Soon, Instagram users will have a choice about using read receipts in direct message conversations.
Instagram will finally let you disable read receipts in DMs
Why worry about whether they left you on read?
Why worry about whether they left you on read?
Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge
is a senior editor following news across tech, culture, policy, and entertainment. He joined The Verge in 2021 after several years covering news at Engadget.
Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri both announced on their Instagram Broadcast channels that the change is currently in testing, and Mosseri included this picture showing the toggle as well as what it looks like in action.
What they didn’t mention is if that option is coming to Messenger, which similarly forces users into using read receipts without any way to turn them off. We also have no idea how soon this could roll out more widely, but keep an eye on your conversations to see if those indicators suddenly start to disappear or if anyone is turning down your very important event invitations.
As we reported a few years ago, opting in or out of read receipts can enable passive aggression in its own ways — but at least it will be a choice instead of a requirement.
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