Where to find the read receipt setting

Read receipts on iPhone let the person you're texting know the exact moment you've opened their message. You control this in the Messages app settings, not in individual conversations. The toggle is in Settings > Apps > Messages, under a section called "Send Read Receipts" or similar depending on your iOS version.

When read receipts are on, a small "Delivered" label changes to "Read" with a timestamp the moment you open a message thread. When they're off, the other person sees only "Delivered" and never knows when you actually read what they sent. This setting applies to all your text conversations at once — you cannot turn read receipts on for one person and off for another through the main settings.

Key Takeaways

  • Read receipts are controlled in Settings > Apps > Messages, and the toggle affects all your conversations at the same time.
  • Turning read receipts off means people cannot see when you've read their messages, though "Delivered" still appears.
  • You can disable read receipts for a single conversation by opening that thread, tapping the person's name at the top, and toggling off "Send Read Receipts."
  • Read receipts only work between iPhone users; Android phones do not receive or send them through the standard Messages app.
  • Turning off read receipts does not hide whether you've seen a message in group chats — those show read status differently.

Step-by-step: Turn read receipts off globally

Open the Settings app on your home screen. Scroll down and tap Messages. Look for the toggle next to "Send Read Receipts" and tap it to turn the feature off. The toggle will no longer be highlighted in blue.

Once you've done this, anyone texting you will see "Delivered" under their messages to you, but the label will not change to "Read" when you open the conversation. This change takes effect when ready and applies to all new messages going forward.

Step-by-step: Turn read receipts off for one person only

Open the Messages app and find the conversation with the person you want to hide read receipts from. Tap their name or phone number at the very top of the conversation thread — not the message itself, but the header area. A details panel will slide in from the right side of the screen.

Scroll down in that panel until you see "Send Read Receipts" with a toggle next to it. Tap the toggle to turn it off for that conversation only. Your global setting remains unchanged, so read receipts will still work normally in all your other conversations. Close the panel by tapping elsewhere or swiping left.

What happens in group chats

Group messages work differently. When read receipts are on, everyone in the group sees a list of who has read the message and when, displayed below the message itself. If you turn off read receipts globally, your name will not appear on that list for anyone in any group chat.

You cannot disable read receipts for a single group chat while keeping them on everywhere else — the global setting controls group behavior too. If you want to hide your read status in one specific group, you would need to turn off read receipts entirely, which hides it in all groups and one-on-one conversations.

Why read receipts might not work

Read receipts only function between iPhone users. If you text an Android phone, that person will never see read receipts from you, and you will never see them from Android users, even if both devices have the feature enabled. This is because Android uses a different texting system.

Read receipts also do not work over Wi-Fi calling or in iMessage conversations that have failed to send. If a message shows a red exclamation mark or says "Not Delivered," read receipts are not active on that message. Additionally, if the recipient has turned off read receipts on their end, you will not see when they read your messages.

Common reasons to turn read receipts off

Many people disable read receipts because they do not want others to know they have seen a message but chosen not to respond yet. Without read receipts, someone cannot tell the difference between a message you have not opened and one you have read but are ignoring. This can reduce pressure to reply when ready.

Some users turn them off for privacy reasons — they prefer not to broadcast their activity or availability. Others disable them in specific conversations with people they want to maintain distance from, such as a boss or a difficult family member. Turning off read receipts does not prevent the other person from seeing that you are typing, however.

Turning read receipts back on

To re-enable read receipts globally, go back to Settings > Messages and toggle "Send Read Receipts" back on. The toggle will turn blue again. If you disabled read receipts for a single conversation, open that thread, tap the person's name at the top, and toggle "Send Read Receipts" back on in the details panel.

Once you turn read receipts back on, people will when ready start seeing "Read" labels on messages you open from that point forward. Messages you read before turning the feature back on will still show only "Delivered."

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone tell I turned off read receipts?

No. When read receipts are off, the other person straightforward sees "Delivered" instead of "Read." They have no way to know whether you disabled the feature or never opened the message. The experience is the same from their perspective.

Do read receipts work over iMessage and regular text?

Read receipts work over iMessage (blue bubbles between Apple devices) and over regular SMS text (green bubbles). However, SMS read receipts depend on the carrier and the recipient's phone — many Android carriers do not support them. iMessage read receipts are more reliable because they are built into Apple's system.

What if I turn off read receipts but still want to see when others read my messages?

You cannot separate the two. The read receipt setting is two-way: when you turn it off, you stop sending read receipts to others, and you also stop receiving them from them. If you want to see when people read your messages, you must have read receipts enabled, which means they can see when you read theirs.

Will turning off read receipts affect FaceTime or other Apple apps?

No. The read receipt setting in Messages only controls text and iMessage conversations. FaceTime, Mail, and other Apple apps have their own separate settings if they include read receipts at all. Changing the Messages setting does not affect those apps.

Can I see read receipts if the other person has them turned off?

No. If someone has disabled read receipts on their device, you will only see "Delivered" on your messages to them, even if they have opened and read the message. You have no way to know whether they have read receipts off or straightforward have not opened the message yet.