Quick answer: You can hide your online status and read receipts in Instagram, WhatsApp and several other apps, but nearly always at a price: you stop seeing other people’s status and receipts too. Menu names change between app versions, so use the paths below as a guide.
Green dots, “Seen” labels and “Last seen” times tell people when you are around and whether you have read their message. Many people want a quieter way to chat, whether for focus, privacy or simply to answer later. These settings are the same for readers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Europe.
Hiding status is a courtesy tool, not a security tool. For deeper protection, see our guide to WhatsApp privacy and security settings.
How do I turn off activity status on Instagram?
Technobezz gives these steps, tested on iOS 26.6:
- Tap your profile picture, then the menu icon to open Settings and activity.
- Tap Messages and story replies, then Show activity status.
- Switch off Show your active status.
Instagram warns that once it is off, you cannot see other people’s active status either.
How do I turn off read receipts on Instagram?
For all chats, go to Messages and story replies, tap Show read receipts and switch the toggle off (Technobezz). For one chat, open it, tap the name at the top, choose Privacy and safety, and switch off read receipts. Tech.co describes the same per-chat route and notes that it must be repeated for each conversation. Technobezz adds that a chat you set individually keeps its own setting when you change the all-chats switch.
An older Gizmodo guide said Instagram had no read-receipt switch, so the option appears to be newer. If you cannot find it, update the app.
What stays visible on Instagram?
- People can still see when you view their story, and your likes remain visible (Technobezz).
- Restricting a person hides your online status and read status from them and moves the chat to Message Requests.
- Sleep mode shows a moon icon; it does not hide you.
- Threads, Facebook and Messenger have their own separate settings.
How do I hide last seen and read receipts on WhatsApp?
The WhatsApp Help Center says to go to Settings, then Privacy, then Last seen and online, and choose Everyone, My contacts, My contacts except, or Nobody. Read receipts are in the same Privacy area.
WhatsApp lists limits. If you hide your last seen and online, you cannot see others’. If you turn off read receipts, you cannot see theirs. Read receipts are always sent in group chats. If a contact turns off read receipts, you cannot see whether they viewed your status updates.
What about iMessage, X and other apps?
Gizmodo published these routes in an older guide, so menus may have moved:
- iMessage: Settings, Messages, Send Read Receipts, with a per-chat option in the contact info.
- X: Settings and privacy, Privacy and safety, Direct messages, then switch off Show read receipts.
- Google Messages: three dots, Settings, Chat features, then turn off Send read receipts.
- Signal: Settings, Privacy, Read receipts.
- Telegram and Messenger: read receipts cannot be turned off (at the time of that guide); you can hide online status instead.
Gizmodo also describes workarounds, such as reading a message from the notification preview or using airplane mode. These are unreliable: a receipt may still send once you reconnect.
Is hiding my status worth it?
It helps if you feel pressure to reply quickly. It does not stop the other person from seeing that you posted or viewed a story. Parents setting rules for teens should also read parental controls for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. More guides are in more social media guides.
Which method should I choose?
If you only want quiet during work hours, switching off the activity status is the smallest change. If you dislike the pressure of “Seen” labels, turn off read receipts too, and accept that you will lose theirs. If one person in particular is the problem, a per-chat setting or Instagram’s Restrict feature is more targeted than a global switch.
What should I do when I want to reply later?
Switching off notifications for the app, or muting a single chat, avoids the problem without changing what others see. This is a practical tip rather than something drawn from the sources above.
Could a friend still guess that I read their message?
Yes. A reply, a like, a story view or being seen as online in another app can still give the game away. Settings hide specific signals, not your whole activity.
Check the app version before you start. Because Instagram has changed its menu names over time, a missing option usually means the app needs an update, or that the feature has moved under a slightly different heading in Settings.
Frequently asked questions
Will the other person be told I turned off read receipts?
None of the sources found say that apps send a notice. They do say the other person will no longer see “Seen” from you.
Why can I no longer see when others are online?
Instagram and WhatsApp both make these settings reciprocal. Hiding yours also hides theirs from you.
Do these settings work in group chats?
Not always. WhatsApp always sends read receipts in groups, according to its Help Center.
Why can’t I find the setting?
Labels differ by app version and device. Update the app, then search Settings for “activity status” or “read receipts.”