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If you want to know whether your SMS has actually been delivered and read, you cannot request a classic read receipt on an iPhone. This is only possible via iMessage or other messengers.
There is no SMS read receipt on the iPhone
When you write an SMS with your iPhone, there is no classic read receipt. You will not know if and when your message has been read.
- Mobile phone providers sometimes offer so-called delivery reports. These tell you whether a text message has technically arrived at the recipient’s device – but not whether it has actually been read.
- Delivery reports cannot be activated reliably or at all in many networks.
- The codes that were previously known, such as *N# or *T#, are outdated and no longer work in most cases.
- For iPhone users: Don’t rely on such tricks – reliable read receipts are not possible via SMS.
- With iMessage, Apple offers its own platform that is seamlessly integrated into the Messages app. The advantage: iMessage supports read receipts.
- If you have activated iMessage in the settings, SMS messages to other iOS users are sent via the Internet. The messages then appear in blue.
- When the message is read, you will see a note below the message.
- Please note that this feature only works between iPhones, iPads, and Macs with iMessage – it is not available for SMS.
Messenger apps such as WhatsApp or Signal
In addition to iMessage, many iPhone owners use messenger apps such as WhatsApp or Signal. These apps offer their own systems for read receipts, often with check mark symbols.
- WhatsApp: Two gray check marks mean delivered, two blue check marks mean read. You can enable or disable read receipts in “Settings” under “Account > Privacy.”
- Signal: Here, too, two check marks indicate whether a message has been read. You can find the option under “Settings > Privacy > Read Receipts.”
