The phone in your hand can do more than the computers we had years ago. It’s a communication device, a camera, a scanner, a fitness tracker, a camcorder, a GPS, a game console — I could go on.
There’s also a lot your phone can do that you would not think was possible. Click for seven brilliant ways your smartphone can help you get things done, from measuring someone’s height to remoting into your computer
But sometimes, you just need to talk. If your service is spotty, there are a few ways to boost your signal strength.
When it comes to texts, it’s nice to know if your message went through and the person read it.
On an iPhone
Apple’s default text messaging app, iMessage, makes it easy to know if your recipient has read your message. There is one caveat. Both the sender and recipient must be using iMessage on an iPhone or iPad and have Read Receipts enabled.
When you text someone with Read Receipts turned on, you’ll notice the word “Read” beneath your message, and the time it was opened.
To turn on your Read Receipts in the iMessage app, click Settings, scroll down, and tap Messages. Enable Send Read Receipts. These steps work with Macs and iPads as well.
On an Android
Like iPhone users, Android read receipts require both sender and recipient enable the feature. Instructions may vary according to your device’s manufacturer, model, and operating system.
First, open your Messages app and navigate to the settings. Depending on your phone model, operating system, and cellular provider, you will notice one of the following: Read Receipts, Send Read Receipts or Request Receipt. Turn on the applicable option.
On a Samsung phone, go to Messages > Menu > Settings > Chat settings. Here, you can enable read receipts.
In Google Messages, open Messages. Tap the three-dot menu (More) > Settings > Chat features. Tap Send read receipts.
What about Facebook?
Read receipts are enabled by default in Facebook Messenger. If you wish to turn them off at some point, sorry, Charlie. You can’t. A sneaky workaround allows you to read messages without producing a read receipt.
Just turn off your Wi-Fi and cellular connection to read all received messages. Open the app, then turn on Airplane mode. When you finish reading your messages, force quit the Messenger app.
WhatsApp lets you choose
Unlike its parent company Facebook, you can opt-out of read receipts in WhatsApp.
How do you know when someone views your message using WhatsApp? Look for the checkmarks:
A single gray checkmark indicates a successfully sent message.
The appearance of a second gray checkmark shows your message was delivered to the recipient’s phone.
The two checkmarks will turn blue if the recipient has viewed your message.
To turn off this feature, click Settings and tap Account. Choose the Privacy option and disable Read Receipts.
Once you have your read receipts enabled on all your apps, you will no longer have to wonder or worry about whether a recipient has viewed your message.