What read receipts are and why you might want to disable them
Read receipts are the small checkmarks that appear next to your messages in Facebook Messenger to show whether the other person has seen what you wrote. One checkmark means the message was delivered to their phone or computer. Two checkmarks mean they have opened the conversation and looked at it. Some people find this useful — you know whether someone is ignoring you or genuinely hasn't seen your message yet. Other people find it stressful, either because they feel watched or because they worry about being judged for reading a message and not responding right away.
Facebook Messenger shows read receipts by default, which means the other person can see when you have read their messages, and you can see when they have read yours. Turning them off means neither of you will see those checkmarks anymore. The trade-off is that you lose the ability to know for certain whether someone has seen what you sent — you will only know the message was delivered.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts are turned on by default in Facebook Messenger, so both people in a conversation can see when messages have been read.
- Disabling read receipts removes the checkmarks for you, but the other person will also stop seeing when you have read their messages.
- The setting is found in Messenger settings under "Privacy" on both the mobile app and the web version.
- Turning off read receipts does not delete past checkmarks or hide the fact that you are currently active in the app.
How to turn off read receipts on the Facebook Messenger app
On iPhone or Android, open Facebook Messenger and tap your profile picture in the top left corner. Scroll down and tap "Privacy". Look for the option that says "Read Receipts" and toggle it off. The switch will turn from blue (on) to gray (off). Once you do this, new messages you receive will not show checkmarks when you read them, and you will not see checkmarks on messages you send.
The change takes effect when ready. You do not need to restart the app or log out and back in. If you change your mind later, you can turn read receipts back on by going to the same menu and toggling the switch back to blue.
How to turn off read receipts on Facebook Messenger web
On a computer or tablet, go to Messenger.com or open Messenger through Facebook.com. Click the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) in the top left. Scroll down and click "Settings & Privacy", then click "Settings". Under the "Privacy" section, find "Read Receipts" and click the toggle to turn it off. The toggle will change from blue to gray.
Like the mobile app, this change is when ready. You can turn it back on at any time by returning to the same menu and clicking the toggle again.
What happens when you turn off read receipts
When read receipts are off, people who message you will no longer see the two checkmarks that mean you have read their message. They will still see one checkmark, which means the message was delivered to your device. From your side, you will not see checkmarks on messages you send to others either — the conversation will look the same, but without the visual confirmation that the other person has opened and read what you wrote.
Turning off read receipts does not hide the fact that you are currently using Messenger. Your active status (the green dot next to your name) will still show if you have active status turned on. It also does not delete the checkmarks from past conversations — those will remain visible until you clear your message history. Read receipts only stop working for new messages sent after you disable the setting.
The difference between read receipts and active status
Read receipts and active status are two separate settings, and turning off one does not affect the other. Active status shows whether you are currently using Messenger right now — it puts a green dot next to your name so people know you are online. Read receipts show whether you have opened and read a specific message. You can have active status on and read receipts off, or vice versa, or both on, or both off.
If you want to hide that you are currently using Messenger, you will need to turn off active status separately. On the mobile app, go to your profile picture, tap "Privacy", and toggle off "Active Status". On the web, use the same path: Settings & Privacy > Settings > Privacy > Active Status.
Why Facebook Messenger has read receipts in the first place
Read receipts exist because they solve a real problem: without them, you have no way to know whether someone saw your message and chose not to respond, or whether they have not opened the conversation yet. This can create anxiety in both directions. The person sending the message wonders if they are being ignored. The person receiving the message might feel pressured to respond when ready once they open the chat, even if they are not ready to reply.
Facebook included read receipts because many messaging apps have them — WhatsApp, iMessage, and others all show checkmarks by default. The assumption is that most people want to know whether their messages have been seen. But that assumption does not fit everyone, which is why the option to turn them off exists.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I turn off read receipts, will the other person know I did it?
No. They will straightforward stop seeing checkmarks on messages you read. They will not receive a notification that you have disabled read receipts, and there is no way for them to tell the difference between you having read receipts off and you just not opening the conversation.
Can I turn off read receipts for just one person?
No. The read receipts setting applies to all your conversations at once. If you turn it off, it turns off for everyone. You cannot disable read receipts for one contact while keeping them on for another.
Does turning off read receipts mean people cannot see when I am typing?
No. The typing indicator (the three dots that show someone is composing a message) is a separate feature from read receipts. Turning off read receipts does not hide the typing indicator. If you want to hide that you are typing, you will need to look for a separate setting, though Facebook Messenger does not currently offer a way to disable typing indicators.
If I turn off read receipts, will old messages show checkmarks?
Yes. Turning off read receipts only affects new messages going forward. Any messages you have already read will keep their checkmarks visible in the conversation history. The setting does not retroactively remove checkmarks from past conversations.
Can I see read receipts from other people if I turn mine off?
Yes. Turning off your read receipts does not prevent you from seeing when other people have read your messages. It only stops them from seeing when you have read theirs. If you want to hide both directions, both people would need to turn off their own read receipts.