How to tell if someone read your text messages

what to know

• iPhone: Recipients must go to Settings > Messages and turn on Send Read Receipts .
• Android: The recipient must turn on Send Read Receipts here: Menu > Message Settings > RCS Chat .
• WhatsApp: Go to Settings > Privacy and turn on Read Receipts . Group chats use read receipts by default.

Here's how to tell if someone read your text on Android and iOS smartphones. This article also covers WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Instagram.

On iPhone, read receipts are the only way to tell if someone read a text you sent from Messages, iOS' default messaging app. If you and your recipients activate read receipts, the word "Read" will appear below the latest message along with the time the message was read.

Here's how to enable or disable read receipts in Messages for iOS:

Read receipts only work if you and the recipient enable iMessage from the Messages settings. Read receipts don't work if you use SMS or if the recipient doesn't have an iOS device.

1. Open settings .

2. Click on the message .

3. Turn on sending read receipts .

4. When you read other people's messages, they will receive notifications. If your recipient also has read receipts enabled, you'll see "Read" below the message along with the time it was read.

   

If you don't want people to know you read their messages, turn off read receipts on iPhone or Android.

The process is similar on Android. The Google Messages app supports read receipts, but your carrier must also support this feature. Your recipients must have read receipts activated for you to see whether they have read your message.

Here's how to turn on read receipts for Android phones:

The following instructions apply regardless of who made your Android phone: Samsung, Google, Huawei, Xiaomi, etc. However, there may be slight differences depending on the Android version.

1. Open the app and tap on the Settings option, called "Message Settings" on some devices. If you don't see this, click on your profile image or the three vertical dots or lines at the top of the screen.

2. Depending on your phone, tap RCS Chat , Chat Features , Text Messages , or Conversations . If this option isn't on the first page shown, click More settings .

3. Click the switch next to the Read Receipts option, which may be called Send Read Receipts , Read Receipts , or Request Receipts , depending on the device you have.

   

WhatsApp uses built-in read receipts. Track the status of sent messages via the checkmark next to the message. One gray check mark means the message was sent; two gray check marks means the message was sent, and two blue check marks means the message was read.

Read receipts are on by default, but you can turn them on and off with a switch. If you've turned off WhatsApp read receipts, follow this guide to learn how to start using this feature again.

WhatsApp read receipts are a two-way street. If you disable read receipts to prevent others from knowing that you read their messages, you won't know when they read your messages.

If you're looking for specific information about a message you sent in WhatsApp, here's how to view those details:

1. Open a conversation.

2. Tap and hold the message, then select Messages . Depending on your device, you may need to select the three-dot menu first.

3. If read receipts are not disabled, you will see the exact time the message was sent and read.

   

Like most messaging apps, Facebook Messenger includes a handy toggle called "Show read receipts." Once turned on, you'll be able to see when people have read your messages, and they'll be able to see when you've read theirs.

Here's how to know when people read your Facebook messages; this works on Android and iOS:

1. Click on the three-line menu at the top of the app.

2. Select the Settings/Gear button at the top of the menu.

3. Scroll down and click Privacy & Security .

   

4. Select Read Receipts .

5. Click the switch next to "Show read receipts" to turn it on.

   

The Facebook Messenger app provides detailed indicators on delivery and read status every time you send a message. When your message is actively being sent, you'll briefly see a blue circle. Once sent, you'll see a blue circle with a check mark. Once delivered, you'll see a solid blue circle. Finally, after reading, you'll see a small version of the recipient's profile picture below the message.

Instagram allows you to manage read receipts, so to see when someone has read your Instagram messages, you need to make sure the switch is turned on . The Instagram app lets you control read receipts for individual chats and all chats.

You can follow this guide for all the details, but here's the gist: Open the conversation for which you want to enable reading indicators, and click the person's name at the top. Go to Privacy & Security and toggle Read Receipts to the On position.

Another way to read text without the sender knowing is to read the message preview from the notification popup instead of opening the message. This applies to text received in any app that displays a preview in the notification banner.

FAQ

• Yes. In the Messages app, tap an individual contact, then tap Send Read Receipt .

• Yes, but you need a Mac to set up read receipts. To be notified when messages are read in Mail, open a terminal and enter the following command: defaults read com.apple.mail UserHeaders .
  

• it depends. You can only see read receipts if you have a work or school Gmail account. In the message compose window, select the three dots > Request read receipt .