Send Read Receipts Tells the Other Person When You've Opened Their Message
Send Read Receipts is a setting that notifies someone when you have opened and read a message they sent you. When the feature is on, the sender sees a notification — usually a checkmark, timestamp, or "read" label — showing that their message reached your eyes, not just your inbox. When it is off, the sender has no way to know whether you have read their message, only that it was delivered.
The feature exists in most messaging apps and email programs, though it works differently depending on which platform you use. Some apps let you turn it on or off globally. Others let you control it per conversation or per contact. A few apps do not offer the choice at all — the setting is either always on or always off.
Read receipts are separate from delivery receipts. A delivery receipt tells the sender that the message arrived on your device. A read receipt tells them that you opened it and saw the content.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts notify the sender when you have opened their message, usually shown as a checkmark, timestamp, or "read" label.
- Most messaging apps and email programs let you turn read receipts on or off in settings, though the location and options vary by platform.
- Turning off read receipts means the sender cannot see when you read their message, but they can still see that it was delivered.
- Some apps let you control read receipts for all conversations at once, while others let you turn them on or off for individual people or chats.
Where to Find the Read Receipts Setting
The location of the read receipts setting depends on which app or service you use. In iMessage on iPhone, iPad, or Mac, go to Settings > Messages and toggle "Send Read Receipts" on or off. In Android Messages, open the app, tap the three-line menu, select Settings, then Advanced, and toggle "Send read receipts." In WhatsApp, open Settings > Account > Privacy and choose who can see your read receipts — you can select "Nobody," "My Contacts," or "Everyone."
In Gmail on the web, read receipts are not a standard feature, but you can use third-party extensions like Streak or Boomerang to request them. In Outlook, compose a new message, click the three-dot menu, select "Request Read Receipt," and send. The recipient will be asked whether to send a receipt when they open the message. In Facebook Messenger, read receipts are always on — you cannot turn them off, but you can turn off your "Active Status" so others do not see when you are online.
If you use a different app, check its settings menu under Privacy, Messages, or Notifications. Most apps group the read receipts setting near other message-related controls.
Why Someone Might Turn Read Receipts Off
People turn off read receipts for several reasons. The most common is privacy — if you do not want others to know exactly when you saw their message, turning off read receipts gives you that control. Some people find that read receipts create social pressure to respond immediately, even if they need time to think or are busy with something else.
Others turn them off to avoid seeming rude. If you read a message but do not reply right away, the sender knows you saw it and might wonder why you have not responded. Without read receipts, the sender cannot tell the difference between a message you have not opened yet and one you are still thinking about.
In work settings, some people turn off read receipts to maintain boundaries between work and personal time. If your boss cannot see that you read a message at 11 p.m., they may be less likely to expect an immediate response.
Why Someone Might Turn Read Receipts On
Turning on read receipts can be useful when you need to know whether someone has actually seen your message. In group chats, read receipts show you who has read the message and who has not, which helps you understand who is paying attention. In work conversations, read receipts confirm that your message reached the person and that they have seen it, which can be important for time-sensitive information.
Some people turn on read receipts as a courtesy — it signals to others that you are engaged and paying attention to what they send you. In close relationships, read receipts can reduce anxiety by showing that the other person has seen your message, even if they have not replied yet.
What Happens When You Turn Read Receipts Off
When you turn off read receipts, people who message you will no longer see a notification when you open their messages. However, they can still see that the message was delivered — most apps show a single checkmark for delivered and a double checkmark for read. With read receipts off, you will only show the single checkmark, and it will stay there even after you open the message.
Turning off read receipts does not hide the fact that you are online or active in the app. If you are using Facebook Messenger or another app that shows an "Active Now" status, people can still see that you are using the app, even if they cannot see when you read their specific messages. To hide that too, you will need to turn off your active status separately.
Keep in mind that turning off read receipts is a one-way setting — it only affects what others see about you. It does not change whether you can see read receipts from people who message you. If someone has read receipts turned on, you will still see when they read your messages.
Read Receipts in Group Chats
In group chats, read receipts work the same way as in one-on-one conversations, but you can see multiple people's read status at once. When someone sends a message to a group, you can see checkmarks or timestamps showing which group members have read it. This is useful for confirming that everyone has seen important information, like a meeting time or a change of plans.
Some apps let you control read receipts differently for group chats than for individual messages. In iMessage, the setting applies to all conversations. In WhatsApp, you can choose to hide read receipts from everyone, your contacts, or nobody — the setting applies to both group and individual chats. If you want to turn off read receipts only for certain people or groups, check whether your app offers per-conversation controls.
Read Receipts on Different Platforms
Read receipts work differently across platforms, and not every app offers the same level of control. iMessage and WhatsApp both let you turn read receipts on or off in settings. Android Messages and Telegram offer the same control. Facebook Messenger always shows read receipts and does not let you turn them off, though you can hide your active status. Instagram Direct Messages also always show read receipts.
Email services vary widely. Gmail does not have a built-in read receipt feature, but you can use extensions. Outlook lets you request read receipts on individual messages. Apple Mail does not support read receipts. If you use a messaging app that is not listed here, check its settings menu or help documentation to see whether read receipts are available and how to control them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell I turned off read receipts?
Not directly. If you turn off read receipts, the sender will simply not see a "read" notification. They might notice that you never show read receipts, but they cannot see a setting that says you have turned them off. Some people assume that if someone never shows read receipts, they have turned the feature off, but there is no way to be certain.
If I turn off read receipts, can I still see when others read my messages?
Yes. Your read receipts setting only controls what you send to others, not what you receive. If someone has read receipts turned on, you will still see when they read your messages. If they have turned them off, you will not.
Do read receipts work across different messaging apps?
No. Read receipts only work within the same app. If you message someone on iMessage, they will see your read receipts based on your iMessage settings. If you message the same person on WhatsApp, your WhatsApp read receipts setting applies instead. Each app has its own read receipts system.
What if I want to turn off read receipts for one person but keep them on for everyone else?
Most apps do not offer per-contact read receipts control — the setting usually applies to all conversations at once. WhatsApp is an exception: you can turn off read receipts for everyone, but you cannot hide them from just one person. If you need that level of control, you would need to turn off read receipts entirely or use a different messaging method with that person.
Does turning off read receipts affect my delivery receipts?
No. Delivery receipts and read receipts are separate. Turning off read receipts does not change your delivery receipts. People will still see that your message was delivered — they just will not see when you opened it.