Turn off read receipts in WhatsApp settings
To stop showing when you've read someone's message, open WhatsApp and go to Settings (the gear icon on Android, or tap Settings at the bottom right on iPhone). Select Privacy, then toggle off Read Receipts. The change takes effect immediately — people won't see the two blue checkmarks that normally appear when you open their message.
This setting works across all your chats at once. You can't turn off read receipts for just one person or one conversation — it's all or nothing. When you disable it, no one will know when you've read their messages, but you also won't see when others have read yours.
The setting is the same whether you use WhatsApp on your phone, WhatsApp Web on a computer, or WhatsApp Desktop. If you sign into WhatsApp on multiple devices, turning off read receipts on one device turns it off everywhere you use WhatsApp.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts are turned off through Settings > Privacy > Read Receipts on both Android and iPhone.
- Disabling read receipts means nobody can see when you've read their messages, but you also won't see when they've read yours.
- The setting applies to all your conversations at once — you cannot turn off read receipts for specific people or chats.
- If you use WhatsApp on multiple devices, the setting syncs across all of them.
What read receipts actually show
WhatsApp uses checkmarks to show the status of your messages. One gray checkmark means the message was sent. Two gray checkmarks mean it reached the recipient's phone. Two blue checkmarks mean the person has opened the message and read it.
When you turn off read receipts, the two blue checkmarks never appear — the message stays at two gray checkmarks even after someone reads it. This applies only to messages sent to you. Your own messages will still show blue checkmarks to other people (unless they have also turned off read receipts).
Why you might want to turn off read receipts
Some people turn off read receipts because they don't want others to know they've seen a message but haven't responded yet. This is useful if you like to read messages when you have a moment but don't want to feel pressured to reply immediately.
Others turn them off for privacy reasons — they prefer that nobody knows when they're actively using WhatsApp or checking their phone. Turning off read receipts doesn't hide your online status (that's a separate setting), but it does prevent one form of tracking your activity.
In group chats, read receipts can feel intrusive because everyone sees when everyone else has read the message. Disabling them removes that layer of visibility from all your conversations.
The difference between read receipts and online status
Read receipts and online status are two separate privacy settings. Read receipts show whether you've opened a specific message. Online status shows whether you're currently using WhatsApp right now.
You can turn off read receipts without hiding your online status, or hide your online status without turning off read receipts. To hide your online status, go to Settings > Privacy > Last Seen and Online, and choose who can see it (Everyone, My Contacts, or Nobody). This doesn't affect read receipts.
What happens in group chats when read receipts are off
In group conversations, turning off read receipts means the group won't see the blue checkmarks next to your name when you read messages. Other group members will still see blue checkmarks for their own messages if they have read receipts turned on, but they won't see them for yours.
Group admins cannot force read receipts on or off for other members — it's always an individual choice. If some people in the group have read receipts on and others have them off, you'll see blue checkmarks only for the people who haven't disabled them.
Turning read receipts back on
If you change your mind, you can turn read receipts back on the same way you turned them off. Go to Settings > Privacy > Read Receipts and toggle it back on. Once you do, people will start seeing blue checkmarks again when they send you messages.
Turning read receipts back on doesn't show your past activity — it only affects messages you receive from that point forward. People won't retroactively see that you read their old messages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off read receipts for just one person?
No. The read receipts setting is global — it applies to all your chats at once. If you turn it off, nobody can see when you've read their messages. There's no way to disable it for one contact while keeping it on for others.
If I turn off read receipts, will I still see when others have read my messages?
No. When you disable read receipts, it works both ways. You won't see blue checkmarks on your messages, and others won't see them on theirs (unless they have read receipts turned on). The setting is mutual.
Does turning off read receipts hide that I'm online?
No. Read receipts and online status are separate. Turning off read receipts only hides when you've opened a message. To hide that you're currently using WhatsApp, go to Settings > Privacy > Last Seen and Online and change who can see your status.
Will people know I turned off read receipts?
They'll notice that your messages never show blue checkmarks, but WhatsApp doesn't send a notification saying you've disabled read receipts. Some people might assume you have it turned off, but there's no official announcement.
Can I turn off read receipts on WhatsApp Web or Desktop?
Yes. The setting syncs across all devices where you use WhatsApp. If you turn it off on your phone, it's automatically off on WhatsApp Web and Desktop too. You don't need to change it separately on each device.