What read receipts are and why you might want to turn them off
Read receipts are notifications that tell the person texting you when you have opened and read their message. On iPhone, when read receipts are on, a small "Delivered" label changes to "Read" with a timestamp the moment you open the message thread — even if you haven't typed a reply yet.
The trade-off is straightforward: other people know you have seen their message, which can create pressure to respond quickly. Some people find this useful for group chats or work conversations where timing matters. Others find it intrusive — they want to read a message, think about it, and reply when they are ready without signaling that they have already seen it. Turning read receipts off means the sender will see "Delivered" but never "Read", so they won't know when you have opened the message.
Read receipts only work in the Messages app and only between iPhones (or between iPhones and devices running very recent versions of Android). They do not explore to other apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook Messenger, which have their own separate read receipt settings.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts show the other person when you have opened a message, creating a visible "Read" timestamp instead of just "Delivered".
- You can turn read receipts off globally in Settings > Messages > Send Read Receipts, which applies to all conversations at once.
- You can also turn read receipts off for one person at a time by opening their conversation, tapping their name at the top, and toggling off "Send Read Receipts".
- Turning off read receipts means you will not see when other people read your messages either — the setting works both ways.
- Other messaging apps like WhatsApp and Instagram have their own separate read receipt controls and are not affected by your iPhone Messages setting.
Turn off read receipts for all conversations at once
The fastest way to disable read receipts across your entire iPhone is through the Settings app. Open Settings, scroll down and tap Messages, then find the toggle for "Send Read Receipts" and turn it off. That is it — from that moment on, people will not see when you have read their messages in the Messages app.
This setting takes effect when ready. Any message threads you have open will stop sending read receipts right away. If you change your mind later, you can turn the toggle back on using the same path.
Turn off read receipts for one person only
If you want to keep read receipts on for most people but turn them off for one specific contact, you can do that without changing your global setting. Open the Messages app, find the conversation with that person, and tap their name or phone number at the very top of the thread.
A details panel will slide up from the bottom. Look for the toggle labeled "Send Read Receipts" and turn it off. Now that person will not see when you read their messages, but everyone else will still see your read receipts as usual. You can repeat this for as many individual contacts as you want.
What happens when you turn read receipts off
When read receipts are off, the sender will see "Delivered" under their message but the status will never change to "Read" with a timestamp. From their perspective, they will not know whether you have opened the message five seconds after it arrived or five hours later.
The setting works both ways: if you turn off read receipts, you will also stop seeing when other people read your messages. Their messages to you will show "Delivered" but not "Read". This is not something you can control separately — you cannot turn off receiving read receipts while still sending them.
Read receipts in group conversations
In a group text, read receipts show up differently. When you open a group message thread, you will see a list of who has read the message and when, rather than a single "Read" timestamp. If you turn off read receipts, your name will not appear in that list for anyone in the group.
Some people turn off read receipts globally but turn them back on for specific group chats where timing matters — a group planning an event, for example, or a work team coordinating something urgent. You can do this by opening the group conversation, tapping the group name at the top, and toggling "Send Read Receipts" back on for just that thread.
Read receipts in other messaging apps
The iPhone Messages setting only controls read receipts in the built-in Messages app. Apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and Signal all have their own separate read receipt controls that work independently.
If you want to turn off read receipts in WhatsApp, for example, open WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy and toggle off "Read Receipts". Instagram has a similar setting under Settings > Privacy > Messages. Each app manages this on its own, so turning off read receipts in Messages will not affect any other app you use.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I turn off read receipts, can I still see when other people read my messages?
No. The read receipt setting works both ways. When you turn it off, you stop sending read receipts and you also stop receiving them. You will see "Delivered" on your messages but not "Read".
Will people know I turned off read receipts?
Not directly. They will straightforward notice that your messages never show a "Read" status. Some people may assume you have read receipts off, but there is no notification that tells them you changed the setting.
Can I turn off read receipts for one person without them knowing?
Yes. When you turn off read receipts for a specific contact, they will not receive any notification. They will just stop seeing the "Read" status on their messages to you.
Do read receipts work between iPhone and Android?
Read receipts work between iPhones reliably. Between iPhone and Android, it depends on the Android device and its software version. Newer Android phones may support read receipts in the Messages app, but older ones may not. Other messaging apps handle this independently.
What if I want read receipts on for work but off for friends?
You can turn read receipts off globally in Settings, then turn them back on for individual conversations by opening each thread, tapping the contact name at the top, and toggling "Send Read Receipts" on for just those people.