Where to find read receipts on Samsung

Read receipts on Samsung phones let the person you're texting know when you've opened their message. If you don't want others to see that you've read their texts, you can turn this feature off in your messaging app's settings. The exact steps depend on which messaging app you use — Samsung Messages (the default texting app on most Samsung phones) works differently from Google Messages or third-party apps like WhatsApp.

The good news: turning off read receipts takes less than a minute once you know where the setting lives. You won't lose any messages or damage your phone — you're just changing one preference.

Key Takeaways

  • Samsung Messages has a read receipt setting in Settings > Advanced > Read receipts, which you can toggle off to hide when you open texts.
  • Google Messages (if you use that instead) has the same setting under Settings > Advanced > Send read receipts.
  • WhatsApp and other third-party messaging apps have their own read receipt controls in their individual settings menus.
  • Turning off read receipts affects all conversations — you cannot hide your read status from some people and show it to others in the same app.
  • Some messaging apps let you turn off read receipts for group chats separately from one-on-one texts.

Turning off read receipts in Samsung Messages

Open the Samsung Messages app on your phone. Tap the three vertical dots (menu icon) in the top right corner, then select Settings.

Scroll down and tap Advanced. Look for the option called Read receipts and toggle it off. Once you do, the app will stop sending read receipts to other people — they won't see a checkmark or notification that you've opened their message.

If you don't see an Advanced section, your version of Samsung Messages may be older. In that case, look for Notifications or General in the Settings menu — read receipt controls are sometimes grouped there instead.

Turning off read receipts in Google Messages

If you use Google Messages (the default texting app on some newer Samsung phones), the process is similar but the menu path is slightly different. Open Google Messages and tap your profile picture or avatar in the top left corner.

Select Settings, then tap Advanced. Find Send read receipts and toggle it off. This prevents Google Messages from telling others when you've read their texts.

Google Messages also has a separate setting for Chat features — if you use RCS (Rich Communication Services) texting, you may see an additional read receipt toggle there. Turning off the main read receipts setting usually covers both, but check both locations if you want to be thorough.

Turning off read receipts in WhatsApp and other apps

WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and other messaging apps each have their own read receipt settings. In WhatsApp, open the app and tap the three vertical dots in the top right, then go to Settings > Privacy. You'll see an option for Read receipts — toggle it off to hide when you've opened messages.

Other apps follow a similar pattern: look in Settings or Preferences, then Privacy or Advanced, and search for "read receipts" or "message status". The exact wording and location vary by app, so if you can't find it in the first menu you check, try searching the app's help documentation or settings search function (many apps now have a search bar within Settings).

Keep in mind that some apps, like Signal, may not have a read receipt setting at all — they're designed to not send them by default. Check your app's documentation if you're unsure whether the feature exists.

What happens when you turn off read receipts

When you disable read receipts, people texting you will no longer see when you've opened their message. In Samsung Messages and Google Messages, this usually means they won't see the double checkmark or "read" indicator that normally appears after you open a text. In WhatsApp, they won't see the two blue checkmarks that show a message has been read.

Turning off read receipts does not delete old read receipts you've already sent — it only stops new ones from being sent going forward. If someone saw that you read a message before you changed the setting, that information stays on their end.

One important limitation: most messaging apps explore read receipt settings to all your conversations at once. You cannot turn off read receipts for one person and keep them on for another in the same app. If you need that level of control, you would need to use different messaging apps for different people, which is not practical for most users.

Turning read receipts back on

If you change your mind, you can turn read receipts back on by following the same steps and toggling the setting back to On. This works the same way in Samsung Messages, Google Messages, WhatsApp, and other apps — just return to the read receipt setting and flip the toggle.

Turning the feature back on does not send retroactive read receipts for messages you received while it was off. It only starts sending read receipts for new messages going forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will people know I turned off read receipts?

No. When you turn off read receipts, people won't see any notification that you've disabled the feature. They'll straightforward stop seeing the "read" indicator on their messages. They may notice over time that you never show as having read their texts, but the app won't tell them you've turned the setting off.

Can I turn off read receipts for group chats but keep them on for one-on-one texts?

Most messaging apps don't offer this option — the read receipt setting applies to all conversations. However, some apps like WhatsApp do have separate controls for group chats in certain versions. Check your app's Settings menu under Privacy or Advanced to see if a group chat option exists.

What if I don't see a read receipts option in my messaging app?

Some older versions of Samsung Messages or Google Messages may not have this setting, or it may be labeled differently. Try searching within the app's settings for "read" or "receipt". If it's not there, your app version may not support the feature — updating the app from the Google Play Store or Galaxy Store might add it.

Does turning off read receipts affect my ability to receive messages?

No. Turning off read receipts only changes whether others can see that you've opened their messages. You'll still receive all texts normally, and people can still send you messages — the setting has no effect on incoming messages.

If I turn off read receipts, will old messages show as unread?

No. Messages you've already opened will stay marked as read on your phone. Turning off the setting only affects new messages going forward — it doesn't change the status of past conversations.