What read receipts are and why you might turn them off

A read receipt is a notification that tells the person texting you that you have opened and read their message. When read receipts are on, a small "Read" label appears below their message along with the time you opened it. This happens in the Messages app when you receive texts from other iPhone users.

You might want to turn read receipts off because it creates an expectation that you will respond quickly once you have read a message. Some people find this pressure uncomfortable, especially if they need time to think before replying or if they are busy. Turning them off means people will not see when you have read their message — they will only know if you actually send a reply.

Read receipts only work between iPhone users in the Messages app. Android users and people you text over other platforms like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger will not see them, even if your read receipts are on.

Key Takeaways

  • Read receipts show people the exact time you opened their text message, which can create pressure to respond when ready.
  • You can turn off read receipts for all conversations at once in Settings, or turn them off for individual people in the Messages app.
  • Turning off read receipts only affects the Messages app and only works between iPhone users.
  • If you turn off read receipts globally, you will also stop seeing read receipts from other people.

Turn off read receipts for all conversations at once

The fastest way to stop sending read receipts is to turn them off in your iPhone settings. Open the Settings app on your home screen and scroll down until you see Messages. Tap it.

Inside the Messages settings, look for the option labeled "Send Read Receipts" — it will have a toggle switch next to it. If the toggle is green and switched to the right, read receipts are currently on. Tap the toggle to turn it off. The switch will turn gray and move to the left, and read receipts will stop being sent when ready.

This change affects all your text conversations at once. From this point forward, when you open a message from anyone, they will not see a "Read" notification. However, you will also stop seeing read receipts from other people — you will only know someone has read your message if they send a reply.

Turn off read receipts for one person only

If you want to keep read receipts on for most people but turn them off for a specific conversation, you can do that directly in the Messages app. Open Messages and find the conversation with the person you want to hide read receipts from.

Swipe left on that conversation thread (or tap and hold it if you prefer). A menu will appear with options including "Hide Alerts," "Pin," and "Delete." Look for "Info" — it may appear as a small circle with an "i" inside, or you may need to tap "More" to see additional options. Tap "Info."

Inside the conversation info screen, scroll down until you see "Send Read Receipts." If the toggle next to it is green, read receipts are on for this person. Tap the toggle to turn it off. Now this person will not see when you read their messages, but your read receipts will remain on for everyone else.

What happens when you turn read receipts off

Once read receipts are off, the person texting you will see no indication that you have opened their message. They will see the message as "Delivered" (which means it reached your phone) but not "Read." The only way they will know you have seen their message is if you send them a reply.

This can sometimes lead to confusion — people may think their message did not go through, or they may send follow-up messages asking if you saw their text. If this becomes a problem, you can always turn read receipts back on using the same steps above.

Turn read receipts back on if you change your mind

If you decide you want to send read receipts again, the process is identical to turning them off. Go to Settings, tap Messages, and toggle "Send Read Receipts" back on. The switch will turn green and move to the right.

If you turned off read receipts for just one person, open that conversation in Messages, tap Info, and toggle "Send Read Receipts" back on for that conversation only. Your settings will take effect when ready.

Read receipts on other messaging platforms

Read receipts work differently on apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram Direct Messages. Each app has its own settings for read receipts, and turning them off in one app does not affect the others. If you want to turn off read receipts on multiple platforms, you will need to change the settings in each app separately.

In WhatsApp, go to Settings, tap Privacy, and toggle off "Read Receipts." In Facebook Messenger, open your profile, tap Privacy, and look for read receipt options. Instagram Direct Messages do not have a read receipt toggle — they always show when you have seen a message.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I turn off read receipts, will I still see when other people read my messages?

No. When you turn off read receipts globally in Settings, you stop both sending and receiving them. You will no longer see "Read" notifications under your own messages. If you want to keep seeing read receipts from others, turn them off for only one person instead of turning them off for everyone.

Can someone tell I have read receipts turned off?

Not directly. They will straightforward notice that your messages never show as "Read" — they will only ever see "Delivered." Some people might assume your read receipts are off, but there is no way for them to know for certain.

Do read receipts work with Android users?

No. Read receipts only work in the Messages app between iPhone users. If you text an Android user, they will not see read receipts from you, and you will not see them from Android users, even if both of you have read receipts turned on.

Will turning off read receipts affect my iMessage or regular SMS texts?

The read receipt setting applies to both iMessage (texts between iPhone users) and regular SMS texts. However, most Android phones and non-iPhone devices do not support read receipts anyway, so turning them off will mainly affect your conversations with other iPhone users.

Can I schedule read receipts to turn on and off at certain times?

No. iPhone does not have a built-in scheduling feature for read receipts. You can only toggle them on or off manually. Some third-party apps claim to offer scheduling, but they cannot override Apple's native read receipt system.