Turn off read receipts so people can't see when you've read their messages
Microsoft Teams shows a small icon under messages when you've read them — usually a checkmark or your profile picture. If you don't want people to know you've seen their message, you can turn this off in your settings. The setting works across all your chats and channels, and the change takes effect immediately.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're using Teams on Windows, Mac, or the web. Once you turn off read receipts, people won't see when you've opened their messages, though they'll still see that messages were delivered.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts show other people when you've read a message, and you can disable this in Teams settings.
- On Windows and Mac, go to Settings, then Privacy, then toggle off "Show read receipts".
- On the web version, the setting is in Settings under Privacy with the same toggle.
- Turning off read receipts affects all your chats and channels at once, and the change is immediate.
- People can still see that your message was delivered — they just won't know when you opened it.
How to turn off read receipts on Windows
Open Microsoft Teams and look for your profile picture in the top right corner. Click on it to open a small menu. Select Settings from the menu that appears.
In the Settings window, click Privacy in the left sidebar. You'll see a toggle next to "Show read receipts". Click the toggle to turn it off. The toggle will change color or position to show it's now disabled. Close the Settings window — your change is saved automatically.
How to turn off read receipts on Mac
The process on Mac is nearly identical to Windows. Click your profile picture in the top right corner of Teams and select Settings. In the Settings window, find Privacy in the left sidebar.
Look for the "Show read receipts" toggle and click it to turn it off. The toggle will show that it's disabled. Close the Settings window and your change takes effect right away. You don't need to restart Teams or sign out.
How to turn off read receipts on the web version
If you use Teams in your web browser, click your profile picture in the top right corner. Select Settings from the dropdown menu. Click Privacy in the left sidebar, just as you would on the desktop version.
Find the "Show read receipts" toggle and click it to turn it off. The change saves automatically. If you use Teams on multiple devices, you may need to repeat this step on each one, since the setting can be different for each device you sign into.
What happens when you turn off read receipts
When read receipts are off, other people won't see any indicator that you've opened their messages. In group chats and channels, they won't see your name or picture appear under their message. In one-on-one chats, they won't see the checkmark or icon that normally shows you've read what they sent.
Turning off read receipts doesn't hide anything else — people can still see when you're typing, when you're online, or when you last used Teams. They'll also still see that messages were delivered to you; they just won't know the exact moment you opened them. If you send a message, people will still see when you read their replies.
Turn read receipts back on if you change your mind
If you decide you want read receipts on again, go back to the same setting and toggle it back on. Follow the same steps: open Settings, click Privacy, and toggle "Show read receipts" to the on position. The change takes effect immediately, and people will start seeing read receipts from you again.
You can turn this setting on and off as many times as you want. There's no penalty or waiting period — it's just a personal preference setting that only affects what you show to others.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will people know I turned off read receipts?
No. People won't see any notification that you've disabled read receipts. They'll simply stop seeing the indicators that you've read their messages. They may notice over time that you're not showing read receipts, but Teams doesn't announce the change.
Does turning off read receipts hide my online status too?
No. Read receipts and online status are separate settings. Turning off read receipts only hides when you've opened messages. People can still see if you're currently active in Teams or when you were last online. If you want to hide your online status, that's a different setting in Privacy.
If I turn off read receipts, can I still see when others have read my messages?
Yes. Your read receipt setting only controls what you show to others. You'll still see read receipts from people who have them turned on. If someone has read receipts off, you simply won't see an indicator from them.
Do read receipts work the same way in Teams channels and direct messages?
Read receipts work in both channels and direct messages, and turning off the setting affects both. In channels, people won't see your name under messages. In direct messages, you won't show the read indicator. The toggle controls both at once.
What if I'm using Teams on my phone?
The Teams mobile app has the same read receipt setting. Open the app, tap your profile picture, go to Settings, then Privacy, and toggle off "Show read receipts". The setting works the same way as on desktop and web versions.