Turn off read receipts in Messages, Mail, and FaceTime

Read receipts let other people see when you've opened their messages. On Mac, you can turn this off in three places: the Messages app, Mail, and FaceTime. Each one has its own setting, and turning off read receipts in one app doesn't affect the others. If you don't want people to know you've seen their message, you'll need to disable the setting in whichever app they're using to contact you.

The steps are straightforward and take less than a minute per app. Once you turn off read receipts, the other person won't see a "Read" timestamp next to their message, and they won't know when you've opened it.

Key Takeaways

  • Read receipts are turned on separately in Messages, Mail, and FaceTime — disabling one doesn't affect the others.
  • In Messages, the setting is under Preferences in the Sending tab, labeled "Send read receipts."
  • In Mail, you'll find it under Preferences in the Viewing tab as "Display unread status only."
  • In FaceTime, the setting is in System Settings under FaceTime, not in the app itself.
  • Turning off read receipts means people won't see when you've opened their messages, but they can still see if you've delivered them.

Disable read receipts in Messages

Open the Messages app and click Messages in the menu bar at the top of your screen. Select Preferences from the dropdown. Click the Sending tab at the top of the window.

Look for the checkbox next to "Send read receipts." If it has a checkmark, click it to uncheck it. The box should now be empty. Close the Preferences window — your change saves automatically. From now on, when someone sends you a message in Messages, they won't see a "Read" notification when you open it.

Disable read receipts in Mail

Open the Mail app and click Mail in the menu bar at the top. Select Preferences from the dropdown. Click the Viewing tab.

Scroll down until you see "Display unread status only." Check the box next to it if it's not already checked. This setting prevents Mail from sending read receipts to people who request them. Close the Preferences window. Your Mail app will no longer send notifications when you open emails that have read receipt requests attached.

Disable read receipts in FaceTime

Read receipts in FaceTime show when you've seen a message in the FaceTime app. To turn this off, you need to go to System Settings, not the FaceTime app itself. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Settings.

Click FaceTime in the sidebar on the left. Scroll down and look for "Send read receipts." If the toggle switch is on (it will be blue), click it to turn it off. The switch should now be gray. Close System Settings. FaceTime will no longer send read receipts to other users when you open their messages.

What happens when you turn off read receipts

When you disable read receipts, the other person won't see a "Read" timestamp or notification next to their message. They also won't see a "Delivered" status change to "Read" when you open the conversation. However, they can still see that their message was delivered to you — they just won't know the exact moment you opened it.

Turning off read receipts doesn't hide your online status or prevent people from seeing when you're typing. If you want to hide those things too, you'll need to adjust different settings. Read receipts only control whether people see the moment you open a specific message.

Why you might want to turn off read receipts

Some people turn off read receipts because they don't want others to feel pressured to respond immediately. If someone sees you've read their message, they might expect a reply right away, even if you're busy or need time to think. Turning off read receipts removes that pressure.

Others disable them for privacy reasons — they prefer that people don't track their activity or know their exact schedule. Some people turn them off selectively, keeping them on for close friends or family but disabling them for work contacts or acquaintances.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off read receipts for just one person?

No. The read receipt setting applies to everyone you message in that app. You can't disable it for one contact while keeping it on for another. If you want different people to have different levels of information about your activity, you would need to use different apps or devices for different contacts.

Will people know I turned off read receipts?

No. They'll simply stop seeing the "Read" notification next to their messages. They might notice you're no longer showing read receipts, but the app won't send them a notification saying you've disabled the feature. Some people might ask you directly if you've turned them off.

Does turning off read receipts in Messages affect iMessage on my iPhone?

No. Your Mac and iPhone have separate settings. If you turn off read receipts on your Mac, your iPhone will still send them unless you also disable the setting there. You need to change the setting on each device individually.

What's the difference between "delivered" and "read"?

Delivered means the message reached the other person's device. Read means they've actually opened and seen the message. When you turn off read receipts, people still see "Delivered," but they won't see when it changes to "Read."

Can I turn read receipts back on later?

Yes. Follow the same steps and check the box (or toggle the switch) again. You can turn read receipts on and off as many times as you want. The setting takes effect immediately.