What read receipts do and why you might want them
Read receipts are notifications that tell you when someone has opened and read your message. Instead of just seeing "delivered," you see a second checkmark, a timestamp, or a "read" label — depending on which app you use. This works both ways: when you turn them on, people can see when you've read their messages too.
Read receipts are useful if you need to know whether someone has actually seen your message or if they're ignoring you. They're less useful if you value privacy or want the option to read something without immediately signaling that you've done so. Most messaging apps let you turn them on or off individually, so you can choose which conversations get this feature.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts are turned on or off in the settings of each messaging app, not your phone's main settings.
- When you turn on read receipts, other people can see when you've read their messages, so the feature works both directions.
- Different apps use different names for this feature — iMessage calls it "Send Read Receipts," WhatsApp calls it "Read Receipts," and Facebook Messenger calls it "Read Receipts" in Chats settings.
- You can usually turn read receipts on for all conversations or manage them per conversation, depending on the app.
How to turn on read receipts in iMessage
On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings, then scroll down and tap Messages. Look for the toggle next to Send Read Receipts and turn it on. The toggle will turn green when it's active.
On a Mac, open Messages, then go to Messages in the menu bar and select Settings (or Preferences on older versions). Click the General tab and check the box next to Send read receipts.
Once you turn this on, anyone you message via iMessage will see when you've read their messages. You cannot turn read receipts on for just one person — it's all or nothing in iMessage.
How to turn on read receipts in WhatsApp
Open WhatsApp, then tap the three-line menu icon (Android) or go to Settings (iPhone). Select Privacy, then toggle Read Receipts on. A blue checkmark will appear when you've read a message.
WhatsApp read receipts work differently than iMessage. You see three states: one gray checkmark (sent), two gray checkmarks (delivered), and two blue checkmarks (read). When you turn read receipts on, others see the blue checkmarks when you read their messages.
Unlike iMessage, WhatsApp lets you turn read receipts off for group chats while keeping them on for individual conversations, or vice versa — you manage this in each chat's settings by tapping the contact name or group name at the top.
How to turn on read receipts in Facebook Messenger
Open Messenger and tap your profile icon in the bottom right corner. Select Privacy, then scroll to Read Receipts and toggle it on.
Facebook Messenger shows read receipts as a small profile picture that appears below your message once someone has opened the chat. If you turn read receipts off, you won't see when others have read your messages, and they won't see when you've read theirs.
This setting applies to all your Messenger conversations at once — you cannot turn it on for some chats and off for others.
How to turn on read receipts in Google Messages
Open Google Messages, tap the three-line menu icon, and select Settings. Tap Advanced, then toggle Read Receipts on. This works only for SMS and MMS messages sent to other people using Google Messages — standard text messages to people without the app won't show read receipts.
Google Messages read receipts appear as a small checkmark icon below your message. Like WhatsApp, you see one checkmark for sent, two for delivered, and a filled checkmark for read.
How to turn on read receipts in other apps
Most messaging apps follow a similar pattern: open the app, find Settings or Privacy, and look for a toggle labeled Read Receipts or Send Read Receipts. Telegram, Signal, Viber, and Discord all have this option in their privacy or chat settings.
If you cannot find the setting, check the app's help documentation or search the settings menu for the word "read." Some apps hide this option under Chat Settings or Message Settings instead of Privacy.
What happens when you turn read receipts on or off
When you turn read receipts on, you're giving permission for others to see when you've read their messages. This is immediate — the moment you open a chat, the other person sees that you've read it. You cannot read a message "privately" without the other person knowing.
When you turn read receipts off, others cannot see when you've read their messages, and you cannot see when they've read yours. Some people turn them off because they want to read messages without feeling pressured to respond immediately, or because they value privacy. Others turn them off to avoid seeming rude if they read a message but don't reply right away.
Turning read receipts off does not delete past read receipts — it only affects messages sent after you change the setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn read receipts on for one person and off for everyone else?
It depends on the app. WhatsApp lets you manage read receipts per conversation by tapping the contact name and adjusting settings there. Most other apps — iMessage, Facebook Messenger, Google Messages — apply the setting to all conversations at once, with no per-person option.
If I turn off read receipts, can I still see when others have read my messages?
No. Read receipts work both directions. When you turn them off, you stop sending read receipts to others and stop receiving them from them. You will not see checkmarks or read notifications on your messages.
Do read receipts work across different messaging apps?
No. Read receipts only work within the same app. If you message someone via iMessage, they won't see read receipts unless they also use iMessage. If you text them via standard SMS, read receipts don't apply at all.
What if someone screenshots my message after I've read it?
Read receipts only show that you've opened the message — they don't tell the other person what you did after that. Screenshots, forwarding, or copying text are separate actions that read receipts don't track or notify about.
Can I see read receipts if the other person has them turned off?
No. If the other person has read receipts disabled, you will not see when they read your messages, even if you have read receipts turned on. Both people need to have the feature enabled to see each other's read status.