Instagram's read receipts feature allows users to see who has viewed their direct messages or DMs. When a user sends a DM, they will see a checkmark beside the message indicating that it has been sent. A second check mark will appear when the recipient has read the message. This feature is similar to reading receipts on other messaging apps like WhatsApp and iMessage. Read receipts Instagram are only visible when both users are following each other. Otherwise, the user will not be able to see if their message has been read. The feature can be turned off in privacy settings if desired.