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Disable Instagram Read Receipts in 5 Easy Steps for 2025
Learn how to turn off read receipts on Instagram with these five super easy steps for 2025. Get control back and reply when you want to.
Hey there! So, Instagram. It's pretty much everywhere, right? We use it to keep up with friends, see cool stuff, and, yeah, slide into those DMs. Direct messages are great for chatting, but sometimes… those little "Seen" markers can be a pain. You know the ones. They tell the other person you've opened their message – the official Instagram dm seen status. Suddenly, you feel this pressure, like you have to reply right now, even if you're busy or just not feeling it. It can be kind of stressful!
But guess what? You don't actually have to live with that pressure. Instagram lets you turn those read receipts off. Yep, you can take back control and read messages in your own time. This guide will walk you through exactly how to turn off read receipts on Instagram. We'll break it down into five simple steps that anyone can follow, making your Insta life a bit more chill for 2025.
Why Even Bother Turning Off Instagram Read Receipts?
You might be thinking, "What's the big deal?" Well, there are some pretty good reasons why people choose to hide their Instagram read receipts.
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Getting Some Privacy Back: This is the main one. Sometimes, you just want to read a message without the other person knowing immediately. Maybe you need time to think about a reply, or maybe it's just none of their business when you see it. Turning off read receipts keeps things more private. You decide when they know you're engaged.
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Less Pressure, Seriously: That little "Seen" – the Instagram dm seen status – can feel like a ticking clock. You know they know you've seen it. They might be waiting for that reply bubble to pop up. Turning off read receipts removes that pressure. You can read, process, and reply when you're actually ready, not just because you feel watched.
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You're in Control: It feels better when you're in charge of your conversations, right? Deciding whether Instagram read receipts are on or off gives you that control. You manage the flow, not the app's features.
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Give You More Focus: Let's be real, notifications and social media stuff can pull you in all directions. Knowing someone saw your "Seen" might interrupt your train of thought. Turning them off is one less little thing buzzing in the back of your mind, helping you focus on whatever else you're doing.
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Just Feeling Better: For some folks, constantly managing online interactions and knowing people are tracking reads can genuinely cause a bit of anxiety. It's okay to want less of that! Learning how to disable Instagram read receipts can make your whole Instagram experience feel lighter and less demanding.
So yeah, there are solid reasons why learning how to turn off read receipts on Instagram is a popular move. It's about making the app work better for you.
How to Turn Off Read Receipts on Instagram (The Easy 5-Step Way)
Alright, let's get down to it. Ready to ditch the "Seen"? Here are the five simple steps. And don't worry; this works whether you need to turn off read receipts on your iPhone or you're using an Android. The steps are pretty much the same.
Step 1: Head to Your Profile.
Okay, first things first. Open up the Instagram app on your phone. Easy enough. Now, look down at the bottom right corner. See that little circle with your profile picture (or the default person icon)? Tap that. That takes you to your main profile page.
Step 2: Open Up the Menu
You're on your profile page now. Look up at the top right corner. You should see three horizontal lines stacked on top of each other (sometimes called a hamburger menu). Tap on those three lines. This will slide open a menu with a bunch of options.
Step 3: Find "Messages and Story Replies."
In that menu that just popped up, you'll need to scroll down a bit. You're looking for a section, usually under a heading like "How others can interact with you." Find the option that says "Messages and story replies." Tap on that to access these specific Instagram privacy settings.
Step 4: Find the Read Receipts Switch!
Okay, you're almost there. In the "Messages and story replies" screen, look for an option that says "Show read receipts." Sometimes, it might be under a subheading like "Who can see you're online" or similar within the broader message of Instagram's privacy settings. Tap on "Show read receipts." This should take you to the magic switch.
Step 5: Flip the Switch OFF.
You should now see a toggle switch labeled something like "Read receipts." If it's green or blue (meaning it's ON), just tap it once. It should turn grey or white (meaning it's OFF).
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Congratulations! You Did It! That's literally all it takes. You've successfully learned how to turn off read receipts on Instagram for ALL your chats. From now on, when you open a DM, the sender won't get that little "Seen" confirmation. Feels good, right? A little more freedom.
Important Thing to Know: It Goes Both Ways
Okay, so there's one catch, but it's fair. When you turn off your read receipts so others can't see yours, you also lose the ability to see their Instagram read receipts. So, you won't know if they've seen your messages either, as their Instagram dm seen status will be hidden from you. It makes things equal. Just something to keep in mind – you're opting out of the whole system for your chats.
What If I Only Want to Turn Off Read Receipts for One Person?
Maybe you don't want to go totally dark. Perhaps there's just one specific chat where you'd rather not have the pressure of Instagram reading receipts. Good news – you can do that too! It's a separate setting just for that one conversation. Here's how:
Step 1: Go Into the Chat: Open your DMs and tap on the specific conversation with the person (or group) for which you want to change this.
Step 2: Tap Their Name: Once you're inside the chat, look right at the top of the screen. You'll see their name (or the group name). Tap on it.
Step 3: Find "Privacy & Safety": Tapping their name opens up details about the chat. Look for an option called "Privacy & safety" (or something similar) and tap that.
Step 4: Toggle Just for Them: In the Privacy & safety settings for that specific chat, you should see the "Read receipts" toggle again. Just tap it to disable instagram read receipts for this chat only.
Doing it this way means your global setting (the one you changed in the main settings) stays the same for everyone else, but this one specific chat now has read receipts turned off. This is super handy if you want to turn off read receipts on Instagram iPhone (or Android) just for a particular person without affecting all your other DMs.
FAQs About Turning Off Read Receipts
Okay, so you've learned how to turn off read receipts on Instagram, which is awesome! But maybe you've got a few nagging questions about what exactly happens when you flip that switch.
That's totally normal – let's tackle some of the common ones right now so you know the deal:
"Will someone know if I turned off read receipts just for them?"
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Nope! Whether you turn off Instagram read receipts for everybody using the main setting, or you go into a specific chat's "Privacy & safety" options (a part of chat-specific Instagram privacy settings) to disable it just for that one person, Instagram doesn't send out any kind of alert.
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The other person will simply stop seeing the "Seen" marker appear under messages they send you after you've made the change; the Instagram dm seen status just won't show up for them anymore. They might notice the absence of the "Seen" status over time and guess you've turned them off, but the app won't explicitly tell them you did it, especially not that you targeted their specific chat. It's pretty discreet.
"What if I read a message then turn off read receipts? Will the 'Seen' disappear?"
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Ah, the classic question! Unfortunately, it usually doesn't work like a magic eraser. Once Instagram has marked a message as "Seen" and sent that status update, turning off your Instagram read receipts after the fact won't typically remove the "Seen" that's already there for that specific message.
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The setting change only affects the messages you read going forward. So, if you want to avoid sending that "Seen," you need to disable Instagram read receipts before you open the message.
"Does this also hide my Green Dot or 'Active Now' status?"
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Good question, but no – these are two totally separate settings! Disabling Instagram read receipts only stops the "Seen" notification under your DMs. Your Activity Status (that little green dot showing you're online, or the "Active X minutes ago" info) is controlled by a different toggle switch, usually found nearby in the "Messages and story replies" settings or main Privacy area.
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If you want to go fully incognito, you'll need to find the "Show Activity Status" option and turn that off, too. You can disable Instagram read receipts by indicating your activity status. They don't affect each other. Knowing how to turn off read receipts on Instagram is just one piece of the privacy puzzle!
A Few More Quick Tips for a Better Insta Experience
While we're talking about settings, here are a couple more quick things you can do:
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Check Your Privacy Often: Pop into your main instagram privacy settings sometimes. See who can see your stories, who can comment, things like that. Make sure it's set up the way you like it.
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Use the Mute Button: Is an annoying account posting too much? You don't have to unfollow! You can just "Mute" their posts or stories. They won't know, and your feed gets calmer. The same works for noisy group chats.
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Take Breaks! Seriously, step away from the phone sometimes. It's good for your brain.
Making these small tweaks can really add up to a less stressful, more enjoyable time on Instagram.
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Wrapping It Up: Your DMs, Your Rules in 2025
Learning how to turn off read receipts on Instagram isn't some complicated tech challenge for anybody at all. It's actually super simple: Just a few quick taps in your settings, whether you're on an iPhone or Android. Knowing these simple five steps puts control right back where it belongs: with you.
Remember, the goal is to make your time on Instagram less stressful and more enjoyable. Don't hesitate to use the steps we covered. Play around with the settings and see what feels best for you. By managing features like Instagram read receipts, you tailor the app experience to fit your style, not the other way around. Enjoy the extra breathing room in your DMs!
Written by
Kimmy
Published on
May 12, 2025
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