Instagram is reportedly going to allow disabling the 'Seen' status in DMs

Instagram is reportedly developing a feature to improve chat privacy, allowing users to disable the "Seen" status for messages. This was disclosed by Alessandro Paluzzi, known for sharing upcoming Instagram features.

Currently, Instagram's "Seen" status appears when a message is read, notifying the sender that their message has been seen. This feature has been criticized for privacy issues as it discloses when a user was last online, even if they have turned off their Activity Status. Additionally, the "Seen" status displays the time elapsed since a message was viewed.

The existing Activity Status feature on Instagram uses a green dot or timestamp to show the last active time of users one follows or interacts with. While users can hide their Activity Status, they can't see the last active times of others. The proposed toggle button to disable the "Seen" status is viewed as a solution to these privacy concerns.