What read receipts do and where to find the setting
Read receipts let the person texting you know the moment you open and read their message. When you turn them on, a small "Read" label with a timestamp appears under their message in the Messages app — but only if they have read receipts turned on too. If they don't, you won't see whether they've read your messages either.
The setting lives in your iPhone's main Settings app, not in Messages itself. You'll find it under Settings > Messages > Send Read Receipts. It's a single toggle: on or off. The setting applies to all your text conversations at once — you can't turn read receipts on for one person and off for another.
Read receipts work only in the Messages app with other iPhone, iPad, or Mac users. Android phones, group texts, and iMessage conversations with non-Apple devices don't support them. If you text someone on Android, they won't see read receipts from you no matter what your setting is.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts are turned on in Settings > Messages > Send Read Receipts, and the toggle applies to all your conversations at once.
- When read receipts are on, people see "Read" with a timestamp under their messages only if they also have read receipts turned on.
- Read receipts work only between Apple devices using iMessage, not with Android phones or group texts.
- Turning read receipts off means others won't see when you've read their messages, but you also won't see when they've read yours.
Step-by-step: turning read receipts on
Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap Messages. Look for the option labeled "Send Read Receipts" — it will have a toggle switch to the right of it. If the toggle is gray, read receipts are off. Tap the toggle once to turn it green, which means read receipts are now on.
That's the entire process. You don't need to restart your phone or close and reopen Messages. The change takes effect when ready. The next time someone texts you, if they have read receipts on, they'll see "Read" appear under their message as soon as you open it.
What happens when read receipts are on
When you have read receipts enabled and you open a message from someone who also has them on, they see "Read" with the exact time you opened it. This appears in their Messages app under the message they sent you. If they don't have read receipts on, you won't see this information about their messages either — it's a two-way street.
Read receipts show only that you've opened the message, not that you've finished reading it or that you'll respond. Someone might see "Read 2:15 PM" and still be waiting for your reply hours later. The timestamp is useful for knowing whether someone has seen your message, but it doesn't tell them anything about what you plan to do next.
Why you might want to turn read receipts off
Some people turn read receipts off because they don't want others to know they've seen a message. This is useful if you need time to think before responding, or if you want to avoid the expectation of an when ready reply. Without read receipts, someone won't know whether you've read their message or straightforward haven't checked your phone yet.
Turning them off also means you won't see when others have read your messages. This can reduce anxiety about waiting for responses — you straightforward won't have that information. Some people find this less stressful than watching the "Read" timestamp appear and then waiting for a reply.
Read receipts in group texts and iMessage conversations
In a group text, read receipts work differently. If everyone in the group has read receipts on, you'll see a list of who has read the message and when. This appears as small profile pictures or names under the message. If even one person in the group has read receipts off, nobody in that group sees read receipt information for anyone.
iMessage conversations — which are the blue bubbles on iPhone — support read receipts. Regular SMS text messages, which appear in green bubbles, do not. If you're texting someone on Android or using SMS, read receipts won't work even if you have them turned on. You'll only see read receipt information in blue iMessage conversations with other Apple users.
Turning read receipts off if you change your mind
If you decide you want to turn read receipts off, the process is identical. Open Settings, go to Messages, and tap the "Send Read Receipts" toggle to turn it gray. This takes effect when ready. People will no longer see "Read" timestamps under their messages to you, and you won't see them under messages from others.
Turning read receipts off doesn't delete any past "Read" information that people have already seen. If someone saw "Read 2:15 PM" before you turned the setting off, that timestamp stays in their conversation history. The change only affects messages sent after you make the switch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn read receipts on for one person and off for everyone else?
No. The read receipts setting is all or nothing — it applies to every conversation at once. If you want to hide that you've read a message from one specific person, you'll need to turn read receipts off entirely, which means everyone won't see your read status.
Do read receipts work in group texts with Android users?
No. If even one person in a group text uses Android, read receipts don't work for anyone in that conversation. Read receipts only function in iMessage conversations between Apple devices. Group texts that include Android phones fall back to regular SMS, which doesn't support read receipts.
What's the difference between "Delivered" and "Read"?
"Delivered" means your message reached the recipient's phone. "Read" means they've opened the Messages app and viewed your message. You'll see "Delivered" for everyone, but "Read" only appears if both people have read receipts turned on.
If I turn read receipts off, will old "Read" timestamps disappear?
No. Any "Read" information that people already saw in their conversations stays there. Turning the setting off only stops new read receipts from being sent. Past timestamps remain visible in their message history.
Do read receipts work on iPad and Mac?
Yes. The read receipts setting syncs across all your Apple devices. If you turn it on on your iPhone, it's also on on your iPad and Mac. Anyone texting you on any of those devices will see the same read receipt information.