See if a message has been delivered or read
Texts are an essential part of our lives nowadays. Whether you're sending an important message to a colleague, a funny message to your friends, or a love text message to your partner. You don't think about it, but you send dozens of messages back and forth every day.
When you send a message, you can check its status via message information. Here you can see if the message has been delivered and if the recipient has read or listened to it.
But sometimes, it can still be confusing to understand the status of your message. Read receipts can be turned off, you may be blocked, or a technical issue can interfere with the clarification. It's time for some clarification.
Differences between sent, delivered, failed, and not delivered
There are several statuses for a sent message.
Sent Firstly, the message can be 'sent', which means it has been sent from your phone. However, this does not necessarily mean that the message has arrived at the recipient. It may still be 'in the air' due to technical issues or other problems with the connection.
Delivered If the message has been successfully delivered to the recipient, you will see the status 'delivered'. This means that the message has arrived at the recipient's phone.
Failed Another status is that the message has 'failed'. This can have various reasons, such as the recipient having no internet connection, the phone number being incorrect, or the recipient blocking your number.
Not delivered If the message cannot be delivered at all, you will see the status 'not delivered'. This can have various reasons, such as a poor internet connection or an incorrect phone number.
How do you know if your message has been read?
There's nothing quite like the satisfaction of knowing that your message has been delivered and read. Fortunately, many messaging apps offer a handy solution: read receipts. This way, you not only know if your messages have been delivered, but others can also see that you've read their messages. ✅
However, not everyone is a fan of reading receipts. Some find it intrusive and a violation of their privacy, while others find it a useful feature. That's why read receipts are optional and can be set up per app.
Turning off read receipts on iMessage, WhatsApp, and more
The read receipt feature works a little differently for each app when it comes to setting it up. Below, you'll find how to set it up for the app you use to send messages.
iMessage
If you're using iMessage on an Apple device, you can turn on read receipts by going to ‘Settings’, then ‘Messages’, and toggling on the switch next to ‘Send read receipts’.
In WhatsApp, you can turn off read receipts by going to ‘Settings’, then ‘Privacy’. Here, you can toggle off the switch next to ‘Read Receipts’. Keep in mind that if you turn off read receipts, you won't see read receipts from others either.
Facebook Messenger
In Facebook Messenger, read receipts are enabled by default, and you can't turn them off. If you don't want others to know that you've read their messages, simply ignore the message completely and don't read it.
Signal
In Signal, you can choose whether to turn to read receipts. You can do this by going to ‘Settings’, then ‘Privacy’, and toggling on or off the switch next to ‘Read Receipts’.
On Instagram, you can activate read receipts by going to ‘Settings’, then ‘Privacy’, and toggle on the switch next to ‘Show Activity Status’. This allows others to see when you were last active on Instagram and when you've read their messages. You can turn this feature off by toggling off the switch next to ‘Show Activity Status’.
What to do if text messages are not being delivered
If your text messages are getting stuck on ‘sent’ or if your iMessages are not being delivered, there are a few things you can do to troubleshoot the problem.
- Check your internet connection. If you don't have a connection, your messages cannot be delivered.
- Sending anonymous text messages. If the phone number is incorrect, your messages won't be delivered.
- Sending anonymous text messages. Sometimes, messaging services can have temporary outages that prevent messages from being sent. Wait a bit and try again later.
- Sending anonymous text messages. If your messages are consistently getting stuck in an existing conversation, starting a new one may help.
- Sending anonymous text messages. Certain settings can prevent messages from being delivered. Check your app settings and adjust them if necessary.
Safety and privacy when sending text messages
Sending text messages is very convenient, but it's also important to prioritize your safety and privacy. Here are some tips for sending text messages safely:
- Use a strong password. If you use a messaging app, make sure to use a strong password to prevent others from accessing your account.
- Don't send text messages with sensitive information. This includes passwords, bank information, or personal data.
- Avoid public Wi-Fi networks. These networks are not secure and can be hacked. Avoid sending text messages through public Wi-Fi networks or make use of VPN services.
- Use encryption. If you want to ensure that your text messages are secure, you can use apps that offer end-to-end encryption, such as WhatsApp or Signal.
Status and read receipts on different apps
We have discussed the statuses of messages and ways to check if your message has been successfully delivered on WhatsApp, iMessage, Facebook, Instagram, and Signal.
The most important thing to remember is that every app works differently, and you need to know the settings of each app to ensure that you understand the status of your messages.
It's also essential to always keep your privacy and online security in mind. This way, you can send and receive messages with peace of mind.
Sending anonymous text messages
Sometimes, you may not want the recipient to know who sent the message. In that case, sending anonymous text messages can be an option. You simply send a text message, and we let you know if your message has been delivered. You also get a read receipt from us.
Sending an anonymous text message can be useful in situations where you want to send a message without revealing your identity, for example, if you want to share a good text joke.