Send Read Receipts Tells People When You've Opened Their Messages
Send read receipts is a setting that notifies the person messaging you the moment you open and read their message. When you turn it on, they see a small indicator — usually a checkmark, timestamp, or "read" label — showing exactly when you looked at what they sent. When you turn it off, they see nothing, and have no way to know whether you've read their message or are ignoring them.
The setting exists in most messaging apps: iMessage, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Gmail, Microsoft Teams, and Slack all have versions of it. Some apps turn it on by default; others require you to switch it on yourself. The choice is yours alone — you control whether your contacts get that information about you.
Read receipts are different from delivery receipts, which just confirm your message reached the server. A delivery checkmark means the message got through. A read receipt means a person actually opened it and saw the words.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts show the exact time you opened a message, not just that you received it.
- You can turn read receipts on or off in your messaging app settings, and the choice applies to all your conversations.
- Turning off read receipts means people cannot see when you read their messages, but you can still see when they read yours if they have it enabled.
- Some apps let you turn read receipts on for certain contacts and off for others, depending on the app.
Where to Find the Read Receipts Setting
The location of this setting depends on which app you use. In iMessage on iPhone, go to Settings > Messages and toggle "Send Read Receipts" on or off. On Mac, open Messages, go to Preferences, and find it under the Accounts tab. In WhatsApp, open Settings > Privacy and toggle "Read Receipts." In Facebook Messenger, go to your profile icon, select Preferences, and look for read receipts under Privacy.
Gmail does not have a traditional read receipt toggle for regular emails, but you can request a read receipt when you send an individual message by clicking the three-dot menu and selecting "Request read receipt." Microsoft Teams shows read receipts by default in direct messages, but you can turn them off in Settings > Privacy. Slack lets you see read receipts on your own messages but does not offer a setting to hide when you read others' messages.
If you cannot find the setting in your app, check the Help or Support section for that specific platform, since app layouts change with updates.
Why People Turn Read Receipts On
Some people keep read receipts on because they want to be transparent. If you read a message and do not respond right away, the sender knows you saw it and are thinking about it — they are not wondering if the message ever reached you. This can reduce anxiety in group chats or work conversations where silence feels like a problem.
In work settings, read receipts can clarify accountability. If your manager sends you instructions and sees you read them, there is a record that you received the information. Some teams use read receipts as a way to confirm people have seen important announcements or safety information.
Others straightforward do not mind if people know when they read messages. They have nothing to hide and see no reason to turn the feature off.
Why People Turn Read Receipts Off
Many people turn read receipts off because they want privacy and breathing room. If you read a message but are not ready to respond — you are busy, thinking about what to say, or just do not feel like talking — a read receipt creates pressure to reply when ready. Without it, the sender cannot tell the difference between "I have not seen this yet" and "I saw it but am not responding right now."
Some people turn them off to avoid seeming rude. If you read a message from a friend and do not respond for hours, they might feel hurt or ignored. Without read receipts, they straightforward do not know, and there is no hurt to manage.
Others turn them off for control. They want to choose when to engage with people, not feel obligated to respond the moment someone sees they have read something. This is especially common in personal relationships where constant availability feels exhausting.
What Happens When You Turn Read Receipts Off
When you disable read receipts, people who message you will not see when you open their messages. They will still see delivery receipts (if the app supports them), meaning they know the message reached you. But they have no way to know whether you read it five seconds ago or five days ago.
Here is the important part: turning off your read receipts does not prevent you from seeing other people's read receipts. If someone else has read receipts turned on, you will still see when they read your messages. Read receipts are one-way — you control what you send out about yourself, not what you receive about others.
If you turn read receipts off and then change your mind, you can turn them back on at any time. The change takes effect when ready for new messages. Old messages do not retroactively show read receipts.
Read Receipts in Group Chats
In group conversations, read receipts work the same way as one-on-one chats, but the information is visible to everyone in the group. When you read a message in a group chat with read receipts on, all members see your name and the timestamp. This can feel more exposed than a private conversation, since multiple people are watching.
Some people turn read receipts off specifically for group chats to avoid the feeling of being monitored. Others keep them on because group chats are usually less formal and the pressure to respond when ready is lower. The choice is still yours — your read receipt setting applies to all your conversations at once in most apps.
A few apps, like Slack, let you control read receipts differently for different types of conversations, but most do not.
Read Receipts at Work vs. Personal Use
At work, read receipts can be useful for confirming that team members have seen important information. If you send a project important date or safety procedure and see it has been read, you know people got the message. This is especially valuable in remote teams where you cannot see whether someone is at their desk.
However, read receipts can also create stress in work settings. If your boss sees you read a message at 6 p.m. and you do not respond until the next morning, they might assume you were working late. Some workplaces have unspoken rules about read receipts that create pressure to respond when ready, even outside work hours.
In personal messaging, read receipts are usually optional. You can turn them on for close friends and family if you want them to know you are engaged, or turn them off if you value the freedom to respond on your own timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell I have read receipts turned off?
No. If you have read receipts off, people straightforward will not see any read indicator on your messages. They might wonder if you read something, but they cannot see a setting that says "this person has read receipts disabled." They just see no read receipt appear.
If I turn off read receipts, will old messages show I read them?
No. Read receipts only work on messages sent after you enable the setting. If you turn read receipts on today, messages from last week will not suddenly show a read timestamp. The same applies in reverse — turning them off does not erase read receipts from the past.
Do read receipts work across different messaging apps?
No. Read receipts only work within the same app. If you message someone on WhatsApp, they see WhatsApp read receipts. If you message the same person on iMessage, they see iMessage read receipts. Each app has its own system.
Can I turn read receipts on for some people and off for others?
In most apps, no — the setting applies to all your conversations at once. However, some apps like Telegram offer more granular controls. Check your specific app's settings to see if it allows per-contact customization.
What if someone is upset I turned off read receipts?
You have the right to control your own privacy settings. If someone is upset, you can explain that turning them off helps you manage your time and reduces pressure to respond when ready. Most people understand once they know it is not personal.