Instagram appears to be exploring a feature that could turn invisible browsing into a premium perk.
An internal "read-only mode" would allow some users to scroll the app without leaving obvious interaction signals behind.
Here's what to know
Screenshots shared on the social platform X by leaker and mobile developer Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) point to internal work on an Instagram setting labeled "read-only mode."
#Instagram is working on a new perk for Instagram Plus: Read-Only Mode 👀 ℹ️ Browse a profile in read-only mode, preventing you from liking, commenting, messaging, following, or viewing stories. https://t.co/eQIDjAnn1c
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) October 3, 2026
In those images, Engadget noted the mode is described as a session where "you can't like, comment, message, follow or view stories." That setup would, at least based on the screenshots, let someone move through profiles and posts without creating the usual record of activity through likes, story views, follows, or messages.
The same images indicate the idea may be tied to "Instagram Plus" accounts, which would frame the extra privacy as a subscriber benefit rather than a broader safety feature.
Instagram says the idea is nowhere near a rollout. In a statement to Engadget, a spokesperson said read-only mode "is an internal-only exploration, not testing externally at all."
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More background
One of the concerns raised by the outlet is whether lowering those visibility cues could make stalking or other harmful behavior easier.
The screenshots specifically mention stories. Story views are one of the few built-in signals Instagram users have to understand who is looking at their content, so a mode that removes that trace would strip away information many people rely on.
The development also taps into a broader frustration with tech platforms turning basic experiences into subscription features. If "read-only mode" were ultimately offered through a Plus-style tier, users could reasonably view it as a company monetizing stealth rather than investing in tools that make the platform safer or more transparent.
A feature that helps paying subscribers move around unseen could leave everyone else with less clarity about who is engaging with their posts and profiles.
"So this is the setup for AI bots to be allowed to scan all photos of you with no consequences," a commenter on Engadget theorized. "You know for internal use only."
What's being done?
The feature appears to still be at the concept stage. The existing system of likes, follows, messages, and story views remains in place while the company decides whether the concept goes any further.
Paluzzi's discovery brought the internal work into the open before any broader release.
Not every in-house test survives to launch. Tech companies routinely explore features that never ship, so Instagram still has time to abandon the idea or rework it around the stalking concerns tied to it.
Where can I learn more?
The same privacy and platform-trust issues behind Instagram's rumored read-only mode are common.
• Meta's removal of message encryption means it can once again read some Instagram DMs.
• On Instagram, an AI therapy bot left one user rattled after an intimate exchange.
• Instagram users discovered energy-hungry AI profiles, and the backlash was immediate.
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