What read receipts are and why you might 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 sender sees "Delivered" when their text reaches your phone, then "Read" with a timestamp the moment you open the message thread. This happens in the Messages app for texts and iMessage conversations.
Many people turn read receipts off because they want privacy about when they read messages. You might not want someone to know you saw their text at 11 p.m. but chose not to reply, or you might straightforward prefer not to broadcast your availability. Turning them off means senders will see "Delivered" but never "Read," and they won't know when you actually opened the conversation.
The setting applies to all your conversations at once — you cannot turn read receipts off for one person and keep them on for another through the main settings. However, you can turn them off in group chats separately from one-on-one conversations if you want different rules for each.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts show senders when you have opened and read their message, with a timestamp.
- You can turn read receipts off in Settings > Messages > Send Read Receipts, which takes 30 seconds.
- Turning off read receipts applies to all conversations, but you can manage group chats separately.
- After you turn them off, senders will see "Delivered" but never "Read," and you will not see "Read" from others either.
How to turn off read receipts in Settings
Open the Settings app on your iPhone — it is the gray gear icon on your home screen. Scroll down and tap Messages. Look for the toggle switch next to Send Read Receipts and tap it once to turn it off. The switch will change from green (on) to gray (off).
That is the complete process. You do not need to restart your phone or close the Messages app. The change takes effect when ready. The next time someone texts you, they will see "Delivered" when the message reaches your phone, but they will never see "Read" no matter how long you wait before replying.
If you cannot find the Messages setting, make sure you are running iOS 16 or newer. Older versions of iOS have the same toggle but it may be labeled slightly differently or located under a different menu. Check your iOS version by going to Settings > General > About and looking at the number next to "Version."
What changes when you turn read receipts off
When read receipts are off, you stop sending them to others, and you also stop receiving them from others. This means two things happen at once: people texting you will not see when you read their messages, and you will not see "Read" notifications when other people read your messages.
The "Delivered" status still appears for everyone. This tells the sender the message reached your phone and was not lost in transit. But the moment you open the message thread, no notification goes back to the sender, and you will not see a "Read" status appear under your own messages when someone else opens them.
This can feel strange at first if you are used to seeing "Read" confirmations. Some people find it helpful because they no longer feel pressure to respond when ready after opening a message. Others miss knowing whether someone has seen what they sent. Both reactions are normal — it is purely a preference.
How to manage read receipts in group chats
Group chats (conversations with three or more people) can have different read receipt settings than your one-on-one messages. To change this, open any group conversation in Messages, then tap the group name or icon at the top of the screen. Scroll down and look for Send Read Receipts. You can toggle this on or off for that specific group without affecting your other conversations.
This is useful if you want to keep read receipts on in group chats — where people often need to know if everyone has seen important information — but turn them off for private conversations. You can set each group separately, so one group might have read receipts on while another has them off.
If you do not see this option in a group chat, it may be because the group is an older SMS group rather than an iMessage group. iMessage groups (which use data or Wi-Fi instead of your phone plan) have more features, including individual read receipt control. You can tell the difference by looking at the message bubbles: iMessage bubbles are blue, and SMS bubbles are green.
Turning read receipts back on if you change your mind
If you turn read receipts off and later decide you want them back on, the process is identical. Go to Settings > Messages and tap the Send Read Receipts toggle to turn it back on. The switch will turn green again, and read receipts will resume when ready.
When you turn them back on, people will start seeing "Read" notifications again for new messages you open. However, they will not receive retroactive "Read" notifications for messages you read while receipts were off — those messages will straightforward show "Delivered" forever.
Why you might not see the read receipts setting
If you cannot find the Send Read Receipts toggle in Settings > Messages, the most common reason is that you are using an older version of iOS. This setting was added in iOS 16. Check your iOS version by opening Settings > General > About and looking at the "Version" number. If it is lower than 16, you will need to update your phone first.
Another reason you might not see it is if you are looking in the wrong place. Make sure you are in Settings > Messages, not Settings > Notifications or another submenu. The toggle should appear near the top of the Messages settings page, above options like "Filter Unknown Senders."
If you still cannot find it after checking your iOS version and the correct location, try restarting your phone. Sometimes the Settings app does not load all options until you restart. Hold down the power button and either side button until "Slide to Power Off" appears, then slide to turn off your phone. Wait 10 seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on.
How read receipts work across different Apple devices
If you own multiple Apple devices — an iPhone, iPad, and Mac — your read receipt setting syncs across all of them through iCloud. When you turn read receipts off on your iPhone, they are automatically off on your iPad and Mac as well. This means you do not have to change the setting on each device separately.
This syncing applies only to iMessage conversations. Regular SMS text messages (the green bubbles) only go to your iPhone, so the read receipt setting for those messages only matters on your phone. If someone texts you an SMS and you read it on your iPad, the sender will not know because SMS does not support read receipts on iPad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell I turned off read receipts?
Not directly. They will straightforward notice that your messages always show "Delivered" and never change to "Read." If they know you usually reply quickly, they might suspect you turned receipts off, but there is no notification that says you did. You can always tell them yourself if you want to explain.
Do read receipts work for SMS text messages?
No. Read receipts only work for iMessage conversations (the blue message bubbles). Regular SMS texts (green bubbles) do not support read receipts at all, even if you have them turned on. The sender will only see "Delivered" for SMS messages, never "Read."
What if I turn off read receipts but someone else has them on?
You will not see "Read" notifications from them either. Read receipts only work when both people have them turned on. If you turn yours off, you will not receive read receipts from anyone, regardless of their settings. If they turn theirs off, you will not see "Read" from them.
Will turning off read receipts affect FaceTime or other Apple apps?
No. The read receipts setting in Messages only affects text and iMessage conversations. FaceTime, Mail, and other Apple apps have their own separate settings if they support read receipts at all. Changing the Messages setting will not affect those apps.
Can I turn off read receipts for just one person?
Not through the standard settings. The read receipt toggle applies to all your conversations at once. However, you could block someone or mute their notifications as a workaround, though that affects more than just read receipts. The simplest approach is to turn receipts off for everyone or keep them on for everyone.