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How to Turn Off Read Receipts on Apple Messages

Read receipts let a contact know that you've read their message. If you don't like this feature, you can disable it completely on all renditions of Apple Messages; you can also disable it for specific contacts. Open the Settings app.

Author: Marvin Fry2 minutes read
Table of Contents
Method 1 of 4:

Turning Off All Read Receipts (iOS)

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    Open the Settings app.
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    Tap Messages.
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    Tap the green switch next to "Send Read Receipts". If this switch is grey, your read receipts are already disabled.
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    Exit Settings. You will no longer send read receipts!
Method 2 of 4:

Turning Off All Read Receipts (Mac)

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    Open the Messages program. This is the blue speech bubble icon in your dock.
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    Click Messages. You can find this in the top left corner of your Mac's screen in the toolbar.[1]
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    Click Preferences.
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    Click the "Accounts" tab.
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    Uncheck the box next to "Send read receipts".
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    Exit the Preferences menu. Now you won't send read receipts!
Method 3 of 4:

Disabling Read Receipts for a Specific Contact (iOS)

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    Open the Messages app. If you have read receipts enabled but wish to disable them for a specific contact, you can do so from within a conversation with that contact.
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    Tap a conversation. If you're already in a conversation, tap < in the top left corner of your screen to return to your "Messages" menu.
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    Tap your conversation's "Details" icon. This is the encircled "i" in the top right corner of your screen.
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    Tap the green switch next to "Send Read Receipts". It should turn grey.
    1. If this switch is already grey, your read receipts are already turned off.
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    Tap Done. Your contact will no longer receive read receipts!
Method 4 of 4:

Disabling Read Receipts for a Specific Contact (Mac)

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    Open the Messages program. This is the blue speech bubble icon in your dock.
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    Click a conversation. You can browse your currently-saved conversations from the left side of your screen.
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    Click Details. This will be in the top right corner of your conversation page.[2]
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    Uncheck the box next to "Send Read Receipts".
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    Click Details again. Your contact will no longer receive read receipts!

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