Instagram Users to Gain Control Over Read Receipts in DMs

In a recent announcement, Mark Zuckerberg shared that Instagram is currently in the testing phase of a new feature that will grant users the ability to disable read receipts in Direct Messages (DMs). The report, as mentioned by The Verge, doesn't offer a specific timeline for when this feature will become accessible to all users, but Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, gave a glimpse of the forthcoming read receipt toggle on his broadcast channel.

A parallel feature is already in place on WhatsApp, a messaging platform owned by Meta, which enables users to keep their message reading activities private by turning off read receipts.

Interestingly, neither Zuckerberg nor Mosseri mentioned whether this option will be extended to Messenger, which currently enforces the use of read receipts without any means to opt out.

Meanwhile, Instagram has plans to introduce a Threads application programming interface (API). This move aims to assist developers in creating diverse apps and experiences revolving around Threads, according to TechCrunch. Mosseri expressed his thoughts on the matter in an Instagram post, saying, "We're working on it. My concern is that it'll mean a lot more publisher content and not much more creator content, but it still seems like something we need to get done."