What read receipts are and why you might want to disable them
Read receipts are notifications that tell the person messaging you 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 sender sees a checkmark or timestamp showing exactly when you read what they wrote.
Many people turn off read receipts because they want privacy about when they are actually looking at their phone, or because they do not want the pressure of appearing to ignore someone just because they have not responded yet. Reading a message and replying to it are not the same thing, but read receipts blur that line. Turning them off means the sender will not know whether you have seen their message or straightforward have not gotten to it yet.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts work differently in each messaging app, so you will need to turn them off separately in text messages, WhatsApp, Messenger, and any other app you use.
- In the default Android Messages app, read receipts are controlled through Settings, then Advanced, then Request read receipts.
- WhatsApp read receipts are found under Settings, then Privacy, then Read Receipts.
- Turning off read receipts in one app does not affect the others — each app manages this setting on its own.
- Some apps do not offer a way to turn off read receipts, meaning the sender will always know when you have opened their message.
Turning off read receipts in Android Messages
The default texting app on most Android phones is called Messages (made by Google). To turn off read receipts here, open the Messages app and tap the three-line menu icon in the top left corner. Then tap Settings.
Once you are in Settings, look for the option called Advanced. Tap it. You will see a toggle or checkbox next to "Request read receipts" — tap it to turn it off. Some versions of Android show this as a switch you slide left, others show a checkbox you uncheck. Either way, once it is off, people who text you will no longer see when you have read their messages.
If you do not see this option, your phone may be using a different default texting app. Check your app drawer to see which texting app is installed, then follow the steps for that specific app below.
Turning off read receipts in WhatsApp
WhatsApp is one of the most common messaging apps, and it has its own read receipt system separate from your text messages. Open WhatsApp and tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner, then tap Settings.
In Settings, tap Account, then Privacy. You will see an option called "Read Receipts" with a toggle switch next to it. Tap the switch to turn it off. Once you do, the blue double checkmarks that normally appear when someone reads your message will no longer show up for you — and people will not see when you have read theirs.
Turning off read receipts in Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger shows read receipts by default, but you can turn them off. Open Messenger and tap your profile picture in the top left corner. Then tap Settings & Privacy, then Settings.
Scroll down until you find the Privacy section. Look for an option called "Read Receipts" or "Show when you are active" — the exact wording varies by phone and app version. Tap the toggle to turn it off. After this, people will not see the "Seen" indicator that normally appears under their messages to you.
Turning off read receipts in other messaging apps
Many other apps have read receipt settings in similar places. Open the app, look for Settings (usually a gear icon or three-dot menu), then look for Privacy or Message settings. Search for words like "read", "seen", "receipt", or "active status". Most apps that offer read receipts will have a toggle or checkbox to turn them off in one of these sections.
Some apps, like iMessage if you use it through an Android emulator or some work messaging platforms, do not offer a way to turn off read receipts. In those cases, the sender will always know when you have opened their message, and there is no setting to change that behavior.
What happens after you turn off read receipts
Once you disable read receipts in an app, people sending you messages will no longer see when you have read them. They will still see that the message was delivered (usually shown as a single checkmark or "Delivered" status), but they will not know whether you have actually opened and read it.
Keep in mind that turning off read receipts in one app does not affect any other app. If you turn them off in WhatsApp, they will still be on in Messenger unless you go into Messenger and turn them off there too. Each app manages this setting independently, so you may need to repeat these steps across multiple apps if you use several different messaging platforms.
Turning read receipts back on if you change your mind
If you decide later that you want read receipts back on, follow the same steps you used to turn them off — the toggle or checkbox will now be in the off position, and tapping it again will turn them back on. There is no penalty for switching back and forth, and the change takes effect when ready.
Some people turn read receipts on for certain apps (like work messaging) and off for others (like personal chats). You can mix and match however works best for your situation — there is no rule that says all your apps have to have the same setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will people know I turned off read receipts?
No. Once read receipts are off, people will straightforward not see a read receipt indicator anymore. They will not get a notification saying you turned them off — the feature will just stop working. Some people might notice over time that you never show read receipts, but there is no way for them to know for certain that you disabled the setting versus using a different phone or app.
Can I turn off read receipts for just one person?
Most messaging apps do not offer per-contact read receipt settings. When you turn off read receipts, they are off for everyone. Some apps let you mute notifications from specific people or hide your active status for certain contacts, but that is different from read receipts. Check your app's Privacy settings to see if it offers contact-specific controls.
Does turning off read receipts mean people cannot see if I am online?
Read receipts and active status are two separate things. Read receipts show when you have read a message. Active status shows whether you are currently using the app right now. Turning off read receipts does not hide your active status. If you want to hide that too, look for a setting called "Show Active Status" or "Last Seen" in the Privacy section of your app.
What if an app does not have a read receipts setting?
Some smaller or older messaging apps do not offer this feature. If you cannot find a read receipts setting after checking Settings and Privacy, the app probably does not support turning them off. In that case, people will always see when you have read their messages in that app.
Do read receipts work the same way in group chats?
Most apps show read receipts in group chats the same way they do in one-on-one messages. When you turn off read receipts, they are off in both group and individual conversations. However, some apps handle group chats differently — check your app's settings to see if there is a separate option for group chat read receipts.