Where to find read receipts settings on Android
Read receipts on Android work differently depending on which messaging app you use. The most common apps — Messages (Google's default SMS app), WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Gmail — each have their own settings. There is no single Android-wide toggle that controls read receipts across all apps at once.
The setting you are looking for tells the other person whether you have opened and read their message. When read receipts are on, they see a checkmark or "read" timestamp. When you turn them off, they see only that the message was delivered, not that you opened it.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts are managed separately in each messaging app, not through a single Android setting.
- Google Messages, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Gmail all have their own read receipt toggles in settings.
- Turning off read receipts in one app does not affect other apps.
- Some apps let you turn off read receipts for all conversations at once, while others require you to disable them per conversation.
Turning off read receipts in Google Messages
Google Messages is the default SMS and RCS messaging app on most Android phones. To turn off read receipts, open Messages and tap the three-line menu icon in the top left corner. Select Settings, then tap Advanced. Look for Send read receipts and toggle it off.
Once you disable this setting, other people will no longer see when you have read their messages. This applies to all conversations in the app. You cannot turn read receipts off for just one person — the setting is all or nothing.
Turning off read receipts in WhatsApp
WhatsApp calls read receipts "read receipts" in the settings menu. Open WhatsApp and tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner. Go to Settings, then Privacy. You will see a toggle for Read receipts — turn it off.
When you disable read receipts in WhatsApp, the blue double checkmarks that normally appear when someone reads your message will not show. The other person will still see a single checkmark when the message is delivered to their phone, but they will not know when you actually open it.
Turning off read receipts in Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger does not have a global read receipt setting. Instead, you control read receipts on a per-conversation basis. Open a conversation, tap the person's name at the top, scroll down to Chat settings, and toggle off Read receipts.
You will need to repeat this step for each conversation where you want to hide your read status. There is no way to turn off read receipts for all Messenger conversations at once through the app settings.
Turning off read receipts in Gmail
Gmail's read receipts work differently than text messaging apps. When you receive an email, the sender can request a read receipt — a notification that you opened the message. Gmail does not send these automatically. When you open an email with a read receipt request, Gmail will ask you whether you want to send a receipt.
You can choose not to send a receipt each time you are asked. There is no setting to disable read receipt requests entirely, but you can ignore them whenever they appear. If you want to prevent senders from knowing you opened their email, simply do not send the receipt when prompted.
What happens when you turn off read receipts
When read receipts are off, other people see your messages as delivered but not read. In most apps, this means they see a single checkmark or a "delivered" status instead of a double checkmark or "read" timestamp. They will not know whether you have opened the message or when you opened it.
Turning off read receipts does not hide the fact that you are online or active in the app. Some apps show a "last seen" timestamp or an active status indicator separately from read receipts. If you want to hide your online status as well, look for a separate privacy setting for that in each app.
Turning read receipts back on
If you change your mind, you can turn read receipts back on using the same steps you used to turn them off. Go to the settings menu in whichever app you want to change, find the read receipts toggle, and turn it back on. The change takes effect immediately for new messages.
Turning read receipts back on does not retroactively send receipts for messages you received while they were off. Only messages you receive after you re-enable the setting will show your read status to other people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will people know I turned off read receipts?
No. When read receipts are off, people simply see that your message was delivered but not read. They have no way to know whether you disabled the feature or just have not opened the message yet. The setting is invisible to them.
Can I turn off read receipts for just one person?
In Google Messages and WhatsApp, read receipts are an all-or-nothing setting — you cannot disable them for one person while keeping them on for others. Facebook Messenger lets you turn them off per conversation, so you can hide your read status from specific people while keeping it on for others.
Does turning off read receipts hide my online status too?
No. Read receipts and online status are separate features. Turning off read receipts only hides when you read messages. If the app shows a "last seen" or "active now" indicator, that will still be visible. Look for a separate privacy setting to hide your online status.
What if I turn off read receipts but the other person still sees when I read their messages?
Make sure you turned off the setting in the correct app. Each messaging app has its own read receipt control, and turning it off in one app does not affect others. Also check that you are looking at the right setting — some apps have both a "read receipts" toggle and a separate "last seen" toggle.