Instagram has read receipts, but only in direct messages, and you can turn them off
Instagram shows you when someone has read a direct message you sent them — but only if you are both using the direct message feature, not the main feed or Stories. A small "Seen" label appears below your message once the other person opens the conversation. You can disable read receipts in your settings so others cannot see when you have read their messages, though this works both ways: if you turn them off, you also stop seeing when others read yours.
Read receipts exist to let you know a message was actually opened, not just delivered to someone's phone. On Instagram, this matters because direct messages can pile up and people often miss them. The "Seen" label tells you the person looked at what you wrote, even if they have not responded yet.
Key Takeaways
- Instagram shows "Seen" below your direct message once the recipient opens that specific conversation, but this only works in direct messages, not in comments or Stories.
- You can turn off read receipts for yourself in Settings > Privacy > Messages, which hides when you read other people's messages.
- Turning off your own read receipts also means you stop seeing when others read your messages — it is an all-or-nothing setting.
- If someone has read receipts disabled, you will see "Delivered" instead of "Seen", and you cannot tell whether they have actually opened your message.
Where read receipts appear on Instagram
The "Seen" label shows up in your direct message thread, below the message you sent. It appears only after the other person actually opens the direct message conversation — not when they see a notification, not when they open Instagram, but when they tap into that specific chat with you. If they read your message but then close the app, the "Seen" label stays there so you know they looked at it.
Read receipts do not work anywhere else on Instagram. If you comment on someone's post, you cannot see whether they read your comment. If you send a message through Instagram Stories (the reply feature), there is no read receipt. Direct messages are the only place where Instagram tells you someone has seen what you wrote.
How to turn off read receipts for yourself
Open Instagram and go to your profile. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner, then select Settings and Privacy. Scroll down and tap Messages. You will see an option for "Read Receipts" — toggle it off. Once you do, people will see "Delivered" under their messages to you instead of "Seen", and you will also stop seeing "Seen" labels on messages you send to others.
This setting applies to all your direct messages at once. You cannot turn read receipts off for one person and keep them on for another. If you disable read receipts, every conversation you have will show "Delivered" instead of "Seen" to the people messaging you, and you will not see when they read your messages either.
What "Delivered" means instead of "Seen"
When someone has read receipts turned off, you will see "Delivered" below your message instead of "Seen". This means Instagram successfully sent the message to their phone, but you have no way to know whether they actually opened the conversation and read it. They might have read it, or they might not have opened the app at all — "Delivered" tells you nothing about whether they saw your words.
Some people turn off read receipts because they do not want others to know they are ignoring messages, or because they find it stressful to feel obligated to respond once someone knows they have read something. Others turn them off for privacy reasons. Whatever the reason, "Delivered" is the signal that you cannot see their read status.
Read receipts on group direct messages
In a group direct message, Instagram shows you a list of who has seen each message. Below your message, you will see small profile pictures of everyone who has opened that conversation and read what you wrote. If someone in the group has read receipts disabled, their picture will not appear in that list, and you will not know whether they have seen the message.
This can be useful in group chats where you need to know whether everyone got the information, but it also means one person with read receipts off makes it harder to track who actually saw what. The group can still function normally — it just becomes less clear who is keeping up with the conversation.
Why Instagram uses read receipts
Read receipts solve a real problem: without them, you never know if someone ignored your message, did not see it, or just has not responded yet. On Instagram, where messages can get buried under notifications, knowing someone actually opened the conversation is useful information. It tells you the message reached them and they looked at it, even if they have not typed back.
The downside is that read receipts can create pressure. Once someone knows you have read their message, they might expect a response, which is why some people disable them. Instagram lets you choose, but the choice is all-or-nothing — you cannot have it both ways.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell if I read their message if I have read receipts off?
No. If you have disabled read receipts in your settings, people will see "Delivered" instead of "Seen" when you read their messages. They will have no way to know whether you actually opened the conversation.
Does Instagram show read receipts for messages sent through Stories?
No. When you reply to someone's Story, there are no read receipts. You can see that they sent you a message, but you cannot see whether they have read your reply. Only direct messages show read receipts.
What if I turn off read receipts and then turn them back on?
Once you re-enable read receipts, people will start seeing "Seen" labels again on messages you read going forward. Past messages will not show a retroactive "Seen" label — only new messages you open after turning the setting back on will display it.
Do read receipts work the same way on Instagram Direct Messages and Facebook Messenger?
Instagram and Facebook Messenger are connected, and read receipts work similarly on both. If you turn off read receipts on Instagram, it also affects your Facebook Messenger conversations. The setting applies across both apps.