Have you ever wondered about how to unread messages on Instagram?
Many people often ask about it after learning that they can actually unread messages on the platform. However, this requires you to fulfill a requirement, a simple one. First, you need to have a business account.
Yes, before learning how to unread a message on Instagram, you need to know that the method is only applicable to business accounts. If you only have a personal account, then you need to create another one or upgrade your account to business. It’s not that hard to do, actually.
Can You Unread a Message On Instagram?
Surely, you can always unread messages on Instagram. But remember, you can only do this once you have a business account. The reason why Instagram prepared this feature limited to only business accounts is that it may greatly help them in responding to users’ messages.
If a brand can not provide a quick and clear response to each customer, it will eventually lose its profit. Surely, as a brand, you don’t want this to happen, right?
In case you don’t have a business account, you may start upgrading your personal account right now. Follow the steps that are already provided by Instagram, and once the upgrade process is done, you may continue reading further. Now, let us talk about how to mark IG message as unread.
How to Unread Messages on Instagram
Mark as Unread
Unread messages Instagram can be made possible through this function. The steps are generally the same for all devices, no matter if it’s Android or iPhone. However, please remember that this method is only available to business accounts, not personal ones. To do it, follow the steps below:
1. Open the Instagram app as usual and enter using your credentials.
2. Select the DM by clicking the button in the top right corner.
3. On the upper corner, select Settings and then More.
4. Now, you may see the option that says ‘Mark as Unread.’ Select that option.

Cons
As we have mentioned above, this feature is only available for Professional Accounts. If you are using a common account, you cannot use it.
How to Read Instagram Messages without Reading Receipts
If you don’t want to upgrade your account to business, you are still able to disable the read receipts, although it doesn’t feel the same way as unread messages. Besides knowing how to mark message as unread on Instagram above, here are some options you can use to disable read receipts:
Use Airplane Mode
Although you can’t do Instagram unread messages on personal accounts, you can still try disabling read receipts by turning the airplane mode off and on. Please know that this method is considered tedious as you have to switch airplane mode again and again on different occasions.
Anyway, here’s how to do it:
1. Open Instagram on your device.
2. Select DM.
3. Now, before opening the message, turn the Airplane Mode to ON (which will disable any internet connection).

4. See the messages and then log out after you finish.

5. Relog to Instagram again after disabling the Airplane Mode.
Cons
It’s a little inconvenient to switch the Airplane mode to unread Instagram messages each time.
Use Restrict Mode
Is there any other way to mark the Instagram messages as unread? Yes, besides turning the Airplane Mode (which is quite tedious), you can also use the restrict mode. However, this method is considered unnecessary since you’ll have to restrict somebody in your contact just to hide the read receipts status. So, do this method if it’s really important to you.
So how to mark a message as unread on Instagram by using the restrict mode? Follow the steps below:
1. First, after logging into Instagram, click the Search bar.
2. There, type the username of anybody you want to restrict.
3. Tap their name and go to their profile.

4. After you’ve arrived, click the drop-down button on the upper right corner, then choose Restrict.
And that’s how to mark as unread on Instagram through restricting mode. If you want to un-restrict them again, you can do so by clicking the Restrict button.
Cons
You need to do the same operations many times if you have messages from many different users via using the restrict mode.
How to Turn Off Read Receipts on Instagram
If you are wondering if there are solutions to disable read receipts on Instagram, we have figured out this inquiry before, please check this article.
FAQS
Those are some tips we can tell you about how to mark as unread Instagram. However, if you still have several questions in mind, hopefully, these solutions may answer them:
What happens when you unread a message on Instagram?
After you do the Instagram unread message, right on the sender’s name, a blue dot will appear, which may indicate that the messages haven’t been read and require the user’s attention. See it as a reminder to see the message again in the future.
Why can’t I unread messages on Instagram?
After learning how do you unread a message on Instagram, some people might have different experiences. Some work and some don’t. If you somewhat can’t do the methods above, make sure you have your account turned into a business. Personal accounts don’t have this function.
Can I unread a message on Instagram with a personal account?
As mentioned before, the methods can only be done on a Business account. So, unreading Instagram messages on personal accounts aren’t actually possible.
Is it possible to use third-party apps to unread Instagram messages?
Now, after learning how to unseen a message on Instagram, you might wonder about this one thing.
As far as we know, there isn’t a third-party tool or app that may give you the same exact function. That’s why we highly recommend sticking with the proper methods that are legalized by Instagram.
Conclusion
And that’s the thing or two about reading messages on Instagram. As you can see, the method is only applicable to Business accounts, not personal ones. So if you happen to only have a personal account, turn off the read receipts instead.