What read receipts do and where to find the setting

Read receipts are notifications that tell you when someone has opened an email you sent them. When you turn on read receipts in Outlook, anyone who sends you an email with read receipts enabled will get a message back from you confirming you opened it. This works both ways — if you enable read receipts, people can see when you've read their messages, and you'll see when they've read yours.

The setting lives in different places depending on which version of Outlook you use. Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac, and Outlook on the web all have the feature, but the steps to reach it are different. This guide covers the most common versions.

Key Takeaways

  • Read receipts notify you when someone opens an email, but only if both people have the feature turned on.
  • In Outlook for Windows, the setting is under File > Options > Mail > Tracking.
  • In Outlook for Mac, go to Outlook > Preferences > General, then scroll to read receipts.
  • In Outlook on the web, the setting is under Settings > Mail > Message handling.
  • Turning on read receipts means others will also see when you open their emails.

Turning on read receipts in Outlook for Windows

Open Outlook and click the File menu in the top left corner. From the menu that appears, select Options near the bottom of the list. This opens the Outlook Options window.

In the left sidebar, click Mail. Scroll down in the main panel until you see a section labeled Tracking. Under this section, check the box next to Request a read receipt for all messages I send. Click OK at the bottom of the window to save your changes. Read receipts are now on.

If you want to request read receipts only for certain emails instead of all of them, leave this box unchecked. When you compose a message, you can then click the Request Read Receipt button in the ribbon at the top to enable it for just that email.

Turning on read receipts in Outlook for Mac

Click Outlook in the menu bar at the very top of your screen. From the dropdown, select Preferences. A new window will open with several icons across the top.

Click the General icon. Scroll down in the window until you find the section for read receipts. Check the box next to Request read receipts for messages I send. Close the preferences window — your changes save automatically on Mac.

Like Windows, you can also request read receipts on individual messages. When composing an email, look for the Request Read Receipt option in the toolbar and click it before you send.

Turning on read receipts in Outlook on the web

Log into your Outlook account in your web browser. Click the Settings gear icon in the top right corner of the page. A menu will appear — select View all Outlook settings at the bottom.

In the settings panel on the left, click Mail, then click Message handling. Look for the option that says Request a read receipt for messages I send and toggle it on. The setting saves automatically.

What happens after you turn on read receipts

Once read receipts are on, Outlook will ask for a read receipt every time you send an email. When the recipient opens your message, they'll see a prompt asking whether they want to send you a read receipt. If they click yes, you'll get a notification in your inbox confirming they opened it. If they click no or dismiss the prompt, you won't get a notification.

Keep in mind that read receipts only work if the other person is using Outlook or a compatible email client. Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and some other email services don't support read receipts the same way. Also, some people disable read receipts on their end, so you may not always get a confirmation even if they opened your email.

Turning read receipts off again

If you change your mind and want to stop requesting read receipts, follow the same steps you used to turn them on, but uncheck the box instead. In Windows, that's File > Options > Mail > Tracking. On Mac, it's Outlook > Preferences > General. On the web, it's Settings > Mail > Message handling.

You can also request read receipts on a case-by-case basis without turning on the global setting. This gives you more control — you only ask for read receipts when you actually need to know if someone has seen your message.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will people know I turned on read receipts?

No. Your contacts won't see a notification that you have read receipts enabled. They'll only see a prompt asking whether to send you a read receipt when they open an email you sent with that request turned on.

Can I request a read receipt for just one email?

Yes. Instead of turning on read receipts globally, you can leave the setting off and then click Request Read Receipt when composing individual messages. This is useful if you only need confirmation for important emails.

What if someone declines to send me a read receipt?

You won't get any notification. They'll simply dismiss the prompt, and you won't know whether they opened the email or not. Some people decline read receipts as a privacy preference.

Do read receipts work with Gmail or Yahoo Mail?

Not reliably. Gmail and Yahoo don't fully support Outlook's read receipt system. If you send a read receipt request to a Gmail or Yahoo user, they may not see the prompt at all, or it may not work as expected.

Can I see read receipts for emails I received?

No. Read receipts only work for emails you send. You can't request a read receipt for messages other people sent to you. However, if someone sent you an email with read receipts enabled, you'll see a prompt asking whether to send them a receipt when you open it.