If you’ve ever sent a message and felt pressured by the “Read” notification, you know how convenient it can be to turn off read receipts on your iPhone 13. By disabling this feature, the sender will no longer know if you’ve read their message, giving you more privacy and control over your messaging experience.
This guide will show you exactly how to shut off read receipts on iPhone 13, plus tips to manage it per contact and understand how it works.
What Are Read Receipts on iPhone 13?
Read receipts are a feature in Apple’s iMessage system that lets the sender know when you’ve read their message.
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Blue bubble messages → iMessages (read receipts work here)
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Green bubble messages → SMS (read receipts do not apply)
When read receipts are on:
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The sender sees “Read” with a timestamp below the message.
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You are letting others know you’ve opened their messages.
Turning off read receipts gives you privacy without affecting your ability to send messages or reply.
How to Shut Off Read Receipts on iPhone 13
Step 1: Open Settings
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Tap the Settings app on your iPhone 13.
Step 2: Go to Messages
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Scroll down and tap Messages.
Step 3: Toggle Off Send Read Receipts
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Find the Send Read Receipts option.
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Toggle it OFF (the switch will turn grey).
✅ Now, no one will see if you’ve read their iMessages.
How to Turn Off Read Receipts for Specific Contacts
If you want selective control instead of turning read receipts off for everyone, iOS allows this per contact.
Step 1: Open the Messages App
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Go to Messages and open the conversation with the contact.
Step 2: Tap Contact Info
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Tap the profile icon or contact name at the top of the conversation.
Step 3: Toggle Send Read Receipts
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Scroll down and turn Send Read Receipts off for this contact.
Now, you can keep read receipts on for others while turning it off for specific people.
Tips & Notes
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Turning off read receipts does not affect sending or receiving messages.
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The setting applies only to iMessages, not regular SMS messages.
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You can turn it back on anytime via Settings > Messages > Send Read Receipts.
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If you hide your read receipts, you also won’t see others’ read receipts when they read your messages.
Benefits of Turning Off Read Receipts
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Privacy: People won’t know when you’ve read their messages.
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Reduced pressure: You can respond at your own pace.
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Selective control: You can choose specific contacts to hide read receipts from.
Conclusion
Shutting off read receipts on your iPhone 13 is quick and gives you full control over your iMessage privacy. Whether you turn it off completely or selectively per contact, this simple setting helps you manage your messaging experience without stress or pressure.
