How to disable read receipts in WhatsApp for Android

How to turn off read receipts in WhatsApp for Android
How to turn off read receipts in WhatsApp for Android (Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)

List most messaging services, WhatsApp has a read receipts feature that lets you know when a recipient has read your message. But the feature isn't liked by everyone, and if you feel like you're being pressurized to respond to a message just because of read receipts, there's an easy way to disable it in WhatsApp for Android.

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How to disable read receipts in WhatsApp for Android

You can see the status of each WhatsApp by its check mark. A single grey check mark next to the message means it's sent; double grey ticks means it was delivered to the recipient's phone, and when the check marks turn blue you'll know that the recipient has read your message.

If you don't want read receipts, here's how you can turn them off:

  1. Open WhatsApp from the app drawer or home screen.
  2. Select the action overflow menu (three vertical dots on the top right corner).
  3. Select Settings.

Source: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central (Image credit: Source: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)
  1. Go to Accounts.
  2. Hit Privacy.
  3. Toggle read receipts to off.

Source: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central (Image credit: Source: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)

That's all there is to it! Note that once you turn off read receipts, you won't be able to see when others have read your messages. Also, there's no way to turn off read receipts in group chats or play receipts for voice messages.

Harish Jonnalagadda
Senior Editor - Asia

Harish Jonnalagadda is a Senior Editor overseeing Asia at Android Central. He leads the site's coverage of Chinese phone brands, contributing to reviews, features, and buying guides. He also writes about storage servers, audio products, and the semiconductor industry. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.