How to disable read receipts in Messages
Read receipts are a setting that tells other people when you've opened and read their text messages. On iPhone, you can turn this off so others won't see a "Read" timestamp next to their messages to you. The setting is in the Messages app preferences, and it takes about 30 seconds to change.
Open Settings on your iPhone home screen. Scroll down and tap Messages. Look for the toggle next to Send Read Receipts and tap it to turn it off. The toggle will no longer be green, which means read receipts are now disabled.
Once you turn off read receipts, people who text you will see "Delivered" under their message instead of "Read". They won't know when you've actually opened and read what they sent. This applies to all your text conversations unless you change the setting again.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts show others the exact time you read their text messages, and you can disable this in Settings > Messages.
- When you turn off read receipts, senders will only see "Delivered" instead of "Read" next to their messages.
- This setting applies to all your text conversations at once — you cannot turn read receipts off for just one person.
- Turning off read receipts does not prevent you from seeing when others have read your messages if they have read receipts turned on.
What read receipts actually show
When someone has read receipts turned on, you see two gray checkmarks under your message once they've opened it. The first checkmark means the message was delivered to their phone. The second checkmark appears when they actually open the Messages app and read what you sent. A timestamp appears next to "Read" so you know exactly when they saw it.
Read receipts only work in the Messages app with text messages and iMessages. They don't work in other apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, or email. If someone has read receipts off, you'll only ever see "Delivered" no matter how long they wait before responding.
Why you might want to turn read receipts off
Some people turn off read receipts because they don't want others to know they've seen a message but haven't responded yet. This is especially common in work situations where a quick response is expected, or in personal relationships where delayed replies might cause tension. Turning off read receipts gives you the freedom to read and think about a message without immediately signaling that you've seen it.
Others disable read receipts for privacy reasons — they simply don't want to share that level of detail about when they're using their phone. There's no right or wrong reason to turn them off. The setting exists because Apple recognizes that not everyone wants this information visible to others.
Turning read receipts back on if you change your mind
If you decide later that you want read receipts on again, the process is identical. Go to Settings, tap Messages, and toggle Send Read Receipts back on. The toggle will turn green again, and from that moment forward, people will see when you've read their messages.
Keep in mind that turning read receipts back on doesn't retroactively show people when you read their old messages. It only applies to messages you receive after you turn the setting back on. Past messages will still show as "Delivered" if they were sent while read receipts were off.
Read receipts in group chats
In group text conversations, read receipts work the same way — if you have them on, everyone in the group will see when you've read the message. If you turn them off, the group will only see "Delivered" from you. Your read receipt setting applies to group chats just as it does to one-on-one conversations.
One thing to note: in a group chat, you'll still see individual read receipts from other people if they have read receipts turned on. So even if you turn yours off, you can still see when others in the group have read messages. The setting only controls what information you send out about yourself, not what you receive from others.
What happens on older iPhones or iOS versions
The read receipts setting has been in Messages since iOS 5, so it's available on any iPhone model that's still in use. The location and name of the setting have remained consistent across iOS versions, so the steps above work whether you're on the latest iOS or a version from several years ago.
If you can't find the setting, make sure you're looking in the right place: Settings > Messages > Send Read Receipts. If Messages doesn't appear in your Settings list, scroll down — it's usually near the bottom of the app list. If you still can't locate it, restart your iPhone and try again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off read receipts for just one person?
No. The read receipts setting is all-or-nothing on iPhone — it either applies to everyone or no one. If you want to hide your read status from a specific person, you would need to turn off read receipts entirely, which affects all your conversations. There's no way to selectively disable read receipts for individual contacts.
If I turn off read receipts, can people still see when I'm typing?
Yes. The typing indicator (the three dots that appear when you're composing a message) is a separate feature from read receipts. Turning off read receipts does not hide the typing indicator. If you want to hide both, you would need to disable the typing indicator separately in the same Messages settings menu.
Will turning off read receipts affect iMessage and regular text messages differently?
The setting applies to both iMessages (messages sent over data to other Apple devices) and regular SMS text messages. However, read receipts only actually work with iMessages — regular SMS text messages don't support read receipts at all, so the setting doesn't change anything for those conversations.
What if someone asks me to turn read receipts back on?
You're not required to turn read receipts on for anyone. It's your phone and your privacy setting. If someone wants to know when you've read their messages, they can ask you directly, but you have no obligation to enable a feature you've chosen to disable.
Does turning off read receipts save battery?
Not meaningfully. Read receipts use a tiny amount of data and processing power, but disabling them won't noticeably extend your battery life. If you're looking to improve battery performance, there are other settings that have a much larger impact, like reducing screen brightness or disabling background app refresh.