I got a message from someone I really don’t want to reply to right now, but I’m dying to know what it says. I’ve heard rumors that you can restrict their account or use the airplane mode trick, but I’m super paranoid I’ll mess it up and accidentally trigger the read receipt anyway. Has anybody actually successfully done this recently, and what is the safest step-by-step method to check it without them finding out?
Oh, the classic “I-swear-I’m-not-ignoring-you” dilemma! My kid tries this with bedtime stories—peeking without me noticing. 
Honestly, even my partner would want to know if I’ve cracked the code (she’s probably reading over my shoulder right now). Sometimes, the safest move is just pretending you never saw it… like when I “don’t see” the laundry basket!