Instagram is among the world’s largest social media platforms and understands the importance of privacy. Privacy settings on Instagram encompass a range of options, including account visibility, content visibility, message controls, and more. These enable users to control their profiles, posts, and interactions on the platform. When a user sends a DM to another user on Instagram, the sender receives confirmation of the message’s delivery and a receipt indicating the recipient has seen the message.
The seen receipt feature displays a small “seen” indicator to the sender when the recipient opens and views the message. It provides transparency and informs the sender the recipient has seen their message. However, the seen receipt doesn’t indicate whether the recipient has read or understood the message. It simply signifies that the message has been viewed.
Message receipts on Instagram can have various implications for users. On the one hand, the seen receipt feature ensures transparency. It can be helpful for timely and efficient communication, especially when immediate responses are necessary.
On the other hand, the seen receipt feature also introduces pressure or anxiety. It creates an expectation that messages should be acknowledged promptly. This leads to concerns about being perceived as ignoring or neglecting someone’s message if it remains unread or unresponded to for an extended period.
Privacy-conscious users may be concerned about the potential loss of privacy with message receipts. Instagram’s message receipts confirm senders that their messages have been seen, which means the recipient’s interaction with the message is disclosed.
This transparency can impact how users communicate, as the obligation to respond or explain one’s actions might increase.
However, when seen from both perspectives, it’s not that bad of an idea for users to know if their messages were seen. So, while it might not be particularly fun, that’s just how it works on Instagram.
Today’s blog will discuss if, when you mark a message as unread on Instagram, it still says seen.
If You Mark a Message as Unread on Instagram Does It Still Say Seen?
First things first, will marking a message as unread in your Instagram DM mean that the message won’t appear as seen? The answer is pretty straightforward: no. The message will still appear as seen.
Understanding the “seen” notification on Instagram
When you open a DM on Instagram, a small “seen” indicator lets the sender know you have seen their message. This was introduced to enhance transparency and indicate when a recipient has interacted with a message.
Marking messages as unread: what it means
Contrary to popular belief, Instagram does not have a built-in feature to mark messages as unread like some other messaging platforms. In apps like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp, marking a message as unread typically prevents the “seen” notification from appearing to the sender.
When you mark a message as unread, the chat will again be highlighted. It’s a great sorting tool, but that’s about all it does. It doesn’t do anything to the sender’s side. Only your DMs will be affected by marking a message as unread.
Here’s how to mark a message as unread on Instagram
Step 1: Open Instagram; from your Feed, swipe left to go to your DMs.
Step 2: Locate and long press on the chat you wish to mark as unread.
Step 3: From the options that appear, tap on the Mark as Unread option, and you’re all done.
More efficient alternatives to mark messages as unread
While Instagram doesn’t offer an official unread feature, there are workarounds that users employ to simulate marking messages as unread. Let’s explore some of these methods and their impact on the “seen” notification:
Leaving messages unread: You can create the illusion of an unread message by simply not opening a message. However, once you open it, the “seen” notification will appear, regardless of how long it remains unread.
Enabling airplane mode: Some users attempt to simulate the unread feature by opening a message while their device is in airplane mode. This prevents Instagram from establishing an internet connection and doesn’t trigger the “seen” notification. However, the “seen” notification will be sent once the device is reconnected.
Using third-party apps: Some third-party apps or extensions claim to provide an “unread” feature. However, these aren’t officially supported by Instagram and often come with privacy and security risks. Exercise caution when using such apps and be aware: they may violate Instagram’s terms of service.
In conclusion
Let us now quickly go over what we discussed today.
While Instagram has an “unread” feature, it doesn’t affect the “seen” notification when you open a message. Once you view a message on Instagram, the sender will be notified that you have seen it.
If you want a more efficient alternative, it’s best to look at other alternatives, like not opening the message, enabling airplane mode, or third-party apps. Once you open the message, you can do next to nothing to reverse that.
However, if all you want is to sort through your messages, then marking them as unread is definitely a useful tool. We’ve laid down the step-by-step directions for you to do so.
If our blog has managed to help you, let us know in the comment below!
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