You receive an Instagram DM but don't want to reply immediately. At the same time, opening the message may show the sender that you've read it. This can create an awkward situation, especially when you simply want to check the message and respond later.

Instagram provides privacy controls that can give users more control over read receipts and activity visibility. Instead of relying on questionable third-party apps or internet “hacks,” it's worth checking the privacy features available directly inside Instagram.

Here's what you should know.

Can You Turn Off Read Receipts on Instagram?

Instagram provides controls for managing read receipts in direct messages. When read receipts are disabled for a supported chat, the other person won't receive the usual “Seen” indication when you read their message.

The exact location and wording of the option can change as Instagram updates its app, so make sure you're using the latest version.

Open the relevant DM conversation, tap the person's or chat's name at the top and look through the Privacy and Safety options for the read-receipt control.

If available, turn it off.

Want to Turn Off Read Receipts for All Chats?

Instagram may also provide a broader read-receipt setting for your messages.

Open your Instagram profile, tap the menu icon and go to Settings and activity. Look for the section related to Messages and story replies and check for an option such as Show read receipts.

Disabling this setting can provide greater privacy across supported conversations.

Menu names may differ slightly depending on your device and app version.

Hide Your Instagram Active Status Too

Turning off read receipts is only part of the privacy equation.

Instagram can also show other users when you're active or when you were recently active.

If you don't want contacts to know when you're using Instagram, review the Activity Status setting in the app's privacy or messaging controls.

Turning off activity visibility can provide more control over when other people know you're online.

Keep in mind that privacy features can be reciprocal—restricting others from seeing certain activity information may also limit what you can see about them.

Use Restrict for Unwanted Interactions

Instagram's Restrict feature can be useful when you don't want to completely block someone but would prefer to limit their interaction with you.

Restricting an account changes how that person's comments and messages are handled and can reduce the visibility of certain activity information to them.

This can be particularly useful when you don't want the confrontation or obvious signal that sometimes comes with blocking an account.

Restrict Is Different From Block

Blocking generally prevents an account from interacting with you in the usual way, whereas Restrict is designed to quietly limit certain interactions.

Which option is appropriate depends on the situation.

For unwanted but non-threatening interactions, Restrict may provide enough control. For harassment, impersonation, threats or persistent unwanted contact, stronger options such as blocking and reporting may be more appropriate.

Don't Use Airplane Mode ‘Hacks’ as Your Main Solution

You may have seen tricks online claiming that switching on Airplane Mode lets you secretly read Instagram messages.

Such workarounds can be unreliable because apps synchronize information once the device reconnects to the internet. Behaviour can also change after app updates.

If Instagram provides an official read-receipt control on your account, using that setting is a more reliable approach than depending on temporary workarounds.

Avoid Third-Party Apps Promising Secret DM Features

Be especially careful with websites or apps claiming they can let you secretly read Instagram DMs, reveal profile visitors or unlock hidden account features.

Never enter your Instagram username and password into an unfamiliar service.

Giving an unknown app access to your account can expose personal messages and other information or even result in losing control of the account.

Review These Instagram Privacy Settings Too

While checking your DM settings, it's worth reviewing other privacy controls.

You can decide whether your account is public or private, control who can mention or tag you, manage message requests, restrict comments and review blocked or restricted accounts.

You should also check which apps and websites have permission to access your Instagram account and remove services you no longer recognize or use.