How to Turn Off Read Receipts on Android

Do you feel pressured to respond to messages when you see read receipts? Or don't want others to know that you've read their messages for privacy considerations? If yes, then you can disable read receipts to kill off these concerns. So, how to turn off read receipts on Android? That's what this article is all about. Read on to learn more!

Everything about Read Receipts on Android

Before going into details of how to turn off read receipts on Android, let's first talk about what you need to know about Android read receipts.

Does Android Have Read Receipts?

Yes, of course! Android devices have the read receipts feature for messages that are sent through apps that support RCS.

*RCS is a modern messaging service that improves the experience of regular SMS with features, such as typing indicators, multimedia sharing, and read receipts. Let's mention here that not all Android messaging apps support RCS.

Understanding the Android Read Receipt Indicators

The Android read receipt indicators have different meanings. Here I use the Google Messages app as an example to show what the different ticks mean:

1 Tick -- It means that the message has been sent.
2 Ticks -- This indicates that the message has been delivered to the recipient.
2 Filled Ticks -- it shows that the recipient has read the message.

Can Android See Read Receipts from iPhone?

Definitely, yes! But this doesn't happen on all iOS because only iOS 18 or higher supports RCS. This means that for Android users to see and receive read receipts for iPhone text messages, the iPhone must use at least iOS 18.

What Happens When You Disable Read Receipts on Android?

When you disable read receipts on Android, others will no longer see whether you have read their messages or not. Well, you won't also be able to see and read receipts from others. This is a common trade-off.

Steps to Turn Off Read Receipts on Android

As we mentioned before, not all messaging apps support RCS. Without RCS chats, read receipts don't exist. Therefore, in this section, we'll dive into Google Messages and Samsung Messages to show you how to turn off read receipts on Android. Let's get right into it.

For Google Messages

Google Messages is the default messaging app on many Android devices, like Google Pixel, which makes it easy to control RCS chats and read receipts. Follow the steps below to disable read receipts on Android:

Step 1.Open the Google Message app.
Step 2.Tap on your profile icon at the top right corner.
Step 3.Select "Message Settings," and then "General."

Step 4.Click on "RCS Chats" and toggle off "Send Read Receipts."

For Samsung Messages

While the Samsung Messaging app also supports read receipts, your mobile line carrier and phone model will determine if the RCS chat and read receipts work or not. If it works on your device and you would like to disable it, follow the steps below:

Step 1.Launch the Messages app on your Samsung.
Step 2.Tap on the three dots and head to "Settings."
Step 3.Select "More Settings."

Step 4.Next, click on "Multimedia Messages," and you can toggle off "Show when read."

Step 5.If you select "Text Messages," you can only disable the delivery reports rather than the read receipts.

Can You Turn Read Receipts Off for One Person on Android?

Unfortunately, no, and many Android users complained about this. "It's either all read receipts for everyone or completely off for everyone," said a Google Messages user on Reddit. But as an alternative way, you can check if your messages app supports turning off RCS chat for one person. If yes, you can also achieve your goals, although you may lose fabulous features of RCS.

Troubleshooting: Read Receipts Not Working on Android

"All of a sudden when I send messages especially to my family who all have Samsung phones it doesn't show "read" anymore. What could be issue and what could be issue? TIA!" -- from Samsung Community.

The read receipts not working issue frequently happens to Samsung users. There are different factors that can cause Samsung read receipts not working in 2024 or similar issues with other Android devices. Let's look at some of these factors:

RCS Not Enabled: Both you and the recipient must have RCS enabled for the read receipts feature to work.
Inactivated Read Receipts: As soon as one of you turns off read receipts, you no longer see them, so you might think read receipts are not working.
Carrier Limitations: Not all carriers support RCS features, which include read receipts.
App Bugs: Sometimes, updates or glitches in the app can disrupt its functionality.

So, what are the solutions?

✔️Switch to Google Messages: Google Messages has better support for RCS features. Set it as your default app if you're experiencing read receipts not working for Samsung Messages.

✔️Check If Your Carrier Supports RCS: Contact your carrier to confirm whether RCS and read receipts are supported.

✔️Verify Recipient Settings: Ensure both you and the recipient have enabled read receipts on each end.

Bonus: Read Texts without Sending Read Receipts

Sometimes, you just wanna keep your reading activity private without the sender knowing you've read the message. In case you may choose to turn off read receipts for this purpose, here we'll provide other ways that help you read a text without showing "read."

Method 1: Preview Texts from the Notification Bar

When you receive a text message, it usually shows up in the notifications panel. Therefore, you can swipe down on the notification bar on your phone screen to preview incoming messages. This way, you can see most of the text without opening them, so no read receipt is triggered.

Method 2: Use AirDroid Notifications Syncing App

For Parents who want to check their children's messages without the sender or device owner being notified, we recommend using apps like AirDroid Parental Control. This app can remotely sync notifications (text messages included) from kids' devices to parents' devices.

To use it, download AirDroid Parental Control on your device or go to its web dashboard first. Then, bind your kid's Android device. Once done, tap on "Notifications" to view all text or social messages coming to your kid's phone.

Final Words

It's quite simple to disable read receipts on your Android device. Follow the steps discussed in this post to turn off read receipts. And for those who prefer to read texts without sending read receipts, we've also discussed additional options even if you don't want to turn the read receipts off. So, make sure you have all the tips you need to know.