How to turn off Read Receipts option in WhatsApp

Read Receipts is a commonly used feature in WhatsApp. It helps users know when their message has been delivered and then read. By default, the application keeps it on so users can understand the status of their text or file once it is sent to a group or in direct chat.

This also works the other way around. If a user has received a text and viewed it, the other person will know as the application will change the tick's color to blue for the sender. Users who have privacy concerns and do not want to let the sender know that they have read the text can turn off the feature.

This article will inform users what the process is and guide them on how to go about it.

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Explaining the process to switch off Read Receipts for privacy in WhatsApp

Many users are more private about their texts online. WhatsApp grants them a feature that allows them to read messages without the senders knowing about it. This is particularly great during the festive season when people tend to get plenty of texts.

Here's how you can turn off Read Receipts from the application itself:

1. Navigate to the More Options section and then go to Settings.
2. Reach for the Privacy tab to find the Read Receipts option.
3. Uncheck the box beside the option.

Once unchecked, senders will no longer receive a blue tick upon someone viewing their message. However, this does not disable Read Receipts for group chats or voice messages, and there's no option to do so.

Although it will only be for a chat with one individual, the option makes privacy easier. The application has already implemented a variety of updates since its release. Even after being acquired by Meta (formally known as Facebook), Whatsapp has grown in terms of quality.

With features like chat history backup, people find using the application much more convenient. Even in 2022, WhatsApp is constantly trying to bring updates like the Undo feature where users can recover deleted messages in a chat.

Now that the community is more aware of privacy, IT giants like Meta will likely produce more features for their applications as time passes. WhatsApp already has access to features like "disappearing images" where users can only view images sent by someone for a certain amount of time.

These features were already present on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. With their addition to a more commonly used application, users will find it much easier to use a single tool for their needs.

Over the course of a few years, daily users have reduced their time on mega-social media sites like Facebook. This is mainly due to how much control these websites have over a user’s daily posted content. In comparison, WhatsApp shares a much grounded base where users have more freedom on what they share, and the content is limited to personal contacts.

It is only natural that developers are trying to make their platform more accessible to the regular userbase and putting in the effort with regular updates. Every now and then, WhatsApp receives a unique feature that is somewhat useful to one user or another.