Turn off read receipts in your messaging app settings
Read receipts let the person you're texting know the exact moment you've opened their message. On Android, you can disable this feature in most messaging apps by going into Settings and finding the privacy or chat options. The exact steps depend on which app you use — Google Messages, WhatsApp, Samsung Messages, or a third-party option — but they all follow the same basic path: open the app, find Settings, look for a privacy or notifications section, and toggle read receipts off.
Once you turn off read receipts, the other person won't see a checkmark, timestamp, or "read" indicator when you open their messages. They'll still know the message was delivered, but they won't know when you actually read it. This works both ways: if you turn off read receipts, you also won't see when others have read your messages in that same app.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts show the exact moment you open a message, and you can turn them off in your messaging app's Settings menu under privacy or chat options.
- Different Android apps handle read receipts differently — Google Messages, WhatsApp, and Samsung Messages each have their own toggle location.
- Turning off read receipts affects both directions: others won't see when you read their messages, and you won't see when they read yours.
- Some apps let you turn off read receipts for all conversations at once, while others let you control it per conversation or per contact.
How to disable read receipts in Google Messages
Google Messages is the default texting app on many Android phones. To turn off read receipts, open Google Messages and tap the three-line menu icon in the top left corner. Select Settings, then tap Advanced, and look for the option labeled "Show read receipts." Toggle this off.
If you don't see this option, your phone may not support read receipts in Google Messages, or your carrier may not support the feature. This is common on older Android versions or with certain carriers. You can still use the app normally — the read receipt feature simply won't be available.
How to disable read receipts in WhatsApp
WhatsApp gives you control over read receipts through its Account settings. Open WhatsApp, tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner, select Settings, then tap Account. Choose Privacy and look for the "Read Receipts" option. Toggle it off.
When you turn off read receipts in WhatsApp, others will see two gray checkmarks when you read their message instead of two blue checkmarks. You'll still know when messages are delivered (one checkmark) and sent (two checkmarks), but the blue color change won't happen. This setting applies to all your conversations at once.
How to disable read receipts in Samsung Messages
If you use Samsung's built-in messaging app, open it and tap the three-dot menu in the top right. Select Settings, then tap More Settings. Look for an option called "Read receipts" or "Delivery reports" and toggle it off. The exact wording varies depending on your Samsung phone model and Android version.
Samsung Messages may also let you control read receipts on a per-conversation basis. If you want to turn them off for just one person, open that conversation, tap the three-dot menu, and look for a privacy or settings option specific to that thread.
How to disable read receipts in other messaging apps
If you use a different texting app — Telegram, Signal, Facebook Messenger, or another option — the process is similar but the menu locations differ. Open your app and look for Settings or Preferences. Search for a Privacy, Chat, or Messages section. Most apps have a toggle for read receipts, delivery receipts, or "last seen" status in one of these areas.
Some apps like Signal let you turn off read receipts globally, while others like Telegram let you control it per conversation. Check your app's help section or settings menu if you can't find the option — it may be labeled differently than you expect.
What happens when you turn off read receipts
When you disable read receipts, the other person won't see any indicator that you've opened their message. They'll see that the message was delivered to your phone, but not when you actually read it. This can be useful if you want privacy or if you don't want people to feel ignored when you read a message but don't respond right away.
The trade-off is that you also won't see when others have read your messages in that app. If you're waiting for a response and want to know if someone has at least seen your message, turning off read receipts removes that information for you too. You can always turn read receipts back on later if you change your mind.
Turn off read receipts for one conversation only
Some Android messaging apps let you control read receipts on a per-conversation basis instead of turning them off for everyone. In WhatsApp, you can't do this — the setting is all or nothing. But in some third-party apps or in Samsung Messages, you may be able to mute read receipts for specific people or group chats.
To find this option, open a specific conversation and look for a menu or settings icon. Tap it and search for privacy, notification, or read receipt options. Not all apps support this level of control, so you may need to stick with the global setting if your app doesn't offer per-conversation controls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will people know I turned off read receipts?
No. When you turn off read receipts, people won't see any indication that you've disabled the feature. They'll simply stop seeing the "read" indicator on your messages. They may notice over time that you never show a read receipt, but they won't get a notification that you turned it off.
Can I turn off read receipts for just one person?
Most Android messaging apps don't support this. You can turn read receipts off globally for everyone, or leave them on for everyone. Some third-party apps may offer per-contact controls, but the major apps like WhatsApp, Google Messages, and Samsung Messages do not. You would need to use a different app or contact method if you want to hide read receipts from one specific person.
If I turn off read receipts, will I still see when others read my messages?
No. Read receipts work both ways. When you turn them off, you won't see read receipts from others, and they won't see them from you. If you want to see when people read your messages but don't want them to see when you read theirs, you'll need to keep read receipts on.
Do I need to turn off read receipts in every app separately?
Yes. Each messaging app has its own read receipt setting. If you use WhatsApp, Google Messages, and Telegram, you'll need to turn off read receipts in each one individually. There's no system-wide Android setting that controls read receipts across all apps at once.
What's the difference between read receipts and delivery receipts?
A delivery receipt shows that your message reached the other person's phone. A read receipt shows that they actually opened and read the message. Delivery receipts are usually always on, while read receipts are optional. Turning off read receipts doesn't affect delivery receipts — people will still know your message arrived.