Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you read messages on Instagram that you didn’t intend to? If so, have you ever wished you could mark them as unread?
The good news is that there is a way to do just that. You can mark messages as unread that you have already opened and seen, all at the touch of a button, directly from your inbox.
How to unread messages on Instagram on any device
1. Log in to your Instagram business account,
2. Open your DMs and select the message you want to unread,
3. Choose “Mark as unread” in the pop-up menu.
In this article, I will give you a detailed explanation of how to unread messages and alternative methods to achieve this if you do not have a business account.
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How to Unread Messages on Instagram?
If you have a creator or business account, you will have access to a feature that allows you to mark messages as unread from a specific conversation with the click of a button.
Simply open a specific conversation and mark it as unread.
Here is a step-by-step guide:
On iOS
First, open the Instagram app on your iOS device and log in using your account credentials. Next, tap the messages button to view your DMs.
Locate the conversation in your DMs that you want to mark as unread and open it. Tap on the conversation and hold it until a menu appears.
The menu will include several options, and the one you need is “Mark as unread.” By selecting this option, the sender will remain unaware that you have seen their message.
On Android
Locate the Instagram app on your device and log in to your account. Then, click on the Instagram message icon to access your DMs.
Next, locate the conversation you wish to mark as unread in your Instagram inbox, and tap on it. Continue to hold it until a pop-up menu appears.
The menu will present several options to choose from. One of these is “Mark as unread.” Selecting this option will mark the messages in that conversation as unread.
On Desktop
First, open Instagram in your PC browser or desktop app. Once you are there, log in to your account and click on your direct message menu.
Next, you need to locate and mark the Instagram messages that you want to mark as unread. Once that is complete, right-click the chat containing the messages you wish to mark as unread and select the option to do so.
The menu will include the option to mark any direct messages in that conversation as unread. Left-clicking on this option will mark all messages in the selected conversation as unread.
An Alternative Method for Unreading Messages
These methods for marking messages as unread on Instagram are only available to users with a creator or business account.
That being said, there are alternatives that enable anyone to unread Instagram messages, even if their account is personal.
These solutions are available in both the mobile and desktop versions of the app.
Do not accept message requests
The first solution is to simply not accept and reply to message requests. This approach keeps the sender unaware that you have read their Instagram direct messages, allowing you to avoid the need to mark them as unread. You can apply this to both personal and professional accounts.
Utilize Restrict Mode
Another way to prevent others from knowing you read their messages without a business or creator account is to utilize the restrict mode.
Here are the steps to do so in just a few simple actions:
First, you need to open the profile of the person whose messages you want to restrict and from whom you do not wish to receive alerts. You can do this through the direct messages menu or by using the Instagram search bar to type their username. Open the profile.
Locate the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner of the page. Right-click on them, then select the “Restrict” option from the pop-up menu. This action will place the account in restricted mode.
Comments from a restricted person will be hidden from other users, and they will not receive notifications when you read their messages, eliminating the need for an unread feature.
Conclusion
Although the option to unread messages on Instagram is available only for professional accounts, there are ways to bypass this requirement by switching to a private account or enabling restrict mode.
That said, both options have some downsides, making the transformation of your personal account into a professional one the most convenient choice.
FAQ
How do you open a DM without them knowing?
If you are using a personal account, your only options are to use restrict mode or avoid accepting the message request. With Instagram business accounts, you can simply unread the message directly from the Instagram DM.
How do you make an unread message on Instagram?
With a professional account, you can unread Instagram messages directly from your inbox, using the prebuilt in-app solution. Personal accounts are limited to using restrict mode and not accepting message requests, though the latter only works for people you haven’t talked to before.
Can you turn off seen on Instagram DM?
Unfortunately, there is no way to turn off seen-on Instagram DMs by default. There is a way to remove this notification though, by making messages unread when using a business account or placing a user in restrict mode on a personal one.
