Where to find the read receipts setting

Read receipts on iPhone let the people you text know when you have opened and read their message. You control this setting in the Messages app, and you can turn it on or off whenever you want. The setting is in your iPhone's main Settings app, not in Messages itself.

Open Settings on your home screen. Scroll down and tap Messages. Look for the option labeled Send Read Receipts. When the toggle next to it is green and switched to the right, read receipts are on. When it is gray and switched to the left, read receipts are off.

Key Takeaways

  • Read receipts are controlled in Settings > Messages > Send Read Receipts, not in the Messages app itself.
  • Turning read receipts on means people you text will see when you have opened their message.
  • Turning read receipts off means people cannot see when you read their texts, but you can still see when they read yours if they have it turned on.
  • This setting applies to all your text conversations at once — you cannot turn read receipts on for one person and off for another.
  • The setting takes effect when ready after you change it; no restart or app close is needed.

What happens when read receipts are on

When you have read receipts turned on, anyone who texts you will see the words "Delivered" and then "Read" below their message. The "Read" label appears the moment you open the conversation and see their text, even if you do not type a reply. This happens in the Messages app and in group chats.

People can see read receipts only if they are texting you through iMessage (the blue message bubbles). Regular SMS text messages (green bubbles) do not show read receipts, even if you have the setting on. If someone is using an Android phone or a non-Apple device, they will not see your read receipts.

What happens when read receipts are off

When read receipts are off, people who text you will see "Delivered" under their message, but they will never see "Read." They will not know whether you have opened their text or when you opened it. You remain completely silent on your end.

Turning off read receipts does not prevent you from seeing when other people read your messages. If someone else has read receipts turned on, you will still see "Read" under the texts you send them. Read receipts work one direction at a time — your setting controls only what you send out, not what you receive.

Common reasons to turn read receipts off

Many people turn off read receipts because they do not want others to know they have seen a message but chosen not to reply yet. Without read receipts, you can read a text and think about your response without the sender knowing you have already seen it.

Some people turn them off to reduce pressure to respond when ready. Others use them off in work group chats or with family members where constant visibility might create tension. There is no right choice — it depends on your own comfort and the relationships you have.

How to change the setting back

If you change your mind, the process is identical. Open Settings, tap Messages, and toggle Send Read Receipts back to the opposite position. If it was on (green), switch it off (gray). If it was off (gray), switch it on (green).

The change happens when ready. You do not need to close the Messages app, restart your phone, or do anything else. The next text someone sends you will reflect your new setting.

Read receipts in group chats

Read receipts work in group iMessage conversations the same way they work in one-on-one chats. When you open a group message, everyone in that chat will see that you have read it (if you have read receipts on). You will also see when each person in the group has read the message.

If you have read receipts off, the group will see "Delivered" but not "Read" from you. However, you will still see when other group members read the message if they have their read receipts turned on. The setting is not different for groups — it applies to all your iMessage conversations at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn read receipts on for one person and off for everyone else?

No. The read receipts setting in Messages applies to all your conversations at the same time. You cannot customize it per person or per group chat. If you turn it on, everyone sees when you read their messages. If you turn it off, no one does.

Will people know I turned off read receipts?

No. People will straightforward stop seeing "Read" under their messages to you. They may notice the change if they were used to seeing it, but the phone does not send them a notification that you turned it off. They will just see "Delivered" from that point forward.

Do read receipts work with regular text messages or only iMessage?

Read receipts work only with iMessage (blue message bubbles). Regular SMS text messages (green bubbles) sent to Android phones or older devices do not support read receipts, even if you have the setting turned on. The recipient will see only "Delivered."

If I turn off read receipts, can I still see when other people read my messages?

Yes. Your read receipts setting controls only what you send out. If someone else has read receipts turned on, you will see "Read" under the messages you send them, regardless of your own setting.

What if I accidentally opened a message and do not want someone to know I read it?

If read receipts are on, they will see "Read" the moment you open the conversation. There is no way to unsend a read receipt or hide that you opened the message. Your only option is to turn off read receipts going forward so future messages do not show as read.