Soon, Instagram users will be given the option to control the use of read receipts in their direct message conversations.
Both Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri made announcements on their Instagram Broadcast channels about this upcoming change, which is currently in the testing phase. Mosseri even shared an image illustrating the toggle switch and its functionality. The images show two side-by-side screenshots of the Instagram app: one displaying the privacy and settings section with a toggle to enable or disable read receipts for direct messages, and the other depicting an Instagram direct message conversation without read receipt indicators.
What they didn’t mention is whether this option will extend to Messenger, which currently enforces the use of read receipts without providing any way to deactivate them. The timeline for a wider rollout remains uncertain, but users should monitor their conversations to see if these indicators vanish or if others start declining important event invitations.
As we previously reported a few years ago, the ability to opt in or out of read receipts can introduce subtle forms of passive aggression. Nevertheless, it’s a welcome choice instead of a mandatory feature.
