What read receipts are and why you might disable them
Read receipts on Instagram are small indicators that show when someone has seen your direct message. When you send a message to another person, Instagram displays a tiny icon — usually a small circle with a checkmark or an eye symbol — that changes once the recipient opens the message. This tells you the exact moment they read what you wrote.
Many people turn off read receipts because they want privacy about when they check their messages. You might not want others to know you saw their message at 2 a.m., or you might prefer not to feel obligated to respond when ready just because someone knows you read their words. Disabling read receipts removes that pressure and keeps your message-viewing habits private.
The setting exists separately for each person you message with, which means you can turn off read receipts for one contact while keeping them on for another. This gives you control over which conversations feel less pressured.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts can be turned off individually for each person you message, not just globally for your entire account.
- On iPhone, go to Settings, scroll to Apps, find Instagram, tap Messages, and toggle off "Read Receipts".
- On Android, open Instagram Settings, go to Privacy, select Messages, and turn off read receipts there.
- When you disable read receipts for someone, they will no longer see when you have read their messages, but you will still see theirs.
- Turning off read receipts does not delete past indicators — only new messages sent after you change the setting will hide your read status.
How to turn off read receipts on iPhone
On an iPhone, the setting lives in your device settings rather than inside the Instagram app itself. Open the Settings app on your home screen, then scroll down until you see Apps listed. Tap Apps, then find Instagram in the list and tap it.
Once you are inside Instagram's app settings, look for Messages. Tap it, and you will see a toggle switch next to "Read Receipts". Tap the toggle to turn it off. The switch will no longer be highlighted or colored, which means read receipts are now disabled. From this point forward, when someone sends you a direct message, they will not see an indicator showing that you have read it.
If you change your mind later, you can return to this same location and toggle read receipts back on. The process takes less than a minute once you know where to look.
How to turn off read receipts on Android
On Android phones, the setting is inside the Instagram app itself rather than in your device settings. Open Instagram and tap the menu icon — three horizontal lines — in the bottom right corner of the screen. Scroll down and tap Settings and Privacy, then tap Settings.
From the Settings menu, find and tap Privacy. Next, tap Messages. You will see a toggle switch next to "Read Receipts". Tap it to turn the feature off. The toggle will become gray or uncolored, confirming that read receipts are now disabled for your account.
Android users can also control read receipts through their device settings if they prefer. Go to Settings on your phone, find Apps, select Instagram, tap Permissions, and look for Messages — though the in-app method is usually faster and more straightforward.
What happens when you turn off read receipts
When you disable read receipts, people who message you will no longer see when you have read their messages. Instead of an eye icon or checkmark appearing next to their text, it will straightforward show as sent. This applies to all new messages received after you change the setting.
One important detail: turning off read receipts does not work both ways. You will still be able to see when other people read your messages — the setting only hides your own read status. If someone else has disabled their read receipts, you will not see when they read your messages, but that is their choice, not something you control.
Also note that disabling read receipts does not erase past indicators. Any messages you read before turning off the setting will still show as read to the person who sent them. Only messages you receive after you disable the feature will hide your read status.
Turning read receipts off for just one person
Instagram also lets you disable read receipts for individual conversations rather than your entire account. Open a direct message conversation with the person you want to adjust, then tap their name or profile picture at the top of the chat.
Look for an option that says something like "Read Receipts" or "Show Read Receipts" — the exact wording varies slightly depending on your phone and Instagram version. Toggle this off, and read receipts will be disabled only for that specific conversation. You can keep read receipts on for everyone else while hiding them from just this one person.
This approach is useful if you want privacy from one particular contact but do not want to disable read receipts across your entire account. You can adjust the setting for as many or as few conversations as you want.
Why Instagram shows read receipts by default
Instagram turns read receipts on automatically because the company wants conversations to feel more when ready and responsive. When both people can see that a message has been read, it creates a sense of connection and accountability — you know the other person saw what you wrote, and they know you saw their response.
From Instagram's perspective, read receipts encourage more active messaging and keep people engaged with the app. The feature is designed to make direct messaging feel more like a real-time conversation rather than email, where you might not know if someone has even opened your message.
However, Instagram recognizes that not everyone wants this level of visibility, which is why they built in the option to turn it off. The choice is yours to make based on how you want your conversations to feel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will people know I turned off read receipts?
No. When you disable read receipts, people will straightforward stop seeing the read indicator on new messages. They will not receive a notification that you changed the setting, and there is no way for them to know you turned it off unless you tell them. They will just notice that the eye icon or checkmark stops appearing.
Can I turn read receipts back on after turning them off?
Yes. You can toggle read receipts on and off as many times as you want by returning to the same settings menu. The change takes effect when ready for all new messages going forward. Past messages will still show their original read status.
Do read receipts work the same way in group chats?
Read receipts function slightly differently in group conversations. Instead of showing one person's read status, group chats display a small list of who has read the message. You can still disable read receipts for group conversations using the same method as one-on-one chats.
What if someone has read receipts off but I have them on?
You will not see when they read your messages because their setting overrides yours. However, they will still see when you read their messages because you have read receipts enabled. Read receipts only work if both people have them turned on.
Does turning off read receipts affect my Instagram Stories?
No. The read receipts setting only applies to direct messages. Instagram Stories have a separate viewing system, and you cannot disable the list of people who have viewed your story. That feature works independently of your message read receipts setting.