Instagram Explores 'Read-only Mode' for Plus Subscribers, Company Says It Is Internal Only

Paluzzi, who posts findings from unreleased app builds on X, shared images showing the setting under the name read-only mode. According to the screenshots he published, the option would create a session in which a user cannot like, comment, message, follow or view stories on the social network. That combination would let someone scroll through Instagram without leaving any visible trace of what they had been looking at.

The images indicate the feature is a concept for Instagram Plus accounts, the platform's paid subscription tier. Instagram has not said when or whether the option might reach users. The company's statement to Engadget places the work at an exploratory stage, and technology platforms routinely build and test features that never become available to the public.

The screenshots do not show whether Instagram has acknowledged internally that a session with reduced visibility could be used for stalking or other criminal purposes. Engadget noted in its report that it is unclear whether the team has weighed that risk, and wrote that addressing those safety concerns would matter before any external testing or launch.

Instagram Plus is the company's subscription offering, and the read-only concept is one of several features the platform has considered for paying users. No details were disclosed about pricing, availability or which accounts would receive access. Instagram did not provide additional comment beyond the statement that the exploration is internal.