Like most messaging apps, Snapchat alerts someone when you open and read a message they’ve sent. But did you know it’s possible to discretely read messages without the other person knowing? While it may have started as a simple application for sharing photos/videos with friends, Snapchat’s evolved to become one of the biggest social apps. Part of that is thanks to the sheer number of features now available on Snapchat. Between its Stories section, TikTok-like Spotlight videos, the Snap Map, and more, it’s easy to get sucked into everything.

Hiding among all of that are Snapchat’s messaging features. At any time, users can tap the messaging icon on the bottom navigation bar to access direct messages with friends. Snapchat users can send one-on-one messages, have group chats, start video calls, and even play light games with each other. It’s not quite as robust as an app like WhatsApp or iMessage, but for someone who spends a lot of time already in Snapchat, the messaging component gets the job done.

Related: How To Find & Celebrate Friends’ Birthdays On Snapchat

As mentioned above, Snapchat also has read receipts for messages. If someone sends you a direct message, they can see if you’ve opened it and whether or not you’re typing a response back. It’s a feature found in all messaging apps these days. However, unlike its competitors, Snapchat doesn’t have a built-in way to disable it. No matter who you’re talking to or how your settings are configured, opening a message on Snapchat always lets the other person know.

How To Read Snapchat Messages Without Them Knowing

Clearing the cache on Snapchat

That said, there is an unofficial workaround for this. It involves disconnecting your phone from the internet and tinkering with Snapchat settings, but it’s the best (and only) way to stop the feature. Open the Snapchat app on your phone, tap the messages icon at the bottom of the screen, and wait for your messages to load. Before opening the message you want to read, you’ll need to do the following:

  • On iPhones, swipe down from the top-right corner and tap the airplane icon to enable Airplane Mode (on Android, swipe down twice from the top of the screen and tap the airplane icon).
  • Go back to Snapchat and open the message you want to read.
  • After reading the message, tap the arrow icon in the top right corner to go back.
  • Tap your profile icon at the top left of the screen.
  • Tap the settings icon at the top right.
  • Scroll down the page.
  • Under Account Actions, tap ‘Clear Cache.’
  • Tap ‘Clear’ on the pop-up to confirm your action.

Once the cache is cleared, you can disable Airplane Mode, wait for your phone to reconnect to the internet, and Snapchat will act like you never opened the message that you just read. It’s not the most glamorous solution, but at the time of publication, it’s the only way to read Snapchat messages without the sender knowing.