How to disable read receipts in the Messages app
Read receipts let other people know the exact moment you've read their text message. On iPhone, you can turn this off so your message reads stay private. The setting is in the Messages app preferences, and it takes about 30 seconds to change.
Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap Messages. Look for the toggle next to Send Read Receipts and tap it to turn the feature off. The toggle will no longer be green, which means read receipts are now disabled.
Once you turn off read receipts, people who text you won't see "Read" with a timestamp under their messages anymore. They'll only see "Delivered" instead. This applies to all your text conversations unless you turn the setting back on later.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts show people exactly when you've opened and read their text message, and you can turn them off in Settings > Messages.
- When read receipts are off, senders will only see "Delivered" instead of "Read" with a timestamp.
- Turning off read receipts affects all your text conversations at once — there's no way to disable them for just one person.
- You can turn read receipts back on anytime by going to the same setting and toggling it back to green.
What happens when you turn read receipts off
When read receipts are disabled, the person texting you loses the ability to see when you've actually opened their message. They'll see "Delivered" under their text, which just means the message reached your phone — not that you've read it yet. This can be useful if you want to read messages without feeling pressured to respond right away.
Keep in mind that turning off read receipts is an all-or-nothing setting. You can't disable them for one specific person while keeping them on for everyone else. If you turn the setting off, it applies to every conversation you have in the Messages app.
Read receipts still work in group chats
If you're in a group text conversation, read receipts work differently. Even if you turn off read receipts in your settings, other people in the group chat can still see when you've read messages — but only if they have read receipts turned on themselves. The setting doesn't hide your read status in group conversations the same way it does in one-on-one texts.
This is a limitation of how group messaging works on iPhone. If privacy in group chats is important to you, be aware that turning off your read receipts won't fully hide your activity there.
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. This can reduce the pressure to reply immediately, especially in work or family group chats where people expect quick answers.
Others disable read receipts for privacy reasons — they simply prefer that people don't have detailed information about when they're using their phone. There's no right or wrong reason to turn them off; it's entirely a personal choice about what you're comfortable sharing.
How to turn read receipts back on
If you change your mind later, turning read receipts back on takes the same steps. Open Settings, tap Messages, and toggle Send Read Receipts back to the on position. The toggle will turn green again, and people will start seeing "Read" timestamps in your conversations.
You can switch this setting on and off as many times as you want. There's no limit to how often you can change it, and it won't affect your message history or any past conversations.
Read receipts on other Apple devices
If you use iMessage on other Apple devices like an iPad or Mac, those devices share the same read receipts setting. Turning read receipts off on your iPhone will also turn them off on any other Apple device where you're signed in with the same Apple ID. This keeps your read status consistent across all your devices.
If you want read receipts on one device but not another, you'll need to sign out of iMessage on one of them or use a different Apple ID. Most people find it simpler to keep the setting the same everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off read receipts for just one person?
No. The read receipts setting in Messages is global — it applies to everyone you text. If you turn it off, nobody will see your read status. There's no built-in way to hide read receipts from one specific person while keeping them on for others.
Will people know I turned off read receipts?
They might notice over time that they never see "Read" under your messages, but there's no notification that tells them you've disabled the feature. They'll just see "Delivered" instead of "Read," and they may assume you haven't opened the message yet.
Do read receipts work with regular SMS text messages?
No. Read receipts only work with iMessage, which is Apple's messaging service. If you're texting someone with an Android phone using regular SMS, read receipts won't show up at all, even if you have them turned on. The other person needs to be using iMessage for read receipts to work.
What's the difference between "Delivered" and "Read"?
"Delivered" means your message reached the other person's phone. "Read" means they've actually opened the Messages app and seen your message. With read receipts off, people will only see "Delivered" and won't know when you've actually read their texts.