How to Enable Read Receipts in Microsoft Teams

What Counts as ‘Read’?

In Microsoft Teams, a message is marked as ‘read’ when you open the chat window where the message was sent. In the desktop app, the message must also be visible on your screen. Simply having the app open in the background does not trigger a read receipt.

So if you see a notification banner but don’t open the chat, the sender is not told you read it. The receipt is sent once you open the conversation and the message is in view.

How to Enable or Disable Read Receipts on Desktop

You can change the read receipts setting on your desktop by opening your profile menu, clicking Settings, and changing your privacy options. The setting controls whether other people see a small checkmark when you read their chat messages. Turning it on shows people that you saw their message. Turning it off lets you read chats in private without anyone knowing.

1. Open the Start menu⊞ and launch Microsoft Teams. The Teams window opens and shows your chats and teams.

   

2. If the app is minimized, click the expansion button on the menu bar. The Teams window returns to full size so you can reach the controls at the top.

   

3. Click the Settings and more (…) button near your profile picture and select Settings. The Settings⚙️ window opens with a list of categories on the left.

   

4. Click the Privacy tab on the left side of the screen. The privacy options for your account appear on the right.

   

5. Find the Read receipts section and toggle the switch to On or Off. The change applies straight away. You do not need to restart Teams or sign out. To undo it, come back here and flip the switch the other way.

   

How to Enable Read Receipts on Mobile (iOS/Android)

You can also manage your Teams chat settings on the go using the mobile app. The setting is saved to your account, so you can change it from either device. Menu names can vary a little between app versions and between iPhone and Android.

1. Open the Microsoft Teams app on your phone.
2. Tap your profile picture or the More menu in the top-left corner. A menu slides in from the side.
3. Tap Settings. The list of settings categories opens.
4. Select Messaging. The chat-related options appear.
5. Toggle the Read receipts switch to your preferred setting. If you don’t see the switch, your organization may control it (see below).

Functional Limitations and Privacy

Read receipts in Teams only work for one-on-one chats and group chats, not in regular team channels. If you post in a channel, you won’t see a checkmark showing who has read the message, and nobody sees one for your reading either.

Admin-Level Policy Settings

Sometimes an IT administrator restricts these settings. If you cannot find the read receipts option, or you can’t change it, your organization may have enforced a global policy. Admins manage this in the Microsoft Teams admin center by adjusting the Messaging policy. The policy can leave the choice to each user, or it can force read receipts on or off for everyone. This keeps privacy standards consistent across the company.

If the option is missing or locked, ask your IT team which setting is applied to your account. Policy changes can also take some time to reach users, so a new setting may not show up right away.

Summary

You can manage your read receipts in Teams easily through the Privacy settings on the desktop, or Messaging on mobile, choosing whether to keep your message status private or visible. Remember that the setting works both ways, and that your admin may have the final say.