Instagram FINALLY lets you disable read receipts in DMs – here’s how
- Instagram says it is experimenting with the feature but has not yet rolled it out
- Users will soon be able to choose if messages show as ‘seen’ in Instagram DMs
In good news for serial ghosters, Instagram has announced that it will soon be introducing the option to disable read receipts in direct messages (DMs).
This means that other users will not be able to tell that you have read their messages, with the ‘seen’ label removed from read messages.
Instagram says it is currently testing the feature, although it has reamained tight-lipped on plans for a wider roll-out.
Social media users have been left divided over the move.
While some have called it a ‘much needed feature’, others have been left unimpressed, with one branding the decision ‘no fun’.
Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, announced that users would soon be able to choose whether to have read receipts turned on or off
READ MORE: Instagram users say they’re being bombarded with Broadcast Channel notifications
Both Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, and head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, announced the upcoming changes on their Instagram broadcast channels.
In his post, Mosseri said: ‘We heard your feedback and have started testing a new feature that lets you turn read receipts off in your DMs.
‘Soon, people will be able to choose when to let others see when they’ve read their messages.’
However, he did not clarify what he meant by ‘soon’ or whether the feature would be coming to all users at once.
Mosseri also included a picture, showing what the option will look like.
In settings for Privacy and Safety, under the category ‘Who can see your activity’ users are given the option to toggle on or off read receipts.
Mark Zuckerberg confirmed the announcement on his Instagram Broadcast channel, saying that the feature was currently being tested
On X (formerly Twitter), many social media users have welcomed the announcement, with one saying that it was: ‘Better late than never’
The description of the setting says: ‘Others can see when you’ve read their messages. Vanish mode messages always send read receipts.’
Zuckerberg, writing on his Instagram Broadcast channel, joked: ‘If you’re someone who leaves people on read: your day has come.’
He then clarified that the company was ‘testing the ability to turn off read receipts on Instagram DMs.’
On X (formerly Twitter), many social media users have welcomed the announcement, with one saying that it was: ‘Better late than never’.
‘Finally,’ another commenter wrote, ‘some good news.’
In good news for serial ghosters, Instagram has announced that it will soon be introducing the option to disable read receipts in direct messages (DMs)
Not everyone is happy about the change, and some commenters said they would miss the ability to see if their messages had been read
WHAT IS END-TO-END ENCRYPTION?
End-to-end encryption ensures only the two participants of a chat can read messages, and no one in between – not even the company that owns the service.
End-to-end encryption is intended to prevent data being read or secretly modified when it is in transit between the two parties.
The cryptographic keys needed to access the service are automatically provided only to the two people in each conversation.
In decrypted form, messages are accessible by a third party – which makes them interceptable by governments for law enforcement reasons.
Meanwhile another added that this was a ‘much needed feature’.
However, not everyone is so happy with the plan, and a few commenters have lamented losing the ability to check up on whether someone has read their messages.
‘Oh so now I can’t even tell when I’m being ignored’, one frustrated commenter wrote.
‘Nooo’, another social media user wrote, ‘my toxic can’t take this’, while one simply said: ‘Well that’s no fun’.
Instagram has not confirmed whether the feature will eventually be extended to Facebook Messenger, which is also owned by Meta.
WhatsApp has had the option to disable read receipts since the company was purchased by Meta, then Facebook, in 2014.
Meta has also been involved in a roll-out of WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption to other messaging sites under its control.
The company has plans to include default end-to-end encryption for Instagram DMs after it has finished integrating this feature in Messenger.
In August, Meta announced end-to-end encryption should become default on Messenger by the start of 2024.
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