What read receipts are and why you might want to disable them
Read receipts are notifications that tell the other person when you have opened and read their message. On Android, they work differently depending on which app you use — text messages (SMS) have their own system, while messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Google Messages each handle them separately.
When read receipts are on, the person messaging you sees a checkmark or timestamp showing exactly when you read what they sent. Some people turn them off because they want privacy, because they do not want to feel obligated to respond when ready, or because they prefer not to broadcast that they have seen a message but are not ready to reply yet.
The steps to disable read receipts depend on which app you use to receive messages. Android does not have a single system-wide setting for this — each messaging app controls its own read receipt behavior.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts work differently in each messaging app, so you will need to change settings separately in Google Messages, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and any other app you use.
- In Google Messages, open Settings, tap Advanced, and turn off Send read receipts to disable them for text messages.
- In WhatsApp, go to Settings, tap Privacy, and toggle off Read receipts to hide when you have opened messages.
- Some apps like Facebook Messenger do not offer a way to turn off read receipts entirely, though you can control other privacy settings.
- Turning off read receipts means others cannot see when you have read their messages, but it does not prevent them from knowing you are online if your app shows active status.
Turning off read receipts in Google Messages
Google Messages is the default texting app on most modern Android phones. To disable read receipts here, open the app and tap the three-line menu icon in the top left corner, then select Settings.
Once in Settings, tap Advanced. You will see an option called Send read receipts — toggle this off. After you do, the people texting you will no longer see a notification that you have read their messages.
Note that this only affects text messages (SMS and MMS). If you also use Google Messages for chat messages over data or Wi-Fi, those may have separate read receipt settings depending on your carrier and phone.
Turning off read receipts in WhatsApp
WhatsApp shows read receipts as double blue checkmarks — one checkmark means delivered, two means read. To turn this off, open WhatsApp and tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner, then select Settings.
Go to Privacy and look for the Read receipts toggle. Turn it off. Once disabled, other people will not see when you have read their messages, though they will still see when messages have been delivered to your phone.
Keep in mind that turning off read receipts is a one-way change — you will also not be able to see when others have read your messages to them.
Turning off read receipts in Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger shows when you have read a message with a small profile picture or checkmark. Unfortunately, Messenger does not offer a built-in setting to disable read receipts entirely. However, you can limit when people see you are active by adjusting your active status.
Open Messenger, tap your profile picture in the top left, go to Privacy, and toggle off Show when you are active. This prevents people from seeing that you are currently using the app, which can reduce the expectation that you will respond when ready — though they will still see read receipts on individual messages.
Turning off read receipts in other messaging apps
If you use Signal, Telegram, or other third-party messaging apps, each has its own read receipt controls. In Signal, open Settings, tap Privacy, and toggle off Read receipts. In Telegram, go to Settings, tap Privacy and Security, and turn off Read receipts.
The pattern is similar across most apps: look in Settings or Privacy settings for a read receipt or message status option. If you cannot find it, the app may not offer the ability to disable read receipts.
What happens when you turn off read receipts
When you disable read receipts, people messaging you will not receive a notification or indicator that you have opened their message. However, they may still be able to tell you have seen it if your app shows an active status — a green dot or "active now" label that indicates you are currently using the app.
Turning off read receipts does not make you invisible or prevent people from contacting you. It straightforward removes one specific notification. If privacy is your main concern, you may also want to disable active status in the same settings menu where you turn off read receipts.
Be aware that some people may notice the change and ask why they cannot see when you have read their messages. Read receipts are a normal part of how most messaging apps work, so disabling them can sometimes feel unusual to others.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I turn off read receipts, can I still see when others read my messages?
No. Turning off read receipts is mutual — when you disable them, you also lose the ability to see when people have read your messages. Some apps like WhatsApp make this clear in their settings, while others do not.
Will people know I turned off read receipts?
They may notice over time that they never see read receipts from you, but the app will not send them a notification saying you have disabled the feature. Some people might ask directly if they realize the change.
Can I turn off read receipts for only certain people?
Most Android messaging apps do not offer per-contact read receipt settings. The feature is typically all-or-nothing — either everyone sees read receipts or no one does. Some apps let you mute notifications from specific people, but that is different from hiding read receipts.
Does turning off read receipts affect SMS text messages and data messages differently?
Yes. Traditional SMS text messages and data-based messages (like those sent over Wi-Fi) may have separate read receipt controls in some apps. Check your app's settings to see if there are separate toggles for SMS and chat messages.
If I turn off read receipts, will my phone still show me when I have read a message?
Yes. Disabling read receipts only affects what other people see. Your phone will still show you that you have opened a message, and you will still see read receipts from other people (unless they have also disabled theirs).