Yes, it is possible to turn on read receipts for only one person when sending messages on certain messaging platforms. Read receipts allow the sender to see when a message has been opened and viewed by the recipient. While some apps have read receipts enabled by default for all users, others allow you to selectively choose which conversations will send read receipts. So if you only want one specific contact to be able to view when you’ve read their messages, you can enable read receipts for just their chat while keeping it turned off for everyone else.
Turning on Read Receipts for Individual Chats
The ability to customize read receipts for individual conversations is available on some popular messaging apps and platforms. Here is how to do it on a few of the top choices:
WhatsApp has an option to turn read receipts on or off for specific chats:
1. Open the WhatsApp chat with the contact you want to enable read receipts for.
2. Tap on their name at the top of the chat window to open their contact info.
3. Tap on “Read Receipts” to toggle it on or off just for this chat.
4. When enabled, you’ll see double check marks next to messages they’ve read.
This allows you to keep read receipts disabled for other chats while turning it on for select conversations.
Facebook Messenger
Similarly, Facebook Messenger allows enabling read receipts for each individual chat:
1. Open the conversation you want to customize.
2. Tap on the contact’s name at the top of the chat.
3. Toggle “Read Receipts” on or off for just this chat.
4. When on, you’ll see when the recipient has seen your message.
Again, your settings for other conversations will remain unaffected.
iMessage
For iPhone users messaging other iPhone owners through iMessage, you can manage read receipts for each contact:
1. Open an iMessage chat.
2. Tap the contact name.
3. Turn “Send Read Receipts” on or off.
4. You’ll see “Read” when they view messages if enabled.
This lets you choose who can see your read receipts in iOS while leaving settings unchanged for other iMessage threads.
Telegram
Telegram also gives you granular control over read receipts:
1. Inside a chat, tap the contact’s name.
2. Toggle “Read Receipts” on or off.
3. When on, you’ll get notifications when they’ve read your message.
Again, your read receipt preferences for other Telegram chats will not be affected.
Why Read Receipts for Individuals is Useful
The ability to customize read receipts for specific conversations and contacts is very useful:
- You can maintain more privacy by only turning it on for trusted individuals.
- Less pressure to respond immediately when receiving unimportant messages.
- Focus read receipts on key chats and contacts.
- Avoid read receipts getting enabled for all chats by default.
- Give select users a better messaging experience when you want them to know you’ve read their texts.
Overall, the flexibility helps optimize use of read receipts for your most important conversations without overwhelming other chats.
Considerations When Enabling Read Receipts
While enabling read receipts for select chats has many benefits, there are also some considerations to keep in mind:
- The other person will know when you’ve read their messages, so reply promptly or let them know if you won’t respond right away.
- Avoid enabling read receipts if you want to keep the conversation more private.
- Don’t use read receipts to pressure others to respond instantly when you want space to craft your replies.
- Remember the feature works both ways – they’ll see your read receipts too.
- Disable if seeing their read receipts causes you anxiety waiting for a response.
As long as both users understand the features and etiquette around read receipts, enabling them for select conversations can be very useful. But the increased expectations of responsiveness should be considered before turning them on.
How Read Receipts Work Technically
Under the hood, here is what happens when read receipts are enabled:
- When the recipient opens the messaging app, their device sends a signal to the sender’s device indicating the message was viewed.
- The sender’s device receives this signal and displays an indicator or notification that the message was read.
- Timing of the notification depends on when the recipient’s device sent the read receipt signal.
- Some apps send read receipts immediately, while others have a short delay before sending.
- Group chats may only show read receipts from those who have enabled the feature.
So while the user only sees a simple notification, there is underlying network communication enabling the read receipt magic.
Technical Requirements for Read Receipts
For read receipts to work properly, here are some of the key technical requirements:
- Both devices must be connected to the internet.
- The messaging app needs user permissions to send read receipt data.
- Unique identifiers track which devices and users are associated with a chat.
- User settings control whether read receipts are enabled for a chat.
- The messaging platform needs a server infrastructure to relay read receipts between devices.
When implemented correctly, these components allow for real-time transmission of read receipts between users. The technology has evolved significantly over the years to offer the seamless experience users enjoy today.
Conclusion
Having granular control over read receipts for individual conversations is a useful messaging feature. All you need is a messaging app that provides the option to toggle read receipts on or off for specific chats. Consider both the benefits of enabling read receipts, like knowing your message has been seen, as well as drawbacks like increased response expectations. With the proper etiquette, selectively using read receipts can enhance your most important conversations while maintaining privacy elsewhere. And behind the straightforward user interface, some sophisticated technology is powering this convenient communication option.
| Messaging App | How to Enable Read Receipts for One Chat |
|---|---|
| Chat info > Read Receipts | |
| Facebook Messenger | Tap contact name > Read Receipts |
| iMessage | Tap contact name > Send Read Receipts |
| Telegram | Tap contact name > Read Receipts |