How Do iMessage Read Receipts Work?

There seems to be a lot of confusion about how read receipts work with Messages. This FAQ should hopefully help resolve some of those questions.

What is a read receipt?

A read receipt is a small piece of text with a timestamp that appears under the most recent message sent, after the recipient has viewed the message.

Do read receipts work in all chats?

Not all- read receipts (as well as the 'Delivered' confirmation and the option to 'Edit' and 'Unsend' messages) are only shown when iMessage (blue bubbles) or RCS is being used. Chats with phones that don't support RCS (using SMS/MMS) will therefore show no read receipts, regardless of settings.

When is a read receipt sent?

A read receipt is sent when you open the message thread of another individual person, with whom you've enabled read receipts. Read receipts are never sent in group messages, even if everyone involved has an iPhone.

What happens when I send a read receipt?

The recipient sees the text under their message bubble change from 'Delivered' to 'Read [timestamp]'.

What happens when I don't send a read receipt?

The text under their message bubble remains as 'Delivered' regardless if you've viewed it, even if they send a reply.

How do I start/stop sending read receipts for everyone?

Open the Settings app > Messages, then scroll down to the 'Send Read Receipts' toggle. This will enable or disable it for everyone you message. If you just want to do it for one person or a few people...

How do I start/stop sending read receipts for just one person/a few people?

Open the Messages app, open the conversation with the person, then click their picture/name at the top. You should see a toggle for 'Send Read Receipts' below it.

How do I get read receipts for when someone reads my messages?

You can't (aside from asking them to enable it). You can only control if you send read receipts, not other users.

What if I open someone's message on a different device of mine?

Whether or not a read receipt is sent will depend on the individual settings for that device.

What if I open someone's message and then disable read receipts for that person before they respond?

The read receipt will be sent as usual when you open the message, and remain visible even after disabling them. If you keep read receipts off, however, no future read receipts will be shown to that person.

I used to get read receipts and now I'm not! Am I blocked?

They may have simply turned them off. Alternatively, read receipts can behave funnily when Internet connection is spotty. Read receipts may not always send, the time displayed may not always be perfectly accurate, and occasionally the notation under the message may simply show 'Read' without a timestamp.

So then how can I tell if I'm blocked by someone else?

There is no definitive signal or method at time of writing that can tell you if you're blocked by another person; any iMessages you send will continue to report as 'Delivered' (though the recipient will not see them). Short of a read receipt or reply, you cannot know for sure.