Phone, Messages, and FaceTime
Read Receipts
Most people call this letting people see that you read their message.
Read receipts tell the sender when you opened their iMessage, and they can be turned off globally or for individual conversations.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 18 and later
- Settings
- Apps
- Messages
- Send Read Receipts
What it does
The setting applies only to iMessage, not SMS. Turning it off stops you sending receipts, and does not stop you seeing other people's.
What changes
When it is on
Senders see when you have read their message.
When it is off
Senders see only that the message was delivered.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Useful with people who need to know a message landed.
- Can be enabled for one conversation only.
Good reasons to turn it off
- Removes the expectation of an instant reply.
- Works per conversation, so you can be selective.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
Helps
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: Off globally on most setups.
Where this setting used to live
Apple moves settings between releases. This is every location we have on file.
-
iOS 18 and later
Settings > Apps > Messages > Send Read Receipts
-
iOS 13 to iOS 17
Settings > Messages > Send Read Receipts
Questions people actually ask
- How do I turn off read receipts for one person?
- Open the conversation, tap their name at the top, and turn off Send Read Receipts there.
If it is not working
- Per conversation control is in the contact's card at the top of the conversation.
- Turning yours off does not hide other people's receipts from you.