What Does ‘Seen’ Mean on Instagram? (All You Need to Know)

When you are scrolling through your inbox, have you ever noticed the ‘Seen’ label below a person’s name? Does it confuse you? Don’t you want to know more about it? If all the answers to these questions are yes, I have a perfect guide for you. Go through the guide below and discover its meaning and why it is an important feature on Instagram.

What Does ‘Seen’ Mean on Instagram?

The ‘Seen’ status on Instagram shows that the other person has viewed the direct message you have sent them. It is also used when someone has viewed your story. Seen appears under the message once it is opened. It is very important to understand that the person may have just opened the message but not read it. In such a situation it is also below the message you have sent to them. 

It is one feature that provides real-time feedback that allows you to know when the user has seen the message. Along with the seen, there is an eye representing the seen status of the message. Now that you know what the seen feature is all about, let us understand where it appears on the app. 

Also, read What Does Forward Mean on Instagram Story? (Complete Guide)

Where Can You Find ‘Seen’ Feature on Instagram? 

There are two places to find it on Instagram: 

1. Direct Messages 

Direct Messages are the conversations between you and the other person or within a group of people. When you send the message, there is a delivered label below the message. It shows that the person has received the message but not have seen it. The movement the other person opens the message, the label will change to ‘Seen.’ 

This indicates that the recipient has opened the message. There is no surety of whether the other person has actually read the message. Whether you are sending text messages, videos, or images, everything will be changed into this label. This feature provides transparency. You can get that label in any kind of conversation whether it is a one-on-one conversation, business interaction, or a group chat. 

2. Instagram Stories

You can also see the ‘Seen’ feature in the Instagram stories. Instagram stories are a feature where you can share something that lasts for 24 hours. When you post the story, you can track who has viewed it. There is a list provided to you with the names of viewers and their usernames. 

To check the people who have viewed your story, open the story and there will be an eye icon below each of the stories. Just tap on it to reveal all of the usernames and the number of viewers in the list. This is one of the features that is very important for brands and influencers.

Checking how many people have viewed their stories, can help to understand the engagement level of people with their content. The story ends after 24 hours of adding it. Therefore, the list of viewers also disappears after 24 hours. 

Can We Turn Off the ‘Seen’ Feature on Instagram?

Surprisingly, there is no built-in feature by which you can disable the ‘Seen’ feature on Instagram. Although, there are different techniques by which you can avoid this feature. Let’s explore them one by one:

1. Message Request 

One of the common ways by which you can read the message without this label appearing is through the message request. There are times when we receive messages from unknown people who do not follow us. Such messages appear in the message request section of Instagram. If you read them, there will be no ‘Seen’ label. This allows you to check the content without being noticed by the sender. However, the major problem is if you want to reply to them you will have to accept the message. It means that they will see the ‘seen’ label below the message they have sent. 

2. Taking Advantage of Airplane Mode 

One of the most interesting ways by which you can turn off this feature is by taking full advantage of airplane mode. It is popularly used when people are busy at unable to receive calls. But in such a situation, you can use airplane mode to view the message and stories without sending the seen notification. To do so follow the steps mentioned below: 

• Start by opening the Instagram app and let the messages or the stories load on it. 
• Now turn on the airplane mode of your device which will disconnect you from the internet.
• Open the message or view the story to check it. 
• Once done, close the Instagram app completely and then turn off the airplane mode. 
• This will help you to check the message or the story without getting labeled to the other person. 

3. Disabling the Read Receipts by Going to Settings 

Although there is no built-in feature by which you can turn off the label, Instagram offers a more direct way to manage the read receipts. To manage it, you will need to access the app’s settings. Here is how you can turn off the read receipts on Instagram: 

• Start by opening the Instagram app and visiting your profile page. 
• Click on the three horizontal lines present at the top right corner of the screen.
• There will be a list of menus. Scroll down and choose the settings option from it. 
• There will be multiple options including select messages and story replies. Click on it and there will be again new list of options on the screen. 
• Look for the option ‘Show Read Receipts’, click on it, and toggle it off. This will help to prevent others from knowing when you have read their messages or viewed the story. 

It is a permanent solution if you don’t want others to know that you have read their messages or viewed their story. However, please note that when you change the settings, you will also not be able to see who has read your messages. 

Also, read What Does the Green Dot Mean on Instagram? (Complete Guide)

Does the ‘Seen’ Feature Impact the Instagram Interactions? 

Every feature on Instagram has some relation with the interaction on it. This feature has an important effect on the way people interact with each other on the Instagram app. It is like a way of letting you know that your message is being seen by others. Let’s see how this feature has impacted Instagram interactions: 

Measuring Engagement: One of the most important things on Instagram is the engagement level. For any influencer or brand, engagement is very important. In DMs, the seen feature, lets the users know whether the messages were received and viewed by them or not. On the other hand, when we talk about Instagram stories, you can find out the number of viewers interested in your content by looking at the number of views on each story. The number of views on each story helps to determine what kind of content should you post in the future. 

Privacy Concerns: The seen feature is one such feature that provides transparency to the sender and the receiver. However, there may be some privacy concerns for a few users. Due to the seen feature users feel pressure to respond to avoid any tension. This may cause trouble and the interactions on Instagram may become less relaxed. There are many such incidences where the users have asked to provide more privacy control for this feature.

Also, read What Does Active Today Mean on Instagram? (Complete Guide)

Is ‘Seen’ Feature Useful on Instagram?

Now is the time to discuss the biggest confusion which is whether it is a useful feature or not. Below I have added the table to compare the benefits and drawbacks of using the Seen Feature on Instagram:

Benefits	Drawback
It provides transparency of when the message has been seen by the other person.	Though, it provides a lot of transparency some users are stressed about privacy issues. Most of them want to disable this feature in terms of privacy.
It may also improve ongoing communications, especially on time-sensitive topics	One of the most important problems that is related to the seen feature is the misinterpretation of it. Most people think that the user has read the message when they see “seen” on it.
When you see the label below your message, it gives you a feeling of emotional satisfaction.	There is a huge pressure to respond to the people once they have opened the message. It is because the other person will see seen label below your text.
Having a “seen feature” in your chats allows you to track when the messages have been received by the other person. This helps you to keep track of your conversation.	It is quite often that the person has seen your message but doesn’t reply back to you. This may lead to self-doubt or create tension between both of you.

Conclusion 

The ‘Seen’ status on Instagram is a way to know that the other person has seen the message you sent to them or has viewed your story. When you send a message to a user, you will notice a Seen label below their chat if they have opened the message. Please note that even if they have opened the message and have not actually read it, the seen label will still appear below their name.

It is available for everything you send in Direct Messages. Whether it is a text message, image, or something else, seen will appear once they open it. On the contrary, if we talk about stories, the seen label will include the number of people who have seen the story along with their names.

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