How to unread messages on Instagram is a common question for users who want to keep track of important chats or respond later. While Instagram allows business and creator accounts to mark messages as unread, regular users have limited options.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to unread messages on Instagram, who can use this feature, and some useful tricks. Keep reading to take control of your inbox!
Can You Unread Messages on Instagram?
Yes! But there’s a catch—it’s only available for business and creator accounts. If you have a personal account, you won’t see the unread option. However, there are some workarounds you can try.
Instagram’s messaging system doesn’t function exactly like emails, where you can mark messages as unread anytime. Instead, the unread feature is more of a reminder tool, meaning it doesn’t remove the “seen” status for the sender.
If you frequently use Instagram for communication, especially in a business or influencer capacity, this feature can be incredibly helpful in managing your inbox efficiently.
How to Mark Messages as Unread on Instagram (Business & Creator Accounts)
If you have a business or creator account, follow these steps to read unread messages:
1. Open Instagram and go to your Direct Messages (DMs) by tapping the chat icon at the top right.
2. Find the chat you want to mark as unread.
3. Press and hold the chat, and a menu will appear.
4. Tap “Mark as Unread.”
Now, the message will stay highlighted as unread, helping you remember to check it later. However, this does not remove the “seen” status for the sender. They will still know you have read their message, but it helps you keep track of important conversations.
Switching to a Business or Creator Account
If you have a personal Instagram account and want access to the Mark as Unread feature, consider switching to a Business or Creator account:
1. Open Instagram and go to your profile.
2. Tap the menu (three lines) in the top right corner.
3. Select Settings and Privacy > Account Type and Tools.
4. Tap Switch to Professional Account and choose Business or Creator.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
This change gives you additional insights and tools to manage your Instagram presence better.
Workarounds for Personal Accounts
If you have a personal account, Instagram doesn’t offer an official way to mark messages as unread. However, here are some tricks you can try:
1. Use Message Requests
If you receive a message from someone you don’t follow, it will go to the Message Requests section. Until you accept the request, the message remains unread. If you don’t want to mark it as seen, you can read it from here without opening it fully.
2. Turn on Airplane Mode Before Reading Messages
This method lets you read messages without alerting the sender:
1. Open Instagram and go to your DMs.
2. Turn on Airplane Mode on your device.
3. Open the message and read it.
4. Close Instagram completely before turning off Airplane Mode.
Since the app isn’t connected to the internet, it won’t send the “Seen” receipt until you go online again.
3. Restrict the Sender
Instagram’s Restrict feature lets you control interactions with specific users. If you restrict someone:
- Their messages move to Message Requests.
- You can read their messages without marking them as seen.
- They won’t know when you’re online.
To restrict someone:
1. Go to their profile.
2. Tap the three dots (⋮) in the top right corner.
3. Select Restrict.
This is a useful way to read messages without notifying the sender while keeping some distance in communication.
Why Mark Messages as Unread?
Marking messages as unread can be useful for:
- Reminders: Keeping important messages highlighted so you don’t forget to reply.
- Managing Business Messages: If you run a business or are an influencer, you can organize messages better.
- Avoiding Immediate Replies: Unreading a message gives you time to think before responding.
- Keeping Track of Important Conversations: With multiple messages coming in, unread messages act as a bookmark for later review.
- Better Workflow: If you manage many conversations, marking important ones as unread helps prioritize replies.
Additional Instagram DM Tips
1. Organizing Messages with Instagram Categories
Business and creator accounts also allow categorizing messages into Primary, General, and Requests folders. You can move messages between these sections to better manage your inbox.
- Primary: Important messages that send notifications.
- General: Less urgent messages that won’t send notifications.
- Requests: Messages from people you don’t follow.
To move a message:
1. Go to your DMs.
2. Swipe left on a chat (iPhone) or tap and hold (Android).
3. Select Move to General/Primary.
2. Enabling Vanish Mode for Private Chats
If you don’t want a message to remain visible, use Vanish Mode:
1. Open a chat.
2. Swipe up from the bottom.
3. The chat turns dark, and messages disappear after being read.
This is helpful for temporary conversations where privacy is key.
3. Mute Conversations
If you don’t want to unread a message but need to silence notifications, you can mute a conversation:
1. Open DMs.
2. Press and hold a chat.
3. Tap Mute Notifications.
This stops notifications while keeping the conversation available for later.
4. Use Instagram’s Flag Feature
For important messages, you can flag them instead of marking them as unread. This allows you to find them easily later.
1. Open a chat.
2. Press and hold a message.
3. Tap Flag.
You can then filter flagged messages for quick access.
Final Thoughts
Being able to unread messages on Instagram can help with organization and privacy. While this feature is limited to business and creator accounts, personal users can still use some clever tricks to manage their DMs effectively.
With tools like Airplane Mode, Message Requests, and the Restrict feature, you can control how you interact with messages, even if you don’t have the official Mark as Unread option.
By learning these simple tricks, you can take control of your Instagram inbox and make sure you never miss an important message.
Want more Instagram tips? Stay tuned for more guides to make the most of your social media experience!