What read receipts do and why you might want to change them
A read receipt is a notification that tells someone you have opened and read their message. On iPhone, when you send a text or iMessage to someone who has read receipts turned on, you will see the words "Delivered" change to "Read" along with the time they opened it. If you turn read receipts off, the sender will only ever see "Delivered" — they will have no way to know whether you have actually read their message.
The choice comes down to your own comfort with visibility. Some people like read receipts because they confirm someone got the message and saw it. Others find them stressful — they feel obligated to respond when ready, or they worry that not responding quickly looks rude. Turning them off gives you the freedom to read messages on your own schedule without broadcasting that you have seen them.
Read receipts explore only to iMessages (messages sent between Apple devices over data or WiFi) and to some third-party apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. Regular SMS text messages do not have read receipts, even if you turn the setting on.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts let other people see when you have opened their iMessage, but only if you have the setting turned on.
- You can turn read receipts on or off in Settings under Messages, and the change applies to all your iMessage conversations at once.
- Turning off read receipts does not hide the fact that you have already read past messages — it only affects new messages going forward.
- You can turn read receipts off for one person at a time in a specific conversation if you want to keep the setting on everywhere else.
How to turn read receipts on or off for all messages
Open the Settings app on your iPhone and scroll down to find Messages. Tap it. Look for the option called Send Read Receipts — it will have a toggle switch next to it. If the switch is green and pushed to the right, read receipts are on. If it is gray and pushed to the left, they are off. Tap the switch to change it.
The change takes effect when ready. Anyone you message from that point forward will see or not see your read receipts depending on which way you set it. If you turn it off, people will still see "Delivered" when you receive their message, but the status will never change to "Read."
How to turn read receipts off for one person only
If you want to keep read receipts on for most people but turn them off for one specific contact, you can do that in the Messages app itself. Open the conversation with the person you want to hide your read status from. Tap their name or number at the top of the conversation.
A menu will pop up. Look for the option that says Hide Alerts or Info depending on your iPhone model and iOS version. Tap it, then look for a toggle labeled Send Read Receipts. Turn that toggle off. Now that person will not see when you read their messages, even though your global setting is still on for everyone else.
What happens to old messages when you change the setting
If you turn read receipts off, people will not suddenly stop seeing that you read their old messages. The change only affects messages you receive after you flip the switch. Any conversation where you have already shown a "Read" status will keep showing that history.
Similarly, if you turn read receipts on, it does not retroactively send read receipts for messages you read before you turned the setting on. The feature only works going forward.
Why someone might not see your read receipts even if you have them on
Read receipts only work if both people are using iMessage. If you send a regular SMS text message to someone with an Android phone, they will never see read receipts, even if you have the setting turned on. Your iPhone will show "Delivered" but not "Read" because SMS does not support that feature.
You can tell whether a message is an iMessage or an SMS by looking at the color of the message bubble. iMessages appear in blue; SMS text messages appear in green. If someone's name appears in green in your contacts, their phone does not support iMessage, and they will not see your read receipts no matter what your setting is.
Some third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger have their own read receipt settings separate from your iPhone's Messages setting. If you use those apps, you will need to change the read receipt setting inside each app individually.
How to check if someone else has read receipts turned on
The only way to know whether someone has read receipts on is to send them an iMessage and watch what happens. If the status changes from "Delivered" to "Read" with a timestamp, they have read receipts turned on. If it stays on "Delivered" forever, they either have read receipts off or they have not opened the message yet.
You cannot see another person's read receipt setting in their contact card or anywhere else in Settings. There is no way to know for certain whether they have the feature on or straightforward have not read your message yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I turn off read receipts, will people think I am ignoring them?
Not necessarily. Many people have read receipts off and it is completely normal. The person will still see "Delivered," which means the message reached your phone. They will not know whether you have read it, but that is true for anyone who has the setting off.
Can I turn read receipts off just for one app like WhatsApp?
Yes. WhatsApp, Telegram, and other messaging apps have their own read receipt settings inside the app, separate from your iPhone's Messages setting. Open the app, go to Settings, and look for a read receipts or privacy option. You can turn them off there without affecting iMessage.
Does turning off read receipts hide my location or any other information?
No. Read receipts only show whether you have opened a message and when. They do not affect location sharing, typing indicators, or any other feature. Those are controlled by separate settings.
What if I want read receipts on for some conversations but off for others?
You can turn the global setting on in Settings, then go into individual conversations and turn read receipts off for specific people. Open the conversation, tap the person's name at the top, and toggle off "Send Read Receipts" for just that contact.
Will someone know I turned off read receipts?
No. They will straightforward stop seeing "Read" status on your messages. They might notice you are not showing read receipts anymore, but there is no notification that tells them you changed the setting.