This article covers how to manage read receipts in the built-in messaging apps on iOS and Android and includes a quick study of how read receipts work.

What to Know

  • iPhone: Go to Settings > Messages > toggle on Read Receipt .Android: Open Messages, tap three vertical dots, and select Settings > Chat Features.Read receipts are not available on messages shared between iPhone and Android users.

Manage Read Receipts on Apple Messages

You can enable read receipts on Apple’s Messages app in a few taps. However, you’re only able to exchange read receipts with other iPhone users who are also using the app. If you’re not sure which app your friends are using, open a conversation with them, or start a new one.

Messages from iOS phones are blue. Android phone messages show up as green.

  • Open Settings.
  • Scroll down and tap Messages.
  • Toggle on Read Receipts. Toggle it off to disable the function.

Manage Read Receipts on Google Messages

Enabling and disabling read receipts on Android’s Messages app is different than in Apple Messages. The same rules apply, however: You can send and receive read receipts only from other Android owners who are also using the app. You can tell whether your friends are using the same app by starting a conversation or opening an existing one.

Open Settings.

Scroll down and tap Messages.

Toggle on Read Receipts. Toggle it off to disable the function.

  • Open Messages.
  • Tap the three vertical dots menu icon.
  • Select Settings.
  • Tap Chat features.
  • Toggle on Send read receipts. Repeat these steps and toggle it off to disable the feature. When this feature is on, your friends will see the word Read and a timestamp under the message.

How Read Receipts Work on Built-In and Third-Party Apps

Read receipts work two ways. When you turn them on, recipients using the same operating system or messaging app (such as WhatsApp) can see when you’ve read their messages. If your friends turn read receipts on, you can see when they read your message.

Open Messages.

Tap the three vertical dots menu icon.

Select Settings.

Tap Chat features.

Toggle on Send read receipts. Repeat these steps and toggle it off to disable the feature. When this feature is on, your friends will see the word Read and a timestamp under the message.

Read receipts are a convenient feature until they’re not. For example, you might feel slighted when you’re “left on read” for too long, meaning the recipient read your text and didn’t respond. You can turn your read receipts off, but not others (though it doesn’t hurt to ask).

When you turn off read receipts on WhatsApp and other third-party messaging apps, you won’t send or receive receipts, which can help reduce the stress of waiting for a response.

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