Instagram will finally let you disable read receipts in DMs

An image showing Instagram’s logo on a purple background
Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge

Soon, Instagram users will have a choice about using read receipts in direct message conversations.

Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri both announced on their Instagram Broadcast channels that the change is currently in testing, and Mosseri included this picture showing the toggle as well as what it looks like in action.

Two screenshots of the Instagram app side by side, one showing pricay and settings area with a toggle to turn read receipts for direct messages on or off, and another screenhot showing an Instagram direct message conversation without read receipt indicators. Image: Meta
Instagram’s read receipts toggle for DMs.

What they didn’t mention is if that option is coming to Messenger, which similarly forces users into using read receipts without any way to turn them off. We also have no idea how soon this could roll out more widely, but keep an eye on your conversations to see if those indicators suddenly start to disappear or if anyone is turning down your very important event invitations.

As we reported a few years ago, opting in or out of read receipts can enable passive aggression in its own ways — but at least it will be a choice instead of a requirement.



* This article was originally published here

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