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Submission Tags: falconsandbox
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Year in Gifts Tech Life Social Good Entertainment Deals Search Cancel * -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YEAR IN GIFTS Tech Apps & Software Cybersecurity Mobile Smart Home Social Media Space Tech Industry Transportation All Tech Life Digital Culture Family & Parenting Health & Wellness Sex, Dating & Relationships All Life Social Good Activism Climate Change Gender LGBTQ Mental Health Racial Justice Sustainability All Social Good Entertainment Games Movies Podcasts TV Shows All Entertainment Goods & Services Courses House & Home Online Dating Software Mashable Shop All Goods & Services Reviews Newsletters Videos Mobile iPhone EVERYONE SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE THEIR READ RECEIPTS TURNED ON I KNOW YOU SAW MY TEXT. By Brenda Stolyar on January 21, 2020 Just don't get aggressive about interpreting read receipts. Credit: Bob Al-Greene / mashable -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Tech > Mobile Mashable's new series Don't @ Me takes unpopular opinions and backs them up with...reasons. We all have our ways, but we may just convince you to change yours. And if not, chill. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If we're going by internet standards, I am likely the definition of the world's most annoying texter. I always send my thoughts in separate bubbles at rapid speed, and I can never send just one of the same emoji (there always has to be multiple, to truly get the emotion across). But my worst habit of all? I take forever to respond. Which is why I always have my read receipts turned on. And I firmly believe that everyone else should too. Please, stick with me here. When I first switched from my HTC Evo 3D to an iPhone 4S (back in 2011!), I immediately turned on read receipts as a way to hold myself accountable. I needed something to break my horrible pattern of reading a text, mentally answering, and then closing the message window to move on to whatever it was I had to do next. I was in the 12th grade here. I had LOTS going on with my social life. But even nine years later, the receipts still serve their same purpose. If I know that I can't answer a text at that moment, I won't open it until I have time to answer. And when I do open it, the quick shift from "Delivered" to "Read [insert time here]" has my lil fingers typing away on the keyboard immediately. I've developed this type of rapport with my friends, who know that as long as I've read the text, I'll likely answer soon because they can clearly see that I've read it. It's a respect thing, people! On social media apps like Instagram, it's impossible to turn off read receipts and people still use it as a way to communicate with their friends. The direct message feature has become so popular that the company recently added it to the desktop version of the app. There's also Messenger which, as of September 2019, is the most popular mobile messenger app in the United States with 106.4 million users. Like Instagram, there is no way to get around read receipts with this app either. I'd like to know why everyone is so terrified of their read receipts on iMessage. It's really not that serious. So, I'd like to know why everyone is so terrified of their read receipts on iMessage. It's really not that serious. I brought it up to a group of coworkers and their eyes literally widened at the thought of having their read receipts on. They collectively agreed they don't want people knowing when they read a text. As if it's a bad thing that someone knows. Are your friends really getting angry if you read and don't answer their texts? If that's the case, then it might be time to reevaluate your friends. When someone has their read receipts turned off, there is literally zero indication of whether the text has been acknowledged. If anything, you might help to ease some anxiety for the other person who simply just wants some confirmation that their thoughts have been acknowledged. But, as some girls in high school once said to me, "Brenda, you always act like you know everything." So, I took the question to Twitter (as one naturally does) and...received mixed results. Lilllian Barreto, a 25-year old product development specialist DM'd me saying, "I have no problem double texting people and if I don't get a response and [their] read receipts are off, I decide they probably haven't read it so I'll text them again," Barreto explained. "But if their read receipts are on, I know they read it and I'll take that as a response so I won't text them again." I'll confess, I tend to double or sometimes triple text when someone's read receipts are off. But that's just because I'm very impatient and scatterbrained. If anything, I only send the extra messages to be funny. But another message I received on Twitter made me realize there's an actual dark side to read receipts. Victoria Song, a 31-year old consumer tech reporter at Gizmodo, told me via DM that she's not the biggest fan of read receipts. "Sometimes, people get so addicted to getting a response they text you a zillion times," she said. She recalled a time when she didn't even know her receipts were on during a conversation, and things started to get a bit intense. "I only found out because the person was like "'I know you read my messages'" '“Do u have a problem with me?'" She went on to explain that for her, leaving them off is a form of protection to keep people from getting aggravated if she does or doesn't respond. But she admits that it's fine to leave them on for a majority of people you're talking to. Her rule of thumb: "If you're dealing with a weirdo. Turn them off!!!" There is in fact, a super easy workaround that I was shocked to learn not many of my coworkers or friends know about: the ability to turn off read receipts for specific people. It's as simple as literally going into the iMessage window for a specific contact, tapping on the information icon, and toggling off "Send Read Receipts." SEE ALSO: Texting on Android is finally more like iMessage, but the green bubble remains For Android, it's just as easy. Go into your Settings, tap on Text Messages or Conversations, and toggle off "Send Read Receipts." Voila! Another method I've found useful is pulling down the notification window and reading the message on your lock screen. That method lets you take a peek at a message without sending a read receipt if you don't want to right away. Or, if it's a really heated conversation that requires reading the entire message followed by lots of time to craft a response, I've found a long-winded, but helpful workaround. Simply go into your Settings, turn off your Read Receipts for all of iMessage, and read the message, and then turn them back on again. But these tricks should only be used in case of an emergency, or on days you're just feeling absolutely overwhelmed by read receipts. Otherwise, it's time we end the stigma around reading a text and not answering right away. Let's accept that read receipts are simply fine print at the bottom of the text bubble that say: "Yes, I have seen your text, and if I don't answer now, then I will answer soon." Or, as one Twitter user put it, perhaps it goes the other direction. And, if that's the case, maybe read receipts will also help you realize who your true friends are. Read more from Don't @ Me * The case for never cleaning out your inbox * Singing 'Happy Birthday' is awful for everyone involved. Here's how to celebrate instead. * Sex is better with the lights on More in iPhone -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RECOMMENDED FOR YOU How to opt out of Verizon's shady data tracking Users were automatically signed up without being told until now. 12/18/2021 By Sasha Lekach -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Behold, Oppo's first foldable smartphone We have the (leaked) specs as well. 12/10/2021 By Stan Schroeder -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In Google Cinematic Photos, the camera now moves around you thanks to AI That's...uncanny. 12/09/2021 By Stan Schroeder -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Was your iPhone repaired with official parts? New iOS update will tell you. The feature in iOS 15.2 will arrive as Apple prepares to sell official replacement parts for iPhones next year. 12/08/2021 By Michael Kan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oppo teases phone with a retractable camera Pop up! Pop back down. 12/08/2021 By Stan Schroeder -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MORE IN TECH Kickstarter said it's moving to the blockchain, and creators are pissed Decentralized frustration. 12/16/2021 By Jack Morse -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Signal expands encrypted group video calls to 40 people The messaging app created the new feature while maintaining end-to-end encryption. 12/16/2021 By Michael Kan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Finish your holiday shopping with tech everyone wants Acer has all the sweet tech for everyone on your holiday shopping list. 12/16/2021 By Mashable BrandX and Acer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 tech habits to start right now for a happier 2022 Tired of feeling like you're going from click to click? These habits will leave you feeling in control and energized. 12/16/2021 By Rebecca Ruiz -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hyundai's new robot can carry your baby as well as alcohol We're not sure we'd trust it with either. 12/15/2021 By Stan Schroeder -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRENDING ON MASHABLE An 'SNL' HomeGoods commercial becomes a heartfelt, deranged plea for grandchildren Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon gracefully leap into the roles of loving mothers who only want ONE thing. 12/19/2021 By Adam Rosenberg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elon Musk just tweeted how much he'll supposedly be paying in taxes in 2021 Hint: It's a lot. 1 hour ago By Stan Schroeder -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The deep sea discoveries and sightings of 2021 are amazing What else is out there? 12/18/2021 By Mark Kaufman -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Netflix's eerie 'Chosen' trailer sees a small town picking up signals from outer space "This town has secrets." 5 hours ago By Sam Haysom -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 really good things that happened in 2021 Behind the scary headlines, the human race is making a tremendous amount of progress. 12/15/2021 By Chris Taylor The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox. 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