When you open a message in WhatsApp, the sender sees two distinct blue checkmarks indicating you have read their text. If you prefer to read incoming messages without feeling pressured to reply immediately, you can easily disable read receipts.
Here is everything you need to know about turning off read receipts on WhatsApp.
How to Turn Off Blue Ticks (Read Receipts)
On Android:
- Open WhatsApp.
- Tap the Three Dots Menu in the top-right corner and select Settings.
- Tap Privacy.
- Scroll down and switch the Read receipts toggle to OFF.
On iPhone:
- Open WhatsApp.
- Tap the Settings tab in the bottom-right corner.
- Tap Privacy.
- Toggle Read Receipts to OFF.
What Happens When You Turn Off Read Receipts?
Understanding the two-way rule is essential before disabling this feature:
- No Blue Ticks for Senders: When people message you, they will only see two grey checkmarks (Delivered), even after you read their message.
- You Cannot See Other People's Blue Ticks: In return, you will no longer see blue checkmarks when other people read your sent messages.
- Secret Status / Story Viewing: You can view other contacts' 24-hour Status updates without your name appearing on their "Viewed By" viewer list.
- Group Chats Exception: Read receipts always remain active in Group Chats. All group members can see who has read a message by swiping left or checking Message Info.
Alternative Ways to Read Messages Without Triggering Blue Ticks
If you want to keep read receipts ON but occasionally read a message secretly:
- Notification Bar Expansion: Pull down your notification shade to read full message previews without tapping to open the app.
- Lock Screen Previews: Enable full message previews in iOS / Android notification settings.
- Airplane Mode Trick: Turn on Airplane Mode, open WhatsApp and read the message, force close WhatsApp from recent apps, and then turn Airplane Mode off.
