7 Methods to Read Instagram Messages Without Being Seen

Instagram is one of the world’s fastest-growing social media apps, and it has become a daily routine for millions of individuals globally. It is renowned for combining photos with videos and stories. The application was created in 2010 and currently boasts more than a billion active users each month.

An interesting thing about Instagram is that it contains an instant messaging system that enables you to talk to your friends without any disturbances. Nonetheless, like other applications, Instagram tells the sender when you have viewed their messages through a “seen” feature. In case you want to read the message secretly, this becomes quite difficult.

The important tips on how to read Instagram messages without being seen are discussed in this article.

Part 1. Understanding Instagram's "Seen" Feature

There is a high chance that you use direct messaging if you frequently use Instagram to chat with friends. It’s simple, fast, and keeps people connected. Conversely, there is a function on the platform referred to as “seen” enabling one to catch exactly what time his/her message was looked at by someone else. Here is what it looks like;

Assume your friend sends you an awesome video link then instantly proceeds to open it up. In such an occurrence, he or she will see the “seen” label meaning that they have watched it.

Nonetheless, sometimes such information may be necessary, especially for personal reasons such as giving oneself enough time to digest what was contained in whatever one just read or simply because someone does not feel/care about responding immediately.

For better-managing interactions on Instagram, learning how to effectively utilize this feature is important.

Part 2. 7 Methods to Read Instagram Messages Without Being Seen

Sometimes, you wish to read a message on Instagram without the sender knowing this. Here are the following seven ways on how to read messages on instagram without showing seen.

Method 1. Using Instagram Spy App

If you need something more comprehensive, consider using professional monitoring software such as Msafely that can help you read Instagram messages invisibly.

What is Msafely

Msafely is powerful monitoring software that allows you to track and see what’s happening on your target device like with its Instagram messages. It works in stealth mode so it won’t interrupt notifications or leave any traces behind.

Msafely also keeps up with new versions of iOS or Android operating systems hence compatible with all major systems.

Key features of Msafely

Msafely has features that help you read someone's Instagram messages without them being seen. Here are some of the features;

•  Browser history viewing 

All browsing history records can be accessed through it.

•  Tracking text messages 

Keep track of all sent and received text messages including deleted ones.

•  Viewing photos

Access to all pictures and videos saved on the device.

•  GPS location tracking 

Track real-time location and movement history.

•  Wi-Fi logger 

Identify places visited via Wi-Fi hotspots.

•  Social media apps monitoring 

Keep track of apps such as WhatsApp, Line, etc.

•  Installed apps monitoring

View details about installed applications (date/size/version).

Steps to use Msafely

Step 1. Create a free account

Sign up free using a valid email address.

Step 2. Connect target phone

Choose the type of phone you want to monitor and connect it with the target phone.

Step 3. Start monitoring

Access the Msafely Control Panel to start monitoring the desired device.

Method 2. Using Airplane Mode

Another way to read Instagram messages on a phone without being seen is by using the airplane mode setting. This works because once airplane mode is activated, your phone can’t connect to the internet or cellular networks hence no read receipt from Instagram.

Below are the steps to use airplane mode to learn how to read Instagram messages without being seen on iPhone and Android:

Step 1. Turn on Airplane Mode

Swipe down from the top right-hand corner of your home screen and tap on the plane icon in the control center. Doing this will turn off both Wi-Fi and cellular data.

Step 2. Start Instagram

Open the Instagram app while still in airplane mode and go through your direct messages. Because you are offline, a read receipt will not be sent to the sender.

Step 3. Exit Airplane Mode

After finishing with Instagram completely close the application before turning off airplane mode.

Note that once your mobile phone establishes a connection with the internet again, the read receipt will be dispatched.

Method 3. Using Notifications

The easiest method of viewing these messages without letting others know is through notifications. Instead of directly opening the Instagram application, you can preview notifications by swiping down on your phone’s notification bar.

In this way, there would be no trigger for any read receipt and thus one can see messages without making it known to senders.

If for instance your pal texts you concerning a weekend plan, you can pull down the notification bar to have an overview of it. If it is a long message and you own an iPhone, drag the notification up to the top of the screen or long-press it to expand.

On an Android phone, click on the down arrow next to the notification in order to view more text. Be careful not to accidentally tap on any part of the notification as this will open Instagram and mark it as read.

In addition, should you have mistakenly deleted away the notification, to read without marking seen go to settings then “notification history”.

Method 4. Using Instagram Web

When browsing Instagram Web, you can make use of a browser caching feature that makes it possible for one to read messages privately. Here’s how:

Step 1. Open your computer browser and log into Instagram Web.

Step 2. Go into your direct messages and allow the page to load fully.

Step 3. Disconnect the internet connection by switching off Wi-Fi or unplugging the Ethernet cable.

Step 4. Read these messages but since you’re offline, they will remain marked as ‘seen’.

Step 5. Close the tab or window and clear the cache after reading before connecting back online.

Method 5. Using Instagram's Restrict Feature

Another effective way is through Instagram's Restrict feature. Once you restrict someone, they won’t know if you’ve read their messages or seen your online status. Here’s how to:

Step 1. On Instagram, go to chat with the person whose message you want to read secretly either from his/her profile or via direct messages

Step 2. Click on the three-dot icon

Step 3. Then choose “Restrict” among other options.

Their messages will now be in the ‘Message Requests’ section if restricted. This means that when this person sends you a message, you can view it without leaving a “seen” status.

Method 6. Read Messages without the Wi-Fi or Internet Connection

This method takes advantage of the preloading feature on Instagram. The app usually pre-loads messages so as to navigate quickly after it opens. Here’s how you can use this to read messages without being seen:

Step 1. Open Instagram and check whether your DMs have loaded your chats.

Step 2. Switch off your mobile data or Wi-Fi by swiping down to access your control panel

Step 3. You can open the message that you want to read; since you’re offline, Instagram will not notify the sender that you have seen it.

Step 4. Once you are done reading the message, kindly go to settings then click the app and click Instagram app.

Step 5. Go to storage

Step 6. Then clear cache and data for Instagram

Step 7. Open the Instagram app again and log into your account. Then that unread message will still appear there.

Method 7. Read Instagram Messages from Another Phone Directly

As mentioned earlier, apps like Msafely can be used to monitor and read another person’s Instagram messages without them being seen. This method thus allows one to successfully read all messages including those coming from Instagram without discovery.

For instance, if you are waiting for an important text but do not want it to show online, you could look at it using another means such as Msafely.

Msafely also helps one in tracking incoming and outgoing messages from different applications with deleted ones included as well as accessing every photo or video found within the targeted device. Here is how you can use Msafely:

Step 1. To begin with open an account at a Msafely website

Step 2. Link the target phone (the phone where receiving messages) with your Msafely account

Step 3. The monitoring process should be started via the Msafely control panel

Part 3. FAQs about Read Instagram Messages Without Being Seen

Q1. Is it possible to read Instagram messages without the sender knowing?

Certainly, turning off your internet connection before opening the message or using third-party apps that allow one to read and see messages while not showing the “seen” notification could be used.

Q2. Would logging out of Instagram help in reading the messages without being seen?

It is beneficial to log out and then clear the app cache and data after reading a message so that when you log back in, the ‘seen’ status does not update.

Q3. What happens if I block someone after reading their message?

If you block someone immediately after reading his/her message, they won’t have access to your activity though they will be aware that you read it right before blocking him/her.

Q4. Can I mark messages as unread after reading them on Instagram?

No, it’s impossible for anybody on Instagram to “unread” a direct message since once opened; it is marked as seen.

Q5. Will turning off read receipts on Facebook affect Instagram messages?

No, disabling read receipts on Facebook Messenger has no effect on messages sent through Instagram. This implies that they are different platforms and the settings of one do not influence the other.

Part 4. Conclusion

Using Instagram's messaging system without triggering the "seen" notification can be a game-changer for managing your interactions.

This article covered seven ways through which one can read Instagram messages without being seen. The airplane mode, notifications, and obtaining third-party applications such as Msafely are some of the methods.

Knowing how to read Instagram messages without them showing that you have seen them allows you to control your responses and keep your privacy intact. Test out these techniques and see which one works best for you so that you can have freedom in your Instagram interactions.