Read receipts on WhatsApp: Here’s how to turn it off

WhatsApp offers billions of users around the world the opportunity to stay in touch with loved ones through instant messaging. Among the many built-in features, a special option is read receipts, also known as the blue tick feature.

Enabling these options lets senders know when recipients have read their messages, ensuring important messages are acknowledged. While it can be beneficial in many situations, the read receipts feature also raises valid privacy concerns. For example, users may feel pressure to respond quickly to messages they have read because they know their activity can be seen by the sender.

Luckily, WhatsApp offers a solution that allows users to disable read receipts. By doing this, individuals maintain the freedom to read messages without having to broadcast their status to the sender. However, this only works for regular messages, not group chats or voice messages that still show read receipts. As of now, there is no option to disable these features.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to turn off read receipts and last seen details on WhatsApp:

Disable read receipts: Android

step 1 Open WhatsApp and tap the three-dot menu icon in the upper right corner of the screen.

Step 2 Select Settings from the drop-down menu.

Step 3 In the Settings option, click Privacy.

Step 4 Now, in the Privacy section, you will find the Read Receipts option.

Step 5 Just flip the switch to turn it off.

Disable read receipts: iPhone

step 1 Open WhatsApp and tap the Settings icon in the lower right corner of the screen.

Step 2 In the Settings menu, select Privacy.

Step 3 Turn off the Read Receipts option by clicking the switch.

By doing this, you prevent others from seeing whether you have read their messages. It’s worth noting that this action also means you won’t be able to see if others have read your messages.

How to disable last seen feature

step 1 Similar to the previous step, open WhatsApp and tap the three-dot menu icon, click “Settings.”

Step 2 In the Settings menu, select Privacy.

Step 3 Under “Privacy,” click “Last Viewed Online.”

Step 4 From the options provided, select “No one.”

This prevents others from seeing the last time you were online, providing an extra layer of privacy. Conversely, if you disable this feature, you will also not be able to view other users’ last-viewed timestamps.