Turn off read receipts in Messages settings
The read receipt is the notification that tells someone when you have seen their message. On iPhone, you control this through the Messages app settings, not through individual conversations. When you turn off read receipts, people will no longer see the "Delivered" status change to "Read" when you open their messages.
Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap Messages. Look for the toggle labeled Send Read Receipts and turn it off. The toggle will no longer be highlighted in blue. This change takes effect immediately for all future messages you receive.
If you want to turn read receipts back on later, return to the same screen and toggle Send Read Receipts on again. You can change this setting as many times as you want.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts are turned off through Settings > Messages > Send Read Receipts, not through the Messages app itself.
- When you turn off read receipts, the change applies to all conversations and all contacts — you cannot turn them off for just one person.
- Turning off read receipts means others will see "Delivered" but never "Read" when you open their messages.
- You can turn read receipts back on at any time by returning to the same setting and toggling it on.
- This setting only affects Messages; other apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger have their own read receipt controls.
What read receipts show other people
When read receipts are on, the person who sent you a message sees two checkmarks next to it once you have opened the message. The first checkmark appears when the message is delivered to your phone. The second checkmark appears when you open the conversation and read it. If read receipts are off, they only ever see one checkmark, which means the message reached your phone but they have no way to know if you have read it.
Read receipts apply only to text messages sent through iMessage, which is Apple's messaging service. Regular SMS text messages (green bubbles instead of blue) do not have read receipts, even if you have them turned on. If you are messaging someone with an Android phone or a non-Apple device, they will not see read receipts from you regardless of your setting.
Why you might want to turn off read receipts
Some people turn off read receipts because they do not want others to know they have seen a message but chosen not to respond yet. Without read receipts, someone cannot tell the difference between a message you have not seen and one you have seen but are ignoring. This can reduce the pressure to respond immediately.
Others turn off read receipts for privacy reasons — they prefer that no one can track when they are actively using their phone or reading messages. If you share your location with family members or work in an environment where response time is monitored, turning off read receipts is one way to keep your activity more private.
Turn off read receipts for group messages
The same Send Read Receipts toggle controls read receipts in both one-on-one and group conversations. When you turn it off, group members will not see that you have read group messages either. You cannot turn off read receipts for group chats only while keeping them on for individual conversations — the setting applies to all Messages.
If you are in a group chat where read receipts are on, you will see a list of who has read each message by tapping the message and looking at the bottom of the screen. When you turn off read receipts, you will no longer appear in anyone else's read lists, but you can still see who has read messages in your own group chats.
Read receipts in other Apple apps
iMessage is not the only Apple app that uses read receipts. FaceTime audio and video calls show when the other person has seen your call attempt. Mail shows read receipts if the sender requested them when they sent the email. However, these apps have separate settings from Messages.
For Mail, open Settings, scroll to Mail, tap Accounts, select your email account, and look for Request Read Receipts. This controls whether you ask others for read receipts when you send emails, not whether you send them when you receive emails. To control whether you send read receipts for emails you receive, that setting is usually in the email account settings under Advanced.
What happens to old messages when you change the setting
Changing your read receipt setting does not affect messages you have already read. If someone sent you a message yesterday and you read it with read receipts on, they already saw that you read it. Turning off read receipts today will not erase that information or send them a notification that you have changed your setting.
Similarly, if you turn read receipts off and then turn them back on, people will not see a sudden flood of "read" notifications for messages you opened while they were off. The setting only controls what happens going forward from the moment you change it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off read receipts for just one person?
No. The read receipt setting in Messages applies to everyone you message. If you want to hide your read status from one specific person, you would need to turn off read receipts for all contacts. There is no way to disable them selectively by contact or conversation.
Will people know I turned off read receipts?
No. When you turn off read receipts, people will simply stop seeing the "Read" status on your messages. They will not receive a notification that you have changed the setting. Some people may notice over time that you never show as "Read," but there is no alert that tells them you have turned it off.
Do read receipts work with Android phones?
Read receipts only work between iPhones using iMessage. If you are messaging someone with an Android phone, the message appears as a regular SMS text message (green bubble), and read receipts do not apply. Your read receipt setting has no effect on those conversations.
Can I see read receipts from other people even if I turn mine off?
Yes. Turning off your own read receipts does not prevent you from seeing when other people have read your messages. You will still see the double checkmarks on messages you send to people who have read receipts turned on. The setting is one-way — it only controls what you send, not what you receive.
What if I want to see read receipts sometimes but not always?
You can toggle the setting on and off as often as you want. Some people turn read receipts off during work hours or when they need privacy, then turn them back on at other times. The change takes effect immediately, so you can adjust it based on your needs at any moment.