Is it possible to read Instagram DMs without seen?

My teenager has been super secretive lately and stays up all night sending messages on IG, which has me pretty worried about who they might be talking to. I know I can technically just open the app when they leave their phone charging, but I really don’t want to trigger the read receipt and start a huge fight if it turns out to be nothing. Does anyone know a trick or setting that actually works for checking their inbox secretly without tipping off the sender that the messages were opened?

Tessa, as a parent, it’s natural to have concerns. Instead of looking for tricks, consider having an open conversation with your teen. If you still want to monitor their activity, I recommend using built-in OS tools or a reliable parental control solution like mSpy to keep an eye on their online interactions without resorting to snooping or triggering unnecessary drama.