What read receipts do in Gmail
A read receipt in Gmail is a notification that tells you when someone has opened an email you sent them. When you turn on read receipts, Gmail will show you a small icon or message next to emails in your sent folder indicating whether the recipient has read your message. This works only if the person you emailed also has read receipts turned on in their Gmail account — if they don't, you won't see whether they opened it.
Read receipts are different from delivery confirmation. Delivery confirmation tells you the email reached Gmail's servers. A read receipt tells you a person actually opened and viewed the message. Gmail does not send read receipts automatically — you have to turn the feature on yourself, and it only works between Gmail users who both have the setting enabled.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts in Gmail show you when someone has opened an email you sent, but only if they also have read receipts turned on.
- You turn on read receipts in Gmail Settings under the Advanced tab, not in the compose window.
- Read receipts work only between Gmail users — they do not work if you email someone at an outside address like Yahoo or Outlook.
- Once you turn on read receipts, you will see a small icon next to emails in your Sent folder showing whether each recipient has read the message.
How to turn on read receipts on desktop
Open Gmail in a web browser and go to your inbox. In the top right corner, click the gear icon and select See all settings from the dropdown menu. This takes you to the Settings page.
Click the Advanced tab at the top of the Settings page. Scroll down until you find the section labeled Read receipt. You will see two radio button options: "Show read receipts" and "No read receipts." Click the radio button next to Show read receipts.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Save Changes button. Gmail will confirm that your settings have been saved. Read receipts are now turned on for your account.
How to turn on read receipts on mobile
Open the Gmail app on your phone. Tap the three horizontal lines (menu icon) in the top left corner. Scroll down and tap Settings.
Tap your email address at the top of the Settings menu. Scroll down to find Read receipts and toggle it on. The toggle will turn blue when it is active. You can now close the Settings menu — your change is saved automatically on mobile.
What you will see after turning on read receipts
Once read receipts are on, go to your Sent folder. Next to each email, you will see a small icon or text indicator showing the read status. A checkmark or "Read" label means the recipient opened the email. If the recipient has not opened it yet, you may see "Delivered" or no indicator at all.
The read receipt appears next to the recipient's name or email address in the message list. If you open a sent email to view the full conversation, you can also see read status information there. Keep in mind that this only shows read status for recipients who have read receipts turned on — if someone has the feature off, you will not see whether they read your message.
When read receipts do not work
Read receipts only work between Gmail accounts. If you send an email to someone with a Yahoo, Outlook, or other non-Gmail address, you will not see a read receipt even if they open the message. The feature is built into Gmail's system and does not extend to other email providers.
Read receipts also do not work if the recipient has the feature turned off. Many people disable read receipts for privacy reasons — they do not want senders to know when they have read a message. If someone has read receipts off, Gmail will not send you a notification when they open your email, and you will not see any read status indicator for messages sent to them.
Turning read receipts off
If you change your mind and want to turn off read receipts, the process is the same as turning them on. Go to Settings, click the Advanced tab, find the Read receipt section, and click the radio button next to No read receipts. Save your changes.
When you turn off read receipts, you stop sending read notifications to other people. This means when someone sends you an email, they will no longer see whether you have read it. Your past read receipts that you already sent will not be removed — they stay in the recipient's inbox. Only future emails will stop sending read status information.
Why someone might not see your read receipts
Even if you have read receipts turned on, the other person will only see them if they also have the feature enabled. If they have read receipts off, they will not receive any notification that you opened their email. This is a two-way setting — both people need to have it on for either person to see read status.
Some Gmail accounts, particularly those managed by organizations or schools, may have read receipts disabled by an administrator. If you have turned on read receipts but they are not working, ask your email administrator whether the feature is allowed on your account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do read receipts work if someone forwards my email?
No. Read receipts only track whether the original recipient opened the email you sent directly to them. If they forward your message to someone else, you will not see a read receipt for the person who receives the forwarded copy. You only see read status for the person in the original To, Cc, or Bcc line.
Can I turn on read receipts for just one email?
No. Read receipts is an account-wide setting in Gmail. Once you turn it on, it applies to all emails you send going forward. You cannot turn it on for a single message and off for another. If you need to send a message without a read receipt, you would have to turn off the feature before sending, then turn it back on afterward.
What if I turn on read receipts but the other person has them off?
You will not see a read receipt from them. Read receipts require both people to have the feature enabled. If they have it off, Gmail will not send you any notification when they open your email, and you will see no read status indicator in your Sent folder for messages sent to them.
Does turning on read receipts slow down Gmail?
No. Read receipts do not affect Gmail's performance or speed. The feature is a straightforward notification system that runs in the background and does not use extra resources or make Gmail load slower.
Can my boss see my read receipts if we use the same Gmail account?
No. Read receipts are tied to individual Gmail accounts, not shared devices. If you and your boss each have your own Gmail account, your read receipts are separate. If you share a single Gmail account with someone else, you both see the same read receipt information because you are using the same account.