Read receipts let other people know the exact moment you've seen their message

A read receipt is a notification that tells the sender you've opened and read their message. When you turn read receipts on, the other person sees something like "Seen at 2:34 PM" or a small checkmark that changes when you read their message. Turning them off means people won't know when you've read what they sent — they'll only know if and when you reply.

Whether you want to turn them off depends on what matters to you. Some people disable read receipts to avoid the pressure of responding immediately, or to keep their reading habits private. Others leave them on because they like the clarity of knowing a message was received and seen. The choice is yours, and most messaging apps let you control this setting individually.

Key Takeaways

  • Read receipts are turned on by default in most messaging apps, but you can disable them in settings on iPhone, Android, Windows, and Mac.
  • Turning off read receipts on your device means you won't send them to others, but you may still see when other people read your messages if their read receipts are on.
  • Different apps handle read receipts differently — iMessage, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Gmail each have their own toggle location.
  • Some apps let you turn off read receipts for all conversations at once, while others let you disable them per conversation or per contact.

How to turn off read receipts on iPhone

On iPhone, read receipts work differently depending on which app you're using. For iMessage (the blue text bubbles), go to Settings, then Messages, then scroll down and toggle off "Send Read Receipts." This stops you from sending read receipts to anyone, but you'll still see when others read your messages if they have their receipts turned on.

For WhatsApp, open the app and tap Settings (the gear icon at the bottom right), then Account, then Privacy. Toggle off "Read Receipts." For Facebook Messenger, open the app, tap your profile picture at the top left, scroll to Messages, and toggle off "Read Receipts." Each app stores this setting in a different place, so if you use multiple messaging apps, you'll need to check each one separately.

How to turn off read receipts on Android

Android phones vary by manufacturer and messaging app, but the general path is similar. For WhatsApp, tap the three dots at the top right, go to Settings, then Account, then Privacy, and toggle off "Read Receipts." For Facebook Messenger, tap your profile picture, scroll down to Messages, and toggle off "Read Receipts."

For Google Messages (the default texting app on many Android phones), open the app, tap the three dots at the top right, go to Settings, then Advanced, and toggle off "Send read receipts." If you use a different texting app or a phone from Samsung, Motorola, or another manufacturer, the path may differ slightly — check your app's settings menu under Privacy or Messages.

How to turn off read receipts on Windows and Mac

On Mac, open Messages, then go to Messages in the menu bar, then Preferences. Click the General tab and uncheck "Send read receipts." On Windows, if you use the Messages app from Microsoft, open it and click the three dots at the top right, then Settings, then Privacy, and toggle off "Send read receipts."

For Gmail on either computer, open Gmail in your browser, click the gear icon in the top right, go to Settings, then scroll to the bottom and click "See all settings." Click the Advanced tab, scroll to "Read receipts," and select "Disable." This only affects Gmail — other email clients like Outlook or Apple Mail have their own read receipt settings in their preferences or account settings.

What happens when you turn off read receipts

When you disable read receipts, people who message you won't see when you've read their message. They'll see that the message was delivered, but there won't be a timestamp or checkmark showing you opened it. You'll only appear to have engaged with them when you actually send a reply.

One important detail: turning off your read receipts doesn't prevent you from seeing when other people read your messages. If someone else has their read receipts turned on, you'll still see "Seen at" or a checkmark when they open your message. Read receipts are one-way — you control whether you send them, not whether you receive them.

Why you might want to turn off read receipts

Some people turn off read receipts because they don't want others to feel ignored if they read a message but don't reply right away. If you're busy or thinking about how to respond, a read receipt can create an awkward silence where the sender knows you've seen their message but haven't answered. Without read receipts, there's no visible gap between reading and responding.

Others disable read receipts for privacy reasons — they prefer that no one knows their reading habits or when they're actively using their phone. Some people also turn them off to reduce the pressure of feeling obligated to respond immediately. There's no right answer; it depends on what feels comfortable for you and what kind of communication style you prefer.

Turning off read receipts for one person or conversation

Most messaging apps let you turn off read receipts globally (for everyone), but some also let you control them per conversation. In iMessage, you can't disable read receipts for just one person — it's all or nothing. In WhatsApp, you also can't turn off read receipts for specific contacts; the setting applies to all your conversations.

In Facebook Messenger, you can mute notifications from specific people, but you can't disable read receipts for just one conversation. If you want more granular control, you might consider using a different messaging app for sensitive conversations, or simply accepting that read receipts are on for everyone. Check your specific app's settings to see what options are available.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I turn off read receipts, will people know I did it?

No. People won't receive a notification that you've disabled read receipts. They'll simply stop seeing "Seen at" timestamps or checkmarks on your messages. They might notice over time that you never show read receipts, but there's no alert that tells them you turned the setting off.

Can I turn off read receipts for text messages but keep them on for iMessage?

No. On iPhone, the "Send Read Receipts" toggle in Settings applies to iMessage only — regular text messages (SMS) don't have read receipts at all. If you want different settings for different apps, you'll need to manage each app separately in its own settings.

What if I turn off read receipts and then turn them back on later?

You can turn read receipts on and off as many times as you want. Once you turn them back on, people will start seeing when you read their messages again. There's no record of the time you had them off, and no notification goes out when you re-enable them.

Do read receipts work the same way in group chats?

In most apps, yes — if you have read receipts on, people in group chats will see when you've read the message. Some apps like WhatsApp show individual read receipts for each person in the group, so everyone can see who has and hasn't read the latest message.

Why do I still see read receipts from other people if I turned mine off?

Because read receipts are controlled by the sender, not the receiver. When you turn off your read receipts, you stop sending them to others. But if someone else has their read receipts turned on, you'll still see when they read your messages — their setting doesn't affect what you see.