How to Turn Off Read Receipts on iPhone

To turn off read receipts for everyone on your iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Messages and switch off Send Read Receipts. To stop them for one person, open that person’s iMessage conversation, tap their name or the information button, and turn off Send Read Receipts under Info. These controls affect iMessage only; green SMS/MMS messages do not use read receipts.

Before you start

You need access to your iPhone’s Settings app and, for the one-person option, the relevant conversation in Messages. If the conversation bubbles are blue, it is an iMessage and read receipts can apply. If they are green, the conversation is SMS or MMS, so there is no read-receipt switch to manage.

Menu wording and placement can vary slightly by iOS version. On some versions, Messages appears directly in the main Settings list rather than inside Apps; in a conversation, tapping the name may take you straight to the information screen. Either way, look for the switch labeled Send Read Receipts.

Read receipts are generated when an iMessage is opened, not merely when it is delivered. If you disable receipts and then read a message, that read does not produce a receipt while the setting remains off. Turning receipts back on later does not send a late receipt for the earlier message, and a receipt that has already been sent cannot be recalled.

Turn off read receipts for everyone

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and unlock it if necessary.
2. Scroll to Apps and tap it. If your Settings list shows Messages directly, skip this step and tap Messages instead.
3. On the Messages screen, tap Send Read Receipts to open its switch screen.
4. Turn Send Read Receipts off so the switch is no longer highlighted or shown as enabled.

This is the blanket setting for iMessages sent from your iPhone. After you turn it off, opening and reading an iMessage will not generate a new read receipt for the sender. It does not remove the word “Delivered,” change delivery confirmations, or stop other people from sending you their own read receipts.

Within a conversation, read receipts are mutual in appearance: when both people have their sending setting enabled, each side can see when the other has read a message. They are not one shared switch, though. Your setting controls the receipts you send, while the other person’s setting controls the receipts you receive.

Turn off read receipts for one person

1. Open Messages and choose the conversation with the person. Make sure it is a one-to-one iMessage conversation with blue bubbles.
2. Tap the person’s name or the information button at the top of the conversation. On some versions, tapping the name opens the Info screen directly.
3. On the Info screen, find Send Read Receipts. If you first see a contact card or a list of details, open the conversation information before looking for the switch.
4. Turn off Send Read Receipts. The switch should change from on to off.
5. Close the screen and return to Messages. You can repeat this for another contact; each person has a separate preference.

The one-person control is reached from a conversation, but it is saved as a per-contact choice in Messages. Use it when you want a particular person not to receive your read receipts while leaving receipts enabled for everyone else. The other person does not need to approve the change, and you do not need to start a new conversation.

This option also does not stop you from receiving that person’s receipts if their own setting is on. If you read a message before changing the switch, the recipient may already have received a “Read” notification, and turning the setting off afterward will not remove it.

Other versions, group chats, and switching back on

1. On an older iOS version, open Settings and tap Messages directly. Send Read Receipts will be on the main Messages settings screen.
2. In a group conversation, tap the group name or information button and open the member or contact details. If a Send Read Receipts switch is available for a participant, turn it off there. If the group screen does not offer individual controls, use the global switch to cover all conversations.
3. To restore receipts for everyone, return to Settings > Apps > Messages and turn Send Read Receipts back on. When the switch is enabled, the label describes the action rather than the current state.
4. To restore receipts for one contact, reopen their conversation, tap the name or information button, open Info, and switch Send Read Receipts back on.
5. If a switch seems missing, close Messages and reopen it, then check whether the device has an available system update. You can also search Settings for “Read Receipts” if the menu has been rearranged.
6. If you want to test the result, send a fresh iMessage after changing the setting. An older message may still display a previous “Read” marker, and the other person’s own settings can also affect what you see.

The global switch is the most comprehensive option when your goal is that nobody receives your read receipts. However, person-specific controls may act as exceptions on some versions, so check them if you need certainty. If you use more than one device or have several conversations with the same contact, review the relevant conversations and devices rather than assuming one change covered everything.

Tips and common mistakes

• Read is not the same as delivered. “Delivered” means the message reached the recipient’s device; “Read” means it was opened. Turning off read receipts does not remove delivery status.
• Your setting controls outgoing receipts. Other people can still send you read receipts when their own settings allow it, even if you no longer see when they read your messages.
• Check person-specific exceptions. If you turned off the global switch but still notice receipts in a conversation, open its Info screen and confirm that contact’s switch is also off.
• You cannot retract a receipt already sent. Turning the setting off prevents future receipts; it does not erase a previous “Read” from the sender’s conversation.
• A green bubble has no read-receipt control. The switch may affect other blue iMessage conversations, but it cannot create read receipts for SMS or MMS.
• Group chats can reveal more. A group participant’s read activity may be shown alongside the group message, so use the broadest control if you do not want that information sent.
• Test with a new message, not an old one. Existing conversations can retain earlier “Read” markers, so a fresh iMessage is a better test after changing the setting.
• A read receipt is not proof of a reply. Someone can read a message and remain silent, or read it much later. Ask directly if the timing matters.

Key takeaways

• To turn off receipts for everyone, use Settings > Apps > Messages > Send Read Receipts.
• To turn them off for one person, open the conversation and use Info > Send Read Receipts.
• Read receipts apply to blue iMessage conversations, not green SMS/MMS conversations.
• Your switch controls outgoing receipts; the other person controls what they send you.
• A receipt already sent cannot be removed, although changing the setting prevents new ones.

Frequently asked questions

Do read receipts work for SMS or MMS messages?

No. Read receipts are an iMessage feature, so they apply to blue messages sent through Messages and do not apply to green SMS/MMS messages. If you are concerned about privacy in a text conversation, you can turn off message previews separately, but changing read receipts will not alter SMS behavior.

If I turn off read receipts, will the other person still know I read their message?

Not through a new read receipt. Your switch stops future receipts you send, but it does not disable a receipt that was sent before the change or change the other person’s setting. You will still receive their receipts if they choose to send them.

Can I turn read receipts back on for everyone or for one contact?

Yes. For everyone, reopen Settings > Apps > Messages and switch Send Read Receipts on. For one person, open the conversation, tap the name or information button, open Info, and switch that contact’s Send Read Receipts setting on.

Does turning off read receipts also turn off delivery notifications?

No. Delivery and read status are separate signals. “Delivered” confirms that a message was sent to the recipient’s device, while “Read” confirms that the message was opened. Turning off Send Read Receipts affects the latter, not the former.