How to Turn Off Read Receipts on iPhone (All Contacts or One Person)
That small “Read” label under your iMessages can cause more stress than it should. Maybe you want time to think before you reply, or you just do not want a friend to know you saw their message at 2 a.m. Whatever the reason, your iPhone lets you hide it, either for everyone or only for certain people.
Here is how to turn off read receipts on iPhone, step by step for the newest iOS and older versions, plus how to do it for one person, how it works on your Mac and iPad, and a few things read receipts cannot control.
Quick answer: To turn off read receipts on iPhone, open Settings, tap Apps (on iOS 18 or later) and then Messages, and switch off Send Read Receipts. On iOS 17 or earlier, go to Settings, then Messages. To turn them off for just one person, open your chat with them in Messages, tap their name or photo at the top, and switch off Send Read Receipts.
How to Turn Off Read Receipts for Everyone
On iOS 18 and later
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap Apps.
- Find and tap Messages.
- Turn off the switch next to Send Read Receipts.
On iOS 17 and earlier
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap Messages.
- Turn off Send Read Receipts.
Once this is off, people you message over iMessage will see “Delivered” under their message instead of “Read.” According to Apple’s guide, this main setting covers everyone, unless you have changed it for a specific person.
How to Turn Off Read Receipts for One Person
You might want your partner to see when you read their texts but not your boss. iPhone lets you set this per conversation:
- Open the Messages app.
- Tap the conversation with that person.
- Tap their name or profile picture at the top of the chat.
- Turn off Send Read Receipts.
- Tap Done.
This works the other way too. If read receipts are off for everyone, you can turn them on for a few people the same way. Apple notes that the per-person setting overrides the main one, so if something is not working as expected, check both places.
How to Turn Off Read Receipts on Mac and iPad
Each Apple device follows its own setting. If read receipts are off on your iPhone but on for your Mac, opening a message on the Mac can still tell the other person you read it. To fix that:
- Mac: Open Messages, click Messages in the menu bar, choose Settings, go to the iMessage tab, and untick Send read receipts.
- iPad: Go to Settings, then Apps (on iPadOS 18) or straight to Messages, and turn off Send Read Receipts.
Which Messages Read Receipts Work With
Read receipts only work in some kinds of chats. As explained in this Apple Community guide:
- iMessage (blue bubbles): Read receipts work between Apple devices.
- RCS (texts with Android phones on iOS 18 and later): Read receipts can work if both sides support RCS.
- Regular SMS or MMS (green bubbles): No read receipts, no matter what your settings are.
- Group chats: Read receipts are generally not shown in group conversations.
One more thing: turning read receipts off now does not erase a “Read” label that was already sent. It only stops new ones.
What Read Receipts Do Not Control
- Typing indicators: The three dots that show while you type cannot be turned off. If you do not want someone to see them, avoid typing in that chat until you are ready.
- “Delivered”: People can still see that the message reached your phone.
How to Turn Read Receipts Back On
Changed your mind? Follow the same steps and switch Send Read Receipts back on, either in Settings for everyone or inside a single chat for one person. The change takes effect right away for new messages you open.
Should You Turn Off Read Receipts?
It is a personal choice. Turning them off takes the pressure off replying right away and gives you more privacy. Keeping them on can be helpful with family or coworkers who want to know you saw something important. Many people use a mix: off for everyone, on for a few close contacts.
Looking for more iPhone tips? See our guides on how to clear cache on iPhone and what screen mirroring is.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I turn off read receipts, can I still see when others read my messages?
Yes. Your setting only controls whether you send read receipts. You will still see “Read” on your messages if the other person has receipts turned on.
Why do some of my messages say Read even though I turned receipts off?
You probably have read receipts turned on for that specific conversation, or on another device like your Mac or iPad. Check the per-person setting and your other devices.
Do read receipts work with Android phones?
Not with regular SMS texts. With RCS messaging on iOS 18 and later, read receipts can work with Android if both sides have them enabled.
Can someone tell I turned off read receipts?
Not directly. They will just see “Delivered” instead of “Read,” which looks the same as a message you have not opened yet.
Can I turn off read receipts for group chats?
Read receipts generally do not appear in group chats, so there is nothing to switch off there.
The Bottom Line
To turn off read receipts on iPhone, go to Settings, then Apps (or straight to Messages on older iOS), and switch off Send Read Receipts. For one person only, tap their name at the top of the chat and change it there. Do the same on your Mac and iPad so a stray “Read” does not slip through.
