Turn off read receipts in Settings, Messages app
To stop sending read receipts on your iPhone, open Settings, then tap Messages. Scroll down to find Send Read Receipts and toggle it off. Once you do this, people who text you through the Messages app will no longer see when you have read their messages.
This setting controls only the Messages app — the built-in texting tool that comes with every iPhone. If you use other messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or iMessage through a Mac, each one has its own read receipt setting that you control separately.
The change takes effect immediately. Messages you receive after you turn off read receipts will not show the sender that you have read them. Messages you received before the change will still show as read if you already opened them.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts are turned off in Settings > Messages > Send Read Receipts, and the toggle applies only to the Messages app.
- Turning off read receipts prevents others from seeing the "Read" timestamp under their messages, but does not hide whether you are online.
- Third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp and Messenger have their own separate read receipt controls in their individual settings.
- You can turn read receipts back on at any time by returning to the same setting and toggling it on again.
What read receipts actually show
A read receipt is a notification that appears under a message to tell the sender you have opened and read it. In the Messages app, it shows the word "Read" followed by a timestamp — for example, "Read 2:34 PM". Without read receipts on, the sender sees only "Delivered" and does not know whether you have actually read the message.
Read receipts do not hide whether you are using your phone or online. They only tell the sender whether you have opened that specific message. Someone can still see if you are active in other apps or if you have seen their message in a group chat where read receipts are enabled for everyone.
How to turn off read receipts for group messages
The same Messages setting controls read receipts for both individual and group texts. When you toggle off Send Read Receipts in Settings, it applies to all conversations at once — you cannot turn them off for only certain people or only for groups.
If you want to hide read receipts in a group chat but keep them on for individual conversations, you would need to turn off the setting entirely and then manually manage each conversation. There is no built-in way to have different rules for different chats.
Read receipts in iMessage versus SMS
iMessage is Apple's messaging service that works between iPhones, iPads, and Macs. SMS is the standard text message that works on any phone. The Send Read Receipts setting in Messages controls both — when you turn it off, neither iMessage nor SMS messages will show read receipts.
You can tell which type of message you are sending by the color of the message bubble: blue means iMessage, green means SMS. The read receipt setting applies to both equally, so you cannot turn off read receipts for only SMS or only iMessage.
What happens when you turn read receipts back on
If you turn read receipts back on later, people will start seeing "Read" notifications again for new messages. Old messages that you read while read receipts were off will not retroactively show as read — the sender will still see only "Delivered" for those.
Turning the setting on and off does not affect messages that are already in a conversation. It only changes what happens to messages you receive from that point forward.
Read receipts in other messaging apps
WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct Messages, and other third-party apps each have their own read receipt controls. These are not connected to your iPhone's Messages setting. To turn off read receipts in WhatsApp, for example, open the app, go to Settings, tap Account, then Privacy, and toggle off Read Receipts.
Each app stores this setting within itself, so you have to change it separately for every messaging service you use. There is no master control on your iPhone that turns off read receipts across all apps at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will people know I turned off read receipts?
No. When read receipts are off, senders see "Delivered" instead of "Read", but they have no way to know whether you disabled the feature or simply have not opened the message yet. The setting is invisible to other people.
Can I turn off read receipts for just one person?
No. The Messages setting applies to all conversations. If you want to hide read receipts from one person, you would have to turn off the setting for everyone. There is no per-contact control.
Does turning off read receipts hide my online status?
No. Read receipts and online status are separate. Turning off read receipts only hides whether you have read a specific message. Someone can still see if you are active in the Messages app or other apps through other means.
What if I turn off read receipts but someone else has them on?
Read receipts work one direction at a time. If you turn them off, people cannot see when you read their messages. If they turn theirs off, you cannot see when they read your messages. Each person controls what they send, not what they receive.
Do read receipts work in group chats?
Yes. In a group chat, if read receipts are on, everyone in the conversation can see when each person has read the message. If you turn off read receipts, your "Read" status will not appear in any group chat.