Reading receipts can be helpful. They can also be a headache. And you can't turn them off.
So, is there a way you can see a direct message on Instagram without the sender knowing you saw it? It is possible, although it can be tedious.
First of all, you can read short DMs on your smartphone by turning on notifications. Do this by continuing Settings> Instagram> Notifications . It doesn't always work, however. The MD may take too long to read in its entirety. It may be an image too small to see. Or you might miss the notification.
Load the app and check your DMs, but don't click on the message . Quit Instagram, but don't close it. Turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data just by clicking on Airplane mode . Return to Instagram. Now you can read the DM without the other person knowing.
Then go to Settings> Sign Out . You can have multiple Instagram accounts. In this case, you need to log out of all of them.
Close the app, then turn Airplane mode off . You must then log back into your accounts. If that works, Instagram should say there's a new notification waiting for you.