a message, the sender will be notified that you have seen it.

Using Mute and Restrict Features

To limit interactions without sending read receipts, consider muting conversations or using the "Restrict" feature. Muting a conversation will prevent notifications from that chat, while restricting a user limits their ability to interact with you without notifying them.

Reading Messages Without Sending Receipts

If you want to avoid sending read receipts, you can read messages from the notification panel or use airplane mode to read messages without marking them as seen. This way, you can check your messages discreetly.

Staying Updated on Instagram Features

Finally, keep an eye on updates from Instagram, as features and settings may change over time. Instagram frequently updates its app, and new privacy features may be introduced that could allow you to manage read receipts more effectively in the future.