What read receipts are and why you might want to disable them
Read receipts are indicators that show the other person when you have seen their message. On Instagram, when someone sends you a direct message, they can see whether you have opened it — and on some message types, exactly when you opened it. If you turn off read receipts, the sender will no longer see that you have read their message.
The trade-off is straightforward: you gain privacy about when you are online and active, but the other person loses the ability to know whether you have seen what they sent. Some people turn them off because they do not want to feel obligated to respond when ready. Others do it because they want to read messages without the sender knowing they are ignoring them. Neither choice is wrong — it depends on what feels right for your own communication style.
Instagram lets you turn off read receipts entirely, or turn them off for specific conversations. You can also turn off typing indicators at the same time, which hide the "typing..." status that appears when you are composing a message.
Key Takeaways
- You can disable read receipts for all direct messages at once in Instagram Settings, or turn them off for individual conversations only.
- Turning off read receipts means senders cannot see when you opened their message, but they will still see that the message was delivered.
- You can also disable typing indicators so people cannot see when you are composing a reply.
- The setting works the same way on both the Instagram app and the web version, though the menu location differs slightly.
How to turn off read receipts for all your messages
On the Instagram app, open your profile by tapping the person icon in the bottom right corner. Tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) in the top right, then tap Settings and privacy. Scroll down and tap Messages and story replies. Under the Read receipts section, toggle off the switch next to "Show read receipts". You will see the toggle turn gray when it is off.
If you are using Instagram on a web browser, go to your profile, click the menu icon (three horizontal lines), click Settings, then click Notifications. Scroll to the Messages section and uncheck the box next to "Show read receipts".
Once you turn off read receipts this way, nobody will see when you have read their messages going forward. This applies to all your direct message conversations at once.
How to turn off read receipts for just one conversation
If you want to keep read receipts on for most people but turn them off for a specific conversation, open that direct message thread. On the app, swipe left on the conversation name (or long-press it on some Android phones), then tap the three dots that appear. Select "Turn off read receipts" from the menu. On the web version, right-click the conversation and select the same option.
This setting only affects that one conversation. The person you are messaging will not see your read receipts in that thread, but everyone else will still be able to see them in their conversations with you.
What happens when you turn off read receipts
When read receipts are off, the sender will see a single checkmark next to their message (meaning it was delivered to Instagram's servers) but will not see a second checkmark or a "Seen" indicator. They will have no way to know whether you have opened the message, read it, or straightforward have not looked at it yet.
Turning off read receipts does not hide anything else about your activity. People can still see your last active time if you have not disabled that separately (which you can do in the same Messages and story replies menu). They can also still see when you are typing if you have not turned off typing indicators.
Turning off typing indicators at the same time
In the same Messages and story replies menu where you disable read receipts, you will find a toggle for "Show typing indicators". Turning this off means people will not see the "typing..." status when you are composing a message to them. This is often turned off alongside read receipts, since both serve the same purpose: keeping your activity private.
Like read receipts, you can turn off typing indicators for all conversations or for individual threads. The steps are the same: toggle it off globally in Settings, or long-press a specific conversation and select the option from the menu.
Why Instagram shows read receipts by default
Instagram turns read receipts on by default because they help people know whether their message was actually seen or straightforward ignored. From Instagram's perspective, this encourages more conversation — if you know someone has read your message, you might feel more confident sending another one or following up in person.
The feature also serves Instagram's business interests: more active messaging means more time spent in the app, which means more opportunities to show you ads. That does not mean you have to keep the feature on. The setting exists because enough people wanted the option to turn it off that Instagram added it.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I turn off read receipts, will people know I did it?
No. There is no notification that tells someone you have disabled read receipts. They will straightforward stop seeing the "Seen" indicator on their messages. They might notice over time that you never show read receipts, but Instagram does not announce the change.
Can I turn off read receipts for one person but keep them on for everyone else?
Yes. You can turn off read receipts for individual conversations by long-pressing the conversation thread and selecting "Turn off read receipts". Everyone else will still see when you have read their messages. This is useful if you want privacy from one specific person but not from your entire contact list.
Does turning off read receipts hide my last active time?
No, they are separate settings. Turning off read receipts only hides when you have read messages. Your last active time (the "Active now" or "Active 2h ago" status) is controlled by a different toggle in the same menu. You can turn off both if you want complete activity privacy.
What if someone turns off read receipts — will I know?
No. You will not receive a notification. You will straightforward notice that their messages no longer show a "Seen" indicator. There is no way to tell whether they have disabled read receipts or straightforward have not opened the message yet.
Can I turn read receipts back on after I turn them off?
Yes. Go back to Settings and privacy, then Messages and story replies, and toggle "Show read receipts" back on. If you turned them off for a single conversation, you can re-enable them the same way — long-press the conversation and select "Turn on read receipts".