Many messaging users have faced this awkward moment: you open a message, read it, and suddenly feel pressured to reply instantly because the sender can see you’ve viewed it. This situation is especially common when the message is from a boss, colleague, or someone you’re not ready to respond to yet. As a result, people often look for ways to read messages discreetly without triggering read receipts. One common question is whether it’s possible to disable blue ticks for just a single chat while keeping them active for everyone else.
Here’s everything you need to know about how this feature really works and what options are actually available.
Can You Disable Blue Ticks for One Specific Chat?
The short answer is no. Currently, WhatsApp does not allow users to turn off read receipts for individual chats. The app only offers a universal setting that applies to all conversations. If you disable read receipts, the blue ticks disappear for every chat—not just one contact.
This means there is no built-in option to selectively hide read status from a single person while keeping it visible for others. Many users request this feature, but as of now, it hasn’t been introduced.
What Happens When You Turn Off Read Receipts?
When you disable the Read Receipts setting:
- Senders won’t see blue ticks when you read their messages.
- You also won’t see blue ticks when others read your messages.
- The feature is disabled globally for all personal chats.
It’s important to note that this setting does not affect group chats. In groups, read receipts still function normally, and participants can see when you’ve read messages.
Why the Feature Exists
The read receipts toggle was introduced to reduce social pressure and give users more control over their privacy. Many people prefer reading messages on their own schedule without feeling obligated to reply immediately. By turning off read receipts, users can check messages privately without alerting the sender.
However, the all-or-nothing approach means you must choose between full transparency or complete privacy—there’s no selective middle option yet.
Workarounds to Read Messages Without Showing Blue Ticks
Even though you can’t disable blue ticks for just one chat, there are a few practical tricks people use to read messages discreetly:
1. Read from Notifications
If message previews are enabled, you can read the text directly from your notification panel without opening the chat. Since you never open the conversation, no blue tick appears.
2. Use Archive Chat
Archiving a conversation hides it from your main chat list. While this doesn’t disable read receipts, it prevents you from accidentally opening the chat and triggering the blue ticks.
3. Airplane Mode Trick
Some users briefly turn on airplane mode, open the message, read it, then close the app before reconnecting. Because the app can’t sync while offline, the read receipt may not be sent. However, this method isn’t always reliable.
Do Updates Change This?
The platform regularly releases updates with new privacy features and interface improvements. Notifications, in-app alerts, or official announcements usually inform users when new tools are introduced. While selective read receipts are a frequently requested feature, there has been no official rollout of such an option so far.
Final Verdict
You cannot disable blue ticks for just one chat. The setting applies to all conversations at once, and there’s no built-in way to make exceptions for specific contacts. If privacy is your priority, your best option is to turn off read receipts entirely or use notification previews to read messages quietly.
Understanding how these settings work can help you manage conversations on your own terms—without unnecessary pressure to respond instantly.
