Other times you want to read the message, but you don’t want the sender to know you have. This sounds eerily like the tick marks used in WhatsApp. People use the blue and grey ticks to measure if their messages have been delivered or if they have just been left hanging. But what if we tell you there is actually a way for you to read direct messages on Instagram without notifying the sender? Not only can this protect people from unwanted contact, but also from harassment in the future. Keep reading for details.
Here’s the backstory
There is a feature already built into Instagram which turns any account into a restricted one. When the setting is enabled for an account, several things work to your benefit. For example, the affected person won’t know that you restricted their account, and the restricted person’s name won’t be visible to others in your comments. But the best thing about this option is that the restricted person won’t be able to tell when you are online or if you have read their messages. Normally, when a message has been read, the sender is shown a “seen” tag next to it. Here’s how to restrict someone’s Instagram account:
Open your Instagram app on either iOS or Android.Navigate to the person’s profile page on the app.In the top right-hand corner, tap on the three-dotted line.Here you’ll have several options, but the one you are looking for is at the top – Restrict.
After tapping on the mode, you’ll see a popup that tells you what happens when you restrict an account. Here’s what it looks like:
Restrict through DMs
You can also restrict someone through direct messages as well. Here you’ll have several other options if restricting is a bit too soft for you, but you don’t want to block them outright.
Open your Instagram app on either iOS or Android.Tap on the paper plane in the top right-hand corner to go to your Instagram direct messages.Tap on the messages from the problematic sender.Don’t tap on the View profile, but rather tap directly on their name above that.Here you have the option to mute messages and calls. You can also quickly unfollow them, or restrict, block, or report their profile.
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