A feature Instagram users have wanted for a long time involves turning off read receipts. That’s happening. Instagram users will have a choice about using read receipts in direct message conversations.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri have announced on their Instagram Broadcast channels that the change is being tested. Mosseri even included a picture showing the toggle as well as what it looks like in action.

What they haven’t mentioned is whether the option is coming to Messenger, which also forces users into using read receipts without any way to turn them off. It’s one of the reasons many don’t want to use Messenger or DM on Instagram. Further, no hint has been offered about the rollout timeline for Instagram users.

Earlier, to read a message privately, one had to first turn on airplane mode. This is after avoiding tapping new message notifications.

Allowing read receipts can be seen in different ways. We all have those contacts whose messages we want to avoid on DM because they want to know whether their messages have been read and want a reply there and then. Reading a message, informing the sender that you have read it and then doing nothing about it is not the best thing to do and it has given rise to the phrase “leaving me on read” or ignoring a person. That will perhaps stop.