The iPhone 13 is a powerful device with advanced messaging features, including read receipts in iMessage. Read receipts notify your contacts when you’ve read their message, which can be convenient—but sometimes you may want more privacy. Disabling read receipts prevents others from knowing you’ve opened their messages while still allowing you to send and receive texts normally.

This guide will walk you through how to shut off iPhone 13 read receipts quickly, and even how to customize them for specific contacts.

What Are Read Receipts?

Read receipts are the small notification in iMessage that shows “Read” with a timestamp when the recipient has opened your message.

Pros of Read Receipts:

Keeps friends and family informed
Useful in work communication
Confirms that your message was seen

Cons of Read Receipts:

Reduces privacy
Creates pressure to respond immediately
Can cause misunderstandings if you read but don’t reply

For those who value privacy, turning them off is the solution.

How to Turn Off Read Receipts on iPhone 13

Apple allows you to disable read receipts globally or for individual contacts. Here’s how:

Method 1: Turn Off Read Receipts for All Contacts

This method disables read receipts for every message you send.

Steps:

Open Settings on your iPhone 13.
Scroll down and tap Messages.
Find the Send Read Receipts toggle.
Tap the toggle to turn it off (gray means off).

✅ Once disabled, your contacts will no longer see when you’ve read their messages.

Method 2: Turn Off Read Receipts for Individual Contacts

If you want to keep read receipts on for most people but disable them for specific contacts:

Steps:

Open the Messages app.
Select the conversation of the person you want to block read receipts for.
Tap the contact’s name at the top of the screen.
Tap Info (i).
Toggle Send Read Receipts off for that contact.

This allows selective privacy without affecting your other conversations.

Tips for Managing Read Receipts on iPhone 13

Temporary Privacy: Turn read receipts off when you need a break from messaging stress.
Work-Life Balance: Disable read receipts for work contacts while keeping them on for friends and family.
Group Messages: Read receipts in group messages cannot be turned off per participant—they apply to the whole group.
Check iMessage Status: Remember that disabling read receipts only affects iMessage, not standard SMS.

FAQs About iPhone 13 Read Receipts

1. Will turning off read receipts affect my outgoing messages?

No. You can still send and receive messages normally.

2. Can people tell I turned off read receipts?

No, Apple does not notify anyone when you disable read receipts.

3. Do read receipts work for SMS or WhatsApp?

No. Read receipts apply only to iMessage. Other apps like WhatsApp have their own settings.

4. Can I temporarily turn off read receipts?

Yes. You can toggle the Send Read Receipts switch on and off at any time in Settings.

Final Thoughts

Turning off read receipts on your iPhone 13 is a quick and simple way to take back control of your privacy. Whether you want complete privacy or selective control for certain contacts, iOS makes it easy to manage who knows when you’ve read a message.

By using these settings, you can enjoy messaging freedom without feeling pressured to respond immediately, while still staying connected with the people who matter most.