Based on our latest information, Instagram will soon let you disable read receipts in your DMs. This is a great feature for anyone who is always wondering whether or not they should open a message because if you do, there is a confirmation that you have indeed opened the message, and some people see it as a problem from a privacy standpoint.

Instagram getting the option to turn off read receipts is a step in the right direction

Instagram getting this new feature was announced by Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri in the Broadcast channel. If you want to turn off the read receipts, you will have to go to the Privacy & Safety settings in the app, and you will be able to see the Read Receipts toggle. Disabling it will ensure that the other person does not get an indication that you have opened the message or not. In the same way, you will also not be able to see the read receipts of messages that you send to them.

It is worth noting that the feature is still in the beta testing phase, so not everyone might have access to it right away. But we are going to keep an eye out to see when it finally surfaces for everyone. You can expect a proper announcement on the Instagram blog once the feature starts rolling out, to be honest.

There is no timeframe at the time, but we expect the beta phase to be over pretty soon. Once it is done, Instagram users will be able to turn off the read receipts as well, especially if they find them annoying, because it is essential to keep that in mind.

Read receipts on any app is an essential feature, and although I cannot see myself turning it off for some reason, I do understand a lot of people have the need to do so, especially when their privacy is at stake. If turning off the option gives you a feeling that your digital presence is a little more private, then I don't see anything wrong with this feature being commonplace on Instagram or other platforms like WhatsApp.