SOLVED: How To Turn Off Read Receipts On Android RCS Text Messaging

A friend of the company just bought the coolest rugidized mobile phone we have ever used (full video review of the Ulafone Power Armor 18T HERE), but he was perturbed that people sending him texts could tell if he had received and read them. That got us the question of how to disable read receipts on Android text messages?

What Is RCS?

We will get to the simple answer quick but first you should understand that nearly all Android devices are NOT using the the texting system you have used for years named SMS (Simple Messaging Service – plain text) and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service – text with pictures). As of about 2019, nearly all Android mobile phones, tablets and Chromebooks are using Rich Communication Service (RCS):

RCS is designed to compete with WhatsApp, WeChat, iMessenger, Telegram and other add on apps that chew up your data plan.  RCS/Chat is not supposed to cost extra or eat into your data plan.

RCS will replace SMS (Simple Message Service – just plain text) and MMS (Multimedia Message Service – pictures) functionality built into your cell phone basic texting program (like MESSAGES on Samsung Android phones)

URTech.ca/2019/08/solved-the-top-10-things-you-need-to-know-about-rcs/

How To Disable Read Receipts on Android

If you don’t want to let senders know that you have read their text message on your RCS Android text messaging app:

1. Open your Android Messaging App
2. Click the person icon to the right of the SEARCH CONVERSATIONS bar
3. Click MESSAGE SETTINGS
4. Click RCS CHATS
5. Click SEND READ RECEIPTS
6. Have a nice day

You also may want to consider disabling SHOW TYPING INDICATORS if you don’t want recipients to see that you are typing a response.