Turn off read receipts in Messages to stop showing when you've seen texts

Read receipts are a feature in Apple's Messages app that tells the person texting you exactly when you've opened and read their message. When you turn them off, others won't see that blue "Delivered" status change to "Read" with a timestamp. You control this setting entirely on your own phone — turning it off doesn't affect what you can see from other people's messages.

The setting lives in your iPhone's Settings app under Messages, and takes about 30 seconds to change. Once you turn it off, it applies to all your text conversations going forward, though you can turn it back on anytime.

Key Takeaways

  • Read receipts show others the exact time you opened a text message, and you can disable them in Settings > Messages > Send Read Receipts.
  • Turning off read receipts only affects what others see — you can still see when people have read your messages if their receipts are on.
  • The setting applies to all your conversations at once, not individual chats.
  • You can turn read receipts back on or off whenever you want without notifying anyone.

Steps to disable read receipts on iPhone

Open the Settings app on your home screen. Scroll down and tap Messages. Look for the toggle next to Send Read Receipts and tap it so the toggle turns gray (off).

That's the entire process. The change takes effect immediately. If you ever want to turn read receipts back on, follow the same steps and toggle it back to green.

What happens when you turn read receipts off

When read receipts are off, people texting you will see "Delivered" under their message, but that status won't change to "Read" even after you've opened and read the text. They won't know when — or if — you've actually seen what they sent.

This doesn't hide the fact that you received the message. The "Delivered" status still shows up, which means the message reached your phone. It just stops broadcasting the moment you opened it.

One thing to know: if someone has read receipts turned on, you'll still see when they've read your messages. Turning off your own read receipts doesn't change what you can see from other people. The setting is one-way — it only controls what you broadcast about yourself.

Why someone might want to turn read receipts off

Some people turn off read receipts because they don't want others to know they've seen a message but haven't responded yet. If you read a text and then don't reply for hours, the person knows you saw it and chose not to answer — which can feel like pressure or create awkward situations.

Others turn them off for privacy reasons. Read receipts create a detailed log of when you're actively using your phone and paying attention to messages. Over time, that pattern can reveal a lot about your schedule and habits.

There's no right or wrong choice here. It's a personal preference about what information you want to share about your availability and attention.

Read receipts in group chats

In group text conversations, read receipts work the same way. If you have them on, everyone in the group sees when you've read the message. If you turn them off, the group only sees "Delivered."

The single toggle in Settings controls both one-on-one and group conversations. You can't turn read receipts off for just group chats or just individual people — it's all or nothing from the Settings menu.

iMessage vs. regular text messages

Read receipts only work in iMessage conversations (the ones that show up in blue in your Messages app). Regular SMS text messages (green bubbles) don't support read receipts at all, so turning the setting off won't affect those.

If you're texting someone with an Android phone or a non-Apple device, they won't see read receipts from you regardless of your setting, because their phone doesn't support that feature. Read receipts only work between Apple devices using iMessage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn read receipts off for just one person?

No. The read receipts setting in Messages applies to everyone you text. You can't disable it for one contact and keep it on for another. If you want to hide your read status from a specific person, you'd need to turn off read receipts entirely.

Will people know I turned off read receipts?

No. There's no notification that goes out when you change this setting. People will simply stop seeing the "Read" status on their messages to you, but they won't get a message saying you disabled it.

If I turn off read receipts, can I still see when others have read my messages?

Yes. Your read receipts setting only controls what you broadcast about yourself. You'll still see "Read" status and timestamps on messages you send to people who have read receipts turned on.

Do read receipts work on FaceTime or other Apple apps?

Read receipts are specific to the Messages app. FaceTime, Mail, and other Apple apps have their own notification systems but don't use the same read receipt feature.

What if I accidentally turn off read receipts and want to turn them back on?

Go back to Settings > Messages and toggle Send Read Receipts back on. The change is instant, and you can switch it back and forth as many times as you want.