How to Turn Off Read Receipts on iPhone?

The Messages app on your iPhone allows others to see read receipts so they know when you've looked at their texts. Sometimes though, it can be better to read messages privately without the sender realizing you've seen them. Maybe you want more time to reply without feeling rushed, or there may be times you don't want certain people to be aware that you've read their message yet.

This guide will show you how to turn off read receipts for all of your contacts, as well as individual people. By following a few simple steps, you can choose who has visibility into whether or not you've checked your messages.

Disabling Read Receipts for All of Your Contacts

1. Open the Settings on your iPhone.

2. Scroll down past the different options until you see "Messages". Tap on Messages.

3. Inside there, you'll see a switch called "Send Read Receipts". Flip that switch so it's white. Now no one can see when you read their messages.

You can read messages without them knowing. You don't have to let them know right away that you looked. Now you can reply whenever you want without others seeing. It's better this way because it's not mandatory to share all the time.

Disabling Read Receipt For All of Your Contacts

1. Open your Messages app.

2. Find the chat with the person you want to be secretive with and click on it.

3. At the top will be their name or number. Tap on that to open their contact card.

4. Scan the contact card until you see the "Send Read Receipts" switch. Flip it white so it's off.

5. Now just that one contact won't know when you've read their texts. They can't check up on you.

With a few quick taps, you have more control over privacy with specific people. This is good for times when you only want to be careful around certain individuals. You decide who gets to see what you've seen message-wise.

Advantages

• By turning off read receipts, others won't know the precise moments when you've viewed their texts. You are in control of how much or how little is revealed to people about whether you've read their messages.
• You won't feel that pressure to reply right away. Sometimes if someone sees that you read their text, they think you gotta answer fast. But with receipts off, you can read at your own pace without them being any the wiser.

Disadvantages

• If you flip the switch off, you also won't see when people open your texts. It goes both ways.
• Without receipts, there's more chance messages get missed or mixed up. The sender won't know you saw it. This could cause confusion.

To summarize, your iPhone's Messages app gives you different privacy choices around read receipts. You can disable them entirely so that no contacts see when you've read messages. Or you can selectively turn off receipts for specific people you want a little more secrecy with. However, remember that disabling receipts means you also lose any information about if others have read your messages. There is a balance to consider between privacy and transparency.