Do you remember the SMS time when you sent messages, but didn’t know whether or not the recipient had read them? Gone are those days. These days, Instagram [like many other social media platforms] gives you closure in this matter. Thanks to Instagram read receipts, now you know if the message you sent is read or not.
But there is another side to the story. What if you want to read the DM without the message being marked? So the bottom line is how to turn off read receipts on Instagram? Can you turn off read receipts on Instagram at all?
If you are interested to know the answers, just keep reading the article. You’re about to get familiar with the best DM apps in the market that help you manage all the things related to your IG account and learn how to turn off read receipts on Instagram using DMpro.
Pro tip: If you are looking for a secure app to help you read DMs without appearing Instagram read receipts on your followers’ screen, skip this article and start using DMpro right now.
What Are Instagram Read Receipts
Have you ever noticed some Instagram DMs are labeled as ‘Seen’ and some aren’t? Aren’t you the type of a person who keeps checking their account to see if someone has read their messages? Sometimes, you may even feel so offended (when your messages do not get ‘Seen’ by a user) that you prefer to delete your DMs.
That is what Instagram read receipts are all about.
Instagram activated the read receipts by default for all users from the first day it was launched.
Now here is the question. Is it something voluntary? Or, are you stuck with it?
Let’s find out in the following section.
Can You Turn Off Read Receipts on Instagram
In short, no; not through the official app anyway! And in case you were wondering, the same rings true for Facebook.
As you might also have noticed, many of the features of these two platforms are alike. For instance, you might know how to react to a message on Instagram or Facebook and see that there is not much of a difference between the two.
Or, Facebook does not allow its users to turn off read receipts for messages. Therefore, you can not turn off Instagram read receipts either.
But are there any tricks in order to read a message without the ‘Seen’ receipt? In the next section, we discuss this question thoroughly.
How to Turn Off Read Receipts on Instagram When It Is Impossible
It is true that Instagram does not have any setting or anything to turn off this feature [yet,] but there are workarounds.
One is via Instagram, and the other is through using a third-party tool. Since the first one is time-consuming and confusing, I start off with the second one.
Read Instagram DM Without Instargam Read Receipts Using DMpro
DMpro is an Instagram DM service with which you can manage your message on your dashboard or even email using any device. Of course, there are some steps to take first. You should link DMs to Email to be able to manage them in your email inbox.
When you receive a direct message on Instagram, DMpro automatically sends it to your dashboard or email. Then instead of reading the message on Instagram, you can read it on the dashboard or email. And as long as you don’t open the DM on the Instagram app or web, it will not be marked as ‘Seen’.
DMpro also provides you with a lot more services for your Instagram management or growth like:
- giving you the chance to send automated DMs to the ones you like.
- Sending bulk DM to as many users as you wish and providing auto-responses for users’ frequently asked questions.
- Including a desktop inbox to manage your DMs altogether in one place.
- Keeping your data secure
- Gathering all your websites and links on your Instagram bio with its all-in-one bio link feature.
So why hesitate? Don’t you want to read all your DMs without the annoying Instagram read receipts and use all these great accompanying features of DMpro?
To do so, first sign up for free on DMpro. Link your Instagram to DMpro, read the messages on your dashboard or in your email, and enjoy the 24-hours-supporting services of DMpro.
How to Turn Off Read Receipts on Instagram Without a Third-Party Tool
Before you start the process, I should warn you that the process it is gonna take some time. There are other 2 ways how to turn off Instagram read receipts that we discuss in the following parts.
#1 Disconnect Your Wi-Fi to Turn Off Your Instgarm Read Receipts
Here is another way how to hide seen with an in-app solution on Instagram:
- First, open the Instagram app.
- Second, wait for DMs to be loaded.
- Next, turn off Wi-Fi or data.
- Then, turn on Airplane Mode.
- Read the message.
- Then go to your profile and choose ‘Settings’ from the hamburger menu.
- Finally, scroll down and log out of your Instagram account.
This way you can read Instagram messages and when you log in again, it will not get labeled as ‘Seen’.
Notice: You may check someone’s DMs so late that they start to think, “Why doesn’t (s)he answer me?” and delete their messages from both sides. So, don’t wait too long to see their DMs and try to reply to them ASAP.
#2 How to Turn Read Receipts Off on Instagram by Restricting the Users?
Once again you might ask, “Can you turn read receipts off on Instagram in other ways?” Good news! There is still another way.
You may simply restrict a user and then read their messages, whenever you want, without appearing the read receipt.
But there are some disadvantages to restricting a user. Not only don’t you get to see any notifications for the restricted user’s DMs, but also you don’t get to see their likes and comments or any other activities on your account. It’s like you have blocked them and they do not exist in your page. They are just a username, lost between other usernames in your follower or following section.
Moreover, their DMs don’t appear in your main DM inbox and you have to check your Instagram DM requests to see if they sent you something or not.
Anyway, if you think restricting users work for you, here is how to do so:
- First, open your Instagram app and search for the username you want to restrict.
- Next, go to their profile and tap on the three dots on the top right of the screen.
- Finally, choose the ‘Restrict’ button.
FAQs on Instagram Read Receipts
We already explained how to turn off read receipts on Instagram, and now it’s time to take a look at other frequently asked questions about Instagram read receipts and sending DMs.
#1 Is Turning Off Read Receipts Applicable on Instagram Groups As Well?
Yes. Group or PV, DMpro allows you to read messages on Instagram without letting the users know you have read the DMs. Also, if they delete or unsend their messages, you can recover the unsend DMs using DMpro’s ‘DM to Email feature.
#2 How to Unread Messages on Instagram?
Now that we discussed how to turn off seen on Instagram messages or DM and introduced you to the best of all automated DM apps available on the market, it would be better to discuss if it is possible to unread messages when we accidentally open the DM inbox.
To be straightforward, you can unread a message, BUT it doesn’t mean that Instagram read receipts would disappear when you unread messages.
You can just mark them as unread, so when you go to your DM inbox, you won’t forget to reread the DM and reply to their message.
Unreading a message is much different from Instagram turning off read receipts.
When someone unreads a message, the ‘Seen’ word doesn’t disappear on your screen, and they can not change it.
Note: Unfortunately, Instagram hasn’t activated this feature for all types of accounts. Business accounts are the only accounts that can benefit from unreading messages.
Here is how to unread one’s DMs in a business account.
- First, open your IG app and tap on the DM icon in the top-right corner of your homepage.
- Then, hold your finger on the chat you want (or if you wish to unread more than one chat, tap on the selecting icon in the top-right corner of your DM inbox and select ‘More’)
- Finally, some options appear on your screen. Tap on ‘Mark as unread’.
But, remember when someone asks you, “How to read Instagram messages without being seen?” you should guide them to do something BEFORE reading the message. Don’t forget that there is no way to erase the ‘Seen’ word once it appears.
#3 Can You Read DMs from Notifications?
You can see a part of one’s DM from their message notification but not the whole message. And if you want to read someone’s DM without read receipt, be careful not to open the notifications accidentally.
You may also turn off the notification by following the steps below.
- First open your Instagram app and go to your profile.
- Next, tap on the hamburger menu and choose ‘Settings.’
- Then, tap on ‘Notifications’ and then ‘Direct Messages and Calls.’
- Finally, toggle off ‘Message Requests’ and ‘Messages.’
There’s also another scenario, though! In case I want to find out how I can read a message from someone’s DM inbox, for example, my partner’s Instagram DMs, I have no way but to find my husband’s phone. Then, I can read a part of the DM if he hasn’t turned off the notifications 🙂
#4 What Are Disappearing Messages on Instagram?
There is somehow a new feature on Instagram called “Vanish Mode” which gives you the chance to send disappearing messages. According to Instagram Help Center, the messages and the posts you send in vanish mode disappear after you turn this feature off or when you leave the chat. In order to activate vanish mode swipe up to turn it on. To deactivate it, tap turn off vanish mode at the top or swipe up one more time!
#5 Why Can’t You Turn Off Read Receipts on Instagram?
The purpose of Instagram read receipts is to inform you that the other recipient of a conversation has noticed your message and you don’t have to call or ask them if they have seen your DM.
But sometimes one might not feel like answering you for any reason and that is where finding a way to turn off read receipts may come in handy.
Instagram doesn’t let you turn off this feature normally. So, all you have to do is to use the methods we mentioned in this post in order to avoid Instagram read receipts.
Conclusion
Instagram gives its users the closure of knowing whether or not the messages they send are read by recipients or not. How? A ‘Seen’ label appears under the DMs on Instagram once they are read.
But, can you turn off read receipts on Instagram? I am afraid you can’t! However, there are some workarounds.
The first way is on Instagram without using any other tools, but since it is time-consuming enough and the process includes logging out, we suggest you read your DMs using DMpro’s dashboard or through your attached email to DMpro, so that the senders don’t learn you read their messages.
Congrats; now you know how to turn off read receipts on Instagram! So, What are you waiting for? Sign up for free right now on DMpro and read every DM without any worries.