How to Turn Off Read Receipts on iPhone 16 (For All Contacts or Just One)
Read receipts are the worst. They make you feel pressured to reply to texts immediately, and they cause so many unnecessary arguments. I turned off read receipts years ago, and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. In this guide, I'll show you how to turn off read receipts for all contacts or just specific people.
Turn Off Read Receipts for All Contacts
This will turn off read receipts for everyone who texts you.
- Open Settings > Messages
- Scroll down and toggle off "Send Read Receipts"
That's it! Now no one will be able to see when you've read their texts.
Turn Off Read Receipts for Specific Contacts
If you still want to send read receipts to some people but not others, you can turn them off for individual contacts.
- Open the Messages app
- Open the conversation with the person you want to turn off read receipts for
- Tap their name at the top of the screen
- Tap "Info"
- Toggle off "Send Read Receipts"
I have read receipts turned on for my family and close friends, but off for everyone else. It's the perfect balance.
What Happens When You Turn Off Read Receipts
When you turn off read receipts, people will only see "Delivered" under their texts, not "Read". You'll still be able to see when other people have read your texts, though.
Pro Tip
If you want to read a text without the sender knowing, you can turn on airplane mode before opening the message. Just make sure to close the message before turning airplane mode off.
Related Tech Tips
- How to Block a Number on iPhone 16
- How to Delete Apps on iPhone 16
- How to Turn On Dark Mode on iPhone 16
Now you can read texts on your own time without feeling pressured to reply! For more easy tech tips, check out our Tech Tips section or return to home.
