How to Turn Off Read Receipts on iPhone

Read receipts in iMessage let people know when you've read their messages. If you value your privacy or simply don't want others to know when you've seen their texts, you can turn off read receipts on your iPhone — either globally for everyone or for specific contacts.

What Are Read Receipts?

When read receipts are enabled, the sender sees "Read" with a timestamp under their message after you open it in iMessage. This feature only works with iMessage (blue bubbles), not SMS/MMS (green bubbles).

How to Turn Off Read Receipts for Everyone

On iPhone (iOS 10 and later)

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Messages.
3. Find Send Read Receipts.
4. Toggle the switch OFF (it will turn gray).

Once disabled, people will no longer see when you've read their iMessages. However, they can still see "Delivered" when the message reaches your device.

How to Turn Off Read Receipts for Specific Contacts

You can keep read receipts on for most people but disable them for specific contacts:

Method: From Messages App

1. Open the Messages app.
2. Open the conversation with the contact you want to hide read receipts from.
3. Tap the contact's name or photo at the top of the screen.
4. Tap the info (i) icon.
5. Toggle Send Read Receipts OFF for this contact.

Note: Per-contact read receipt settings are only available inside the Messages app. iOS does not allow read receipts to be changed from the Contacts app.

This per-contact setting overrides your global setting. If you turn off read receipts globally but enable them for a specific person, only that person will see when you've read their messages.

How to Turn Read Receipts Back On

If you want to re-enable read receipts:

For Everyone

1. Go to Settings → Messages.
2. Toggle Send Read Receipts ON (it will turn green).

For a Specific Contact

1. Open the conversation in Messages.
2. Tap the contact's name → info icon.
3. Toggle Send Read Receipts ON.

What Happens When You Turn Off Read Receipts?

• Others won't see "Read" — They'll only see "Delivered" when your iPhone receives the message.
• You can still see their read receipts — If they have read receipts enabled, you'll still see when they read your messages.
• Only affects iMessage — Regular SMS/MMS (green bubbles) don't support read receipts anyway.
• No notification — The other person won't be notified that you've turned off read receipts.

Can You Read Messages Without Triggering Read Receipts?

Yes! Even with read receipts enabled, you can read messages without the sender knowing:

Using Notifications

1. When a message arrives, read it from the notification banner or lock screen.
2. Don't open the Messages app or tap the notification to enter the conversation.
3. The message will stay marked as "Delivered" until you actually open the conversation.

Using Airplane Mode Trick

1. Turn on Airplane Mode (swipe down from top-right corner → tap Airplane icon).
2. Open the Messages app and read the message.
3. Force quit the Messages app.
4. Turn Airplane Mode OFF.
5. The sender won't receive a read receipt.

Note: This method is not 100% reliable and may not work consistently across all iOS versions.

How to Disable Read Receipts on Other Messaging Apps

WhatsApp

1. Open WhatsApp → Settings → Privacy.
2. Toggle Read Receipts OFF.

Instagram

1. Open Instagram → tap your profile icon.
2. Tap the menu → Settings and privacy.
3. Tap Messages and story replies → Show read receipts.
4. Toggle it OFF.

Facebook Messenger

Facebook Messenger does not allow you to disable read receipts. However, you can read messages without triggering them using:

• Reading from notification previews
• Turning on Airplane Mode before opening the app

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off read receipts affect FaceTime or phone calls?

No, read receipts only apply to iMessage texts. FaceTime and phone calls are not affected.

Can the other person tell if I've turned off read receipts?

No, there's no notification or indication that you've disabled read receipts. They'll simply see "Delivered" instead of "Read."

Do read receipts work in group chats?

Yes, in iMessage group chats, participants can see when you've read messages if you have read receipts enabled. Disabling them will hide this information in group conversations too.

Why can I still see "Read" on some messages even though I turned off read receipts?

If the other person has read receipts enabled, you'll still see when they read your messages — even if you've turned yours off.

Troubleshooting

• Setting is grayed out? Make sure iMessage is enabled (Settings → Messages → iMessage should be ON).
• Changes not taking effect? Restart your iPhone and check again.
• Can't find the option? Ensure your iOS is up to date.
• Per-contact setting not working? Make sure you're using iMessage (blue bubbles).

Quick Reference

• Turn off for everyone: Settings → Messages → Send Read Receipts OFF
• Turn off for one person: Messages → tap contact → info icon → Send Read Receipts OFF
• Read without triggering: Use notification previews or Airplane Mode trick

Note: These instructions apply to iPhone running iOS 10 or later. Earlier versions may have slightly different menu locations.