Where to find read receipts on Android
Read receipts are notifications that tell the other person when you have opened and read their message. On Android, the setting lives in your messaging app, not in your phone's main settings. The exact location depends on which app you use — Google Messages, Samsung Messages, WhatsApp, or another third-party app each keep the control in a different place.
The most common Android messaging app is Google Messages, which comes pre-installed on many phones. If you use that app, the read receipt setting is in the app's settings menu, not your phone's settings. Other messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger each have their own read receipt controls buried in their own settings screens.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts are turned on by default in most Android messaging apps, which means people can see when you have read their messages.
- The setting to turn them off is inside your messaging app itself, not in your phone's main settings menu.
- Google Messages, WhatsApp, Samsung Messages, and other apps each store this setting in a different location within their own menus.
- Turning off read receipts in one app does not affect other messaging apps on your phone — you must change the setting in each app separately.
How to turn off read receipts in Google Messages
Open Google Messages and tap the three-line menu icon in the top left corner. Scroll down and tap Settings. Tap Advanced, then tap Read receipts. Toggle the switch to the off position. The switch will turn gray when it is off.
After you turn off read receipts in Google Messages, the app will no longer send a notification to other people when you open their messages. However, this only affects conversations in Google Messages itself. If you also use WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or another app, you will need to turn off read receipts in each of those apps separately.
How to turn off read receipts in WhatsApp
Open WhatsApp and tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner. Tap Settings, then tap Privacy. Look for the Read receipts option and toggle it off. The toggle will turn gray when it is disabled.
WhatsApp read receipts work differently than some other apps. When you turn them off, other people will not see the double blue checkmarks that normally appear next to your messages when you have read them. However, they will still see a single checkmark when the message reaches your phone, and a double checkmark when you send a reply — WhatsApp does not hide those confirmations.
How to turn off read receipts in Samsung Messages
Open Samsung Messages and tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right. Tap Settings. Tap Chat features or Notifications depending on your phone model. Look for Read receipts and toggle it off.
Samsung Messages is the default messaging app on Samsung Galaxy phones. The exact menu path can vary slightly between phone models and Android versions, but the setting is always within the app's own settings, never in your phone's main settings. If you cannot find the option in Chat features, check under Notifications or General settings within the app.
How to turn off read receipts in Facebook Messenger
Open Facebook Messenger and tap your profile picture in the top left corner. Tap Privacy. Scroll down and look for Read receipts. Tap it and toggle the setting off.
Facebook Messenger's read receipt setting is less obvious than in other apps because it is nested under Privacy rather than a general Settings menu. When you turn it off, people will not see when you have read their messages, but they will still see when you are typing a reply.
What happens when you turn off read receipts
When you turn off read receipts, other people will no longer see a notification that you have opened and read their message. In most apps, this means no checkmarks, no "read" timestamp, and no visual indicator that you have seen what they sent. However, turning off read receipts does not hide the fact that you are active in the app — people can still see if you are typing, and they can still see your last-seen time if that setting is on.
Turning off read receipts in one app does not affect your other messaging apps. If you use both Google Messages and WhatsApp, you must turn off read receipts in both apps separately. The setting is app-specific, not phone-wide.
Why people turn off read receipts
Some people turn off read receipts because they do not want others to know they have seen a message but chosen not to reply yet. Others turn them off to reduce the pressure of feeling obligated to respond when ready. Some people straightforward prefer privacy and do not want to share information about when they are actively using their phone.
Read receipts can also create awkward situations in group chats, where you can see that one person has read a message but others have not, or where someone reads a message and then does not respond. Turning them off removes that visibility for everyone in the conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I turn off read receipts, can I still see when other people read my messages?
No. Read receipts are mutual — if you turn them off, you will not send them to others, and you will not receive them from others either. You will not be able to see when someone reads your messages if you have the setting turned off in your app.
Will people know I turned off read receipts?
Not directly. People will straightforward notice that they no longer see the "read" indicator on your messages. They may assume you turned it off, or they may assume your phone is set to not send them. There is no notification that tells someone you have disabled the feature.
Can I turn off read receipts for just one person?
Most Android messaging apps do not offer per-contact read receipt controls. The setting is all-or-nothing — either you send read receipts to everyone or to no one. Some apps like WhatsApp let you disable read receipts for group chats separately from one-on-one chats, but not for individual people.
Does turning off read receipts hide my last-seen time?
No. Read receipts and last-seen time are separate settings in most apps. You can turn off read receipts but still have your last-seen time visible, or vice versa. Check your app's Privacy settings if you want to hide both.
What if I turn off read receipts and then change my mind?
You can turn read receipts back on at any time by going back to the same menu and toggling the setting on again. There is no waiting period or confirmation required. The change takes effect when ready.