How to manage Telegram read receipts

Telegram has become a very popular messaging app with several useful features for users including secret chats, end-to-end encryption, self-destruct timer, hiding phone numbers, channel creation, and much more.

Unfortunately, on Telegram you cannot see if your message has been delivered because a Telegram account can be used on multiple devices at the same time. Fortunately, Telegram has a receipt reading feature that lets you know if a recipient has read your message. When you send a message on Telegram, you’ll see a check mark or two. Let’s pe into what each brand tells you about their message sent.

A check mark in a Telegram message

When you have sent a message on Telegram and it only has a check mark, this tells you that your message was sent to the Telegram server. If you see a clock icon, this indicates that your message is still pending delivery. Once the message has reached the Telegram server, the clock icon will turn into a check mark.

Two brands in a Telegram message

When you have sent a message on Telegram and you see two ticks, this tells you that your message has been read. When a message sent within a Telegram group shows two ticks, this indicates that your message was delivered and at least one member of the group read it. Unfortunately, you can’t see which person in the group has read your message.

How to disable Telegram read receipts

Some messaging apps like WhatsApp offer the option to disable read receipts for messages, but Telegram does not. So you’ll be able to see when your recipient has read your message, and people who send you messages will be able to see when you’ve read theirs.

How to see who read your message in a Telegram channel

Finding out who has read your message in a Telegram channel is done differently than seeing if your message has been read in a personal or group chat. Here’s how to do this:

1. Open the Telegram channel for which you want to see the read receipts.
   
2. In the right corner of the message, look for an “eye” icon next to the message timestamp. This tells you that your channel’s subscribers have seen your message. A number next to the “eye” icon tells you how many Telegram users have read the message.
   

Tricks to use to read Telegram messages without the sender knowing

Although Telegram does not offer a way to disable read receipts for your messages, you can read a message but not let people see that you have read it. Below are some tricks you could use.

Activate airplane mode

If you are online and read a message, Telegram records the read receipt. But if you want to read a message without a read receipt being shown to the sender, turn on Airplane Mode on your phone and then read the message. Once you have read the message, close the Telegram application and deactivate Airplane Mode. The sender of your message will not know that you have read their message.

snoop and look

Snoop and Look is a good way to read a Telegram message without activating a read receipt. Here’s how to do this:

1. Launch the Telegram app and find the chat you want to read.
   
2. Press and hold the key on the chat profile picture. You will be able to read the full message. When you return, you will notice that the message has not yet been read.
   

Read Telegram messages from the notification panel

Most phones display messages in the notification panel. If you receive a Telegram message and want to read it without the sender knowing, you can simply swipe down on the screen and read the message without opening it. This can only be done if you have activated Message Preview from the Telegram app.

Have Siri or Google Assistant read your message

A great way to read your Telegram messages without turning on the read receipt feature is to have your phone’s assistant read the messages for you. You will be able to listen to the message without having to open the Telegram application. Here’s how to do this:

1. Activate Siri or Google Assistant on your phone using the activation phrase. (For example, “Hey Siri…”).
   
2. Ask your assistant to read your latest Telegram message. Your assistant will then read your message without you having to open the Telegram app.
   

Read your Telegram message using a third-party app

There are third party applications like Invisible: no last read, which can read your Telegram messages without activating read receipts. However, to use these apps, you must give them full access to your Telegram account, which can be problematic with some apps.

Reasons why your Telegram message may not have been read

If you sent a message on Telegram and you can see that it hasn’t been read yet (it doesn’t have two ticks), there could be a few reasons:

• Your recipient may have blocked you. When you have been blocked on Telegram, you will not be able to see the person’s profile photo or their online status. If you only see initials as your profile picture and your status says “Last seen a long time ago,” you’ve probably been blocked.
• Your Telegram message may not have been delivered yet. This could be because your phone is in airplane mode, turned off, or having network issues.
• They may simply not have read your message yet.
• They could be using one of the tricks above to read your message without you knowing.

Frequent questions

I am not receiving previews of Telegram messages. How can i fix this?

In your Telegram app, go to Notification and Sound settings. Disable and then re-enable Message Preview.

How can I activate or edit Telegram notifications?

To activate or edit your Telegram notifications, launch the app, go to Settings, select Notifications and Sounds, then select Chats within the Telegram app.

Can I disable the display of the content of my Telegram message from the notification bar?

Yes, you can disable the Telegram Message Preview feature from the Telegram app. To do this, go to the Notification and Sound settings of the Telegram app, then turn off Message Preview.

Become a Telegram message spy

On Telegram, you will know that your message was sent successfully when there is a check mark and that the recipient has read it when there are two check marks. On the other hand, you may want to read a message but not let the person who sent it know that you have read it. While Telegram does not offer the option to disable Read Receipts, there are some ways to do so and read messages without activating the Read Receipt feature.

You can turn on Airplane Mode, read the message, close the Telegram app, and then turn off Airplane Mode. You can also use the Snoop and Look feature, where you hold down a key in a chat on Telegram and read the message. Or you can read the message by swiping down on your phone’s notification panel.

Have you found it easy to use one of the steps above to read your Telegram messages without the sender knowing? Which of these options is your favorite way to do this? Let us know in the comments below.