What read receipts are and why you might disable them
Read receipts are notifications that tell the person texting you when you have opened and read their message. When read receipts are on, a small "Delivered" label appears under your message when it reaches their phone, and then changes to "Read" with a timestamp once they open it. This happens automatically — you do not have to do anything for them to see it.
Many people turn off read receipts because they do not want others to know exactly when they have seen a message. You might be busy, thinking about how to respond, or straightforward not ready to engage, but a "Read" notification can create an expectation that you will reply when ready. Turning them off gives you privacy and removes that pressure.
The trade-off is that people texting you will not know if you have actually seen their message or if it is still sitting unread on your phone. Some people find this useful for managing expectations; others prefer the transparency. The choice is entirely yours.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts show other people when you have opened and read their iMessage, with a timestamp.
- You can turn off read receipts globally so no one sees when you read messages, or turn them off for specific conversations.
- On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Messages and toggle off "Send Read Receipts" to disable them for everyone.
- You can still see other people's read receipts even if you turn off your own, so you will know when they read your messages.
- Turning off read receipts does not delete past read notifications — it only stops new ones from being sent going forward.
How to turn off read receipts for all conversations on iPhone or iPad
The fastest way to disable read receipts is to turn them off in your Settings app. Open Settings, scroll down and tap Messages, then look for the toggle next to "Send Read Receipts" and tap it to turn it off. The toggle will no longer be highlighted in green, which means read receipts are now disabled.
This change applies to all your iMessage conversations when ready. Anyone you text will no longer see a "Read" notification when you open their messages. If you change your mind later, you can turn the toggle back on by following the same steps.
How to turn off read receipts for one person or group chat
If you want to keep read receipts on for most people but disable them for a specific conversation, you can do that without changing your global settings. Open the Messages app, find the conversation you want to adjust, and swipe left on it (or long-press on it if swiping does not work). Tap the three dots or the info icon that appears, then look for an option related to read receipts or notifications.
The exact wording and location of this option can vary depending on your iOS version, but it is usually labeled "Hide Alerts" or "Mute." Muting a conversation stops notifications from appearing, but it does not stop read receipts from being sent to that person. If you want to truly disable read receipts for just one person, your only option is to turn them off globally in Settings.
What happens when you turn off read receipts
When you disable read receipts, people will see "Delivered" under their message to you, but that label will never change to "Read." They will have no way of knowing whether you have actually opened the message or when you did. This applies to all conversations unless you turn read receipts back on.
One important detail: turning off read receipts does not affect your ability to see other people's read receipts. If someone has read receipts enabled, you will still see when they read your messages. You are only controlling whether others can see when you read theirs.
Read receipts on group chats
In a group iMessage conversation, read receipts work the same way — when you open a message, everyone in the group sees that you have read it, along with a timestamp. If you turn off read receipts in Settings, your "Read" notification will not appear in group chats either.
However, if even one person in the group has read receipts turned off, you will not see a "Read" notification for them. The app straightforward shows you who has read the message and who has not, without distinguishing between people who have read receipts disabled and people who just have not opened it yet.
Why read receipts sometimes do not work
Read receipts only work between iMessage users — if you are texting someone with an Android phone or using regular SMS text messages, read receipts will not appear at all. iMessage is Apple's encrypted messaging service, and it only sends read receipts to other iMessage users. Regular text messages do not have this feature built in.
You can tell if a conversation is using iMessage or regular SMS by looking at the message bubble color. iMessage conversations show blue bubbles, while SMS text messages show green bubbles. If you see green bubbles, read receipts are not available for that conversation, regardless of your settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell I turned off read receipts?
Not directly. They will just see "Delivered" instead of "Read," but they cannot see a setting that says you have disabled read receipts. Over time, if you never show a "Read" notification, they might assume you have them turned off, but there is no way for them to confirm it.
If I turn off read receipts, will old read notifications disappear?
No. Turning off read receipts only stops new notifications from being sent. Any "Read" timestamps that are already visible in past conversations will stay there. The change only applies to messages received after you disable the setting.
Do read receipts work on Mac or Apple Watch?
Yes. If you have iMessage set up on your Mac or Apple Watch, read receipts work the same way — people will see when you have read their messages on those devices. To disable read receipts across all your Apple devices, turn off "Send Read Receipts" in Settings on your iPhone, and the change will sync to your other devices.
What if I want read receipts off for work but on for friends?
iMessage does not have a way to set different read receipt rules for different contacts. Your only option is to turn read receipts off globally in Settings, or to turn them on globally. If you need more control, you could use a different messaging app like WhatsApp or Telegram for work conversations, since those apps let you disable read receipts per conversation.