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RCS privacy controls depend on the messaging app and phone. Google Messages on Android has separate switches for sending read receipts and typing indicators, while Apple’s iPhone instructions provide one switch that disables RCS messaging as a whole. The steps below explain exactly what each option changes, when it is available, and how to avoid disrupting group chats.
To stop sending your own RCS status, use Google Messages on Android: open your profile picture or icon, choose Messages settings, open RCS chats (or Chat features), and switch off Send read receipts and Show typing indicators. These are independent controls.
On an iPhone, Apple documents a broader control: Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging > turn off RCS Messaging. Apple’s documented iPhone menu does not offer separate RCS switches for read receipts and typing indicators, so this choice disables RCS for the phone rather than only hiding the two indicators. SMS and MMS can still be used when your carrier supports them.
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Rich Communication Services (RCS) adds features to ordinary carrier messaging. In a conversation where RCS is active, the service can send a delivery or read state and can tell the other participant that you are currently composing a message. A read receipt is the “read” status associated with a message; a typing indicator is the live composing signal shown while you type.
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The Android switches documented by Google are outgoing privacy controls. They determine whether Google Messages lets other people know that you read their message or are typing. Google’s instructions do not say that the switches hide the other person’s indicators from you, and they do not provide an inbound-only “hide everyone else’s status” control. If your goal is to stop seeing someone else’s typing or read state, the documented settings do not provide that narrower option.
RCS is negotiated per conversation. If the other person, their carrier, or their device does not support RCS, read receipts and typing indicators do not operate for that conversation. Google says regular SMS/MMS messaging still works in that situation; the absence of an indicator is therefore not proof that a privacy toggle is enabled.
Turn off both indicators in Google Messages on Android
Use the separate privacy switches
- Open Google Messages on your Android phone.
- Tap your profile picture or account icon in the upper-right area.
- Tap Messages settings.
- Tap RCS chats. On some app versions or devices, Google labels this menu Chat features instead.
- Turn off Send read receipts. This stops Google Messages from sending your read state through RCS.
- Return to the same RCS settings screen, then turn off Show typing indicators. This stops your composing status from being sent while you type.
The two toggles are independent. Turning off read receipts does not automatically turn off typing indicators, so check both controls if you want neither status shared. Google’s Google Messages Help instructions document the same navigation and the names of these settings.
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After changing the switches, leave the settings screen and reopen it to make sure each toggle remains off. You do not need to send a message to test the privacy choice. The setting applies to RCS conversations handled by Google Messages; it does not change read-receipt behavior in another messaging app or in iMessage.
These controls affect what you transmit, not what you receive. A contact may still have their own read receipts or typing indicators enabled, and you may continue to see those signals when the conversation and their service support them. Google’s documentation does not describe a setting that suppresses only incoming indicators.
What each Android switch changes
Send read receipts governs the read state that your Google Messages app reports to other RCS participants. It does not erase a read state already delivered, change a message’s delivery status, or alter the recipient’s own settings. Show typing indicators governs the composing signal generated while you type. It does not prevent you from reading messages, replying, or seeing a typing signal that another participant sends.
If you want a minimal change, turn off just one switch. For example, disabling read receipts while leaving typing indicators on means contacts may still see that you are composing, but they will not receive your RCS read state. Disabling both is the closest documented Android option to sharing no activity signals while retaining RCS.
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Turn off RCS on an iPhone
Apple’s documented method
- Open the iPhone Settings app.
- Tap Apps, then tap Messages.
- Tap RCS Messaging.
- Turn off RCS Messaging.
Apple describes RCS as a carrier-provided service and documents this single service-level switch in its RCS messaging guide. Apple says RCS can provide delivery receipts, read receipts, and typing indicators, but its cited iPhone instructions do not expose separate switches for those features. Disabling RCS therefore removes the RCS feature set, not merely the two status signals.
When RCS is off, messages to recipients who otherwise would have used RCS are handled by another available messaging method, such as SMS or MMS. The exact behavior and availability depend on your carrier and region. Apple requires iOS 18 or later and a carrier that supports RCS on iPhone for the RCS menu and service to be available at all.
Do not confuse RCS with iMessage read receipts
iPhone also has a separate Send Read Receipts control for iMessage conversations. Apple’s iMessage read-receipt guide says both people must have iMessage turned on for that feature. That menu controls iMessage, not the RCS service used in green-bubble conversations, so changing it is not a way to disable RCS read receipts.
Android and iPhone controls compared
| Phone and app | Menu path | Granularity | What is disabled | Availability caveat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Android with Google Messages | Profile icon > Messages settings > RCS chats (or Chat features) | Two separate switches | Choose independently whether to send read receipts and typing indicators | Labels can vary by app version or device; RCS must be active for the conversation |
| iPhone with Apple Messages | Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging | One whole-service switch in Apple’s documented instructions | Turning it off disables RCS messaging, including its receipts and typing capability | Requires iOS 18 or later and carrier support; availability varies by region |
This difference is important when choosing a remedy. Android users can keep RCS’s richer messaging features while withholding the two activity signals. iPhone users following Apple’s documented path must choose between leaving RCS enabled with its available indicators or turning off the entire RCS service.
Decide which privacy problem you are solving
Stop other people seeing your activity
Use the Android switches if you want to prevent your contacts from receiving your read state and composing state while retaining RCS. On iPhone, the documented way to prevent those RCS signals is to turn off RCS itself, which is a broader change.
Stop seeing other people’s activity
Neither the cited Google nor Apple documentation provides an inbound-only switch that hides other people’s RCS typing indicators or read receipts while leaving the service running. Turning off your own outgoing controls should not be described as a way to remove indicators generated by the other person. If a conversation has no RCS support on the other end, those indicators will not work there regardless of your settings.
Keep RCS features but reduce interruptions
On Android, leave RCS enabled and disable only the indicators you do not want to send. This preserves RCS capabilities such as its richer message transport while changing the activity information shared from your device. On iPhone, Apple’s documented controls do not offer the same per-feature compromise.
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Before changing anything: identify the service and scope
First identify which app is handling the conversation. Google’s two switches apply to Google Messages on Android. An Android phone using a manufacturer’s messaging app may have different menus, and changing Google Messages settings will not necessarily alter that other app. On an iPhone, distinguish a green-bubble RCS conversation from a blue-bubble iMessage conversation before changing a receipt setting.
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Finally, remember that a status can be missing for reasons unrelated to privacy. RCS has to be active for the conversation, and the other participant must have RCS support. A missing read or typing state can therefore reflect SMS/MMS fallback, an unsupported carrier, or a participant’s own setting.
Why an RCS setting may be missing
- Android menu naming: Google uses RCS chats in current instructions but notes that some versions show Chat features. Look for either label inside Google Messages settings.
- iPhone software: Apple requires iOS 18 or later for RCS on iPhone. Earlier versions will not have the documented RCS Messaging switch.
- Carrier or region: Apple says RCS availability varies by carrier and region. If your carrier does not provide RCS for iPhone, the menu may be absent.
- Conversation support: Google says receipts and typing indicators work only when the recipient has RCS chats. A contact using SMS/MMS, an unsupported carrier, or an incompatible app will not exchange those signals.
Availability and privacy settings are separate questions. A missing indicator can mean RCS is unavailable, the recipient has disabled a feature, the conversation has fallen back to SMS/MMS, or your own outgoing switch is off.
Troubleshoot Google Messages when the switches do not appear or do not stick
The menu says “Chat features”
Open Profile icon > Messages settings and select Chat features instead of RCS chats. Google documents that alternate label for some devices and versions. The relevant controls should still be named Send read receipts and Show typing indicators.
The setting is off but someone reports seeing a status
Check that you changed the switches in the app you actually use for the conversation. Android phones can have more than one messaging app, but the Google controls apply to Google Messages. Also check whether the person is referring to an older status sent before you changed the setting or to an indicator from another service such as iMessage or a social-messaging app.
You are considering turning RCS off and on repeatedly
Google explicitly cautions, “It’s not advised to turn RCS chats on and off.” Repeated changes can affect enrollment and group conversations; Google warns that users may be removed from group chats. If you only need to stop sending receipts or typing status, use the individual Android switches instead of cycling the entire service.
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You no longer have the Android phone
Google provides an RCS deactivation portal for people who cannot access their device. Use the recovery route described in Google Messages Help rather than repeatedly registering the same number on replacement devices. The portal is for deactivating the RCS registration; it is not a replacement for the two in-app privacy toggles when you still have the phone.
Troubleshoot RCS on iPhone
RCS Messaging is not listed
Verify that the iPhone is running iOS 18 or later and that the carrier supports RCS in your region. Apple’s support page states that both conditions matter. Carrier provisioning can also determine when the menu appears, so an otherwise compatible phone may still lack the switch.
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That is expected: the iPhone control disables the service rather than only its indicators. Conversations that previously used RCS may use SMS or MMS instead, with different feature support. Delivery and read states associated with RCS will not be available through the disabled service.
You changed iMessage receipts but RCS indicators remain
Check which color and service the conversation uses. Apple’s iMessage receipt control applies only to iMessage and requires iMessage on for both participants. For RCS, use the separate RCS Messaging switch described above; Apple does not document an RCS-specific read-receipt toggle equivalent to Google Messages.
Group chats and switching services safely
RCS enrollment can be part of a group conversation’s membership and routing. Google warns that repeatedly turning RCS chats on and off may remove users from group chats. Before disabling RCS on Android, consider whether you are changing only the two indicators (the lower-impact option) or unregistering RCS entirely (the broader option). On iPhone, the documented switch is inherently the broader option.
If a group changes from RCS to SMS/MMS after the service is disabled, features such as typing status, read state, high-resolution media handling, or other RCS capabilities may no longer be available. The exact fallback depends on the participants’ devices and carriers, so confirm the new conversation type before assuming a delivery or read state will appear.
Practical privacy checklist
- Choose the app first. Open the settings for the app that actually sends the messages, not a similarly named messaging app.
- Separate outgoing from incoming status. Android’s documented switches govern what your phone sends. They are not controls for hiding status generated by other people.
- Check both Android switches. Read receipts and typing indicators are independent, so turning off one does not turn off the other.
- Check the conversation type. RCS indicators require RCS support on both sides; SMS/MMS conversations will not exchange those RCS signals.
- Consider groups before disabling RCS. Google advises against repeatedly switching RCS on and off because group-chat membership can be affected.
- On iPhone, expect a broader result. Apple’s documented RCS control turns off the service, not just one privacy feature.
This checklist also explains why a test with one contact may not match a different conversation. The two chats may use different transports, carriers, or participant settings even on the same phone.
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What remains true after you change the settings
- Disabling Android’s two switches stops your own read and typing signals; it does not promise to hide signals sent by other participants.
- RCS indicators require RCS support on both sides of the conversation. SMS/MMS can continue without them.
- Turning off RCS on iPhone is broader than turning off two indicators because it disables the RCS service itself.
- iMessage receipt settings and RCS settings are separate. Changing one does not change the other.
- Carrier, region, operating-system version, app version, and conversation type can all change which menus or indicators are available.
Quick decision guide
| Your goal | Android with Google Messages | iPhone |
|---|---|---|
| Stop sending read receipts only | Turn off Send read receipts in RCS chats or Chat features | No separate RCS control is documented; turning off RCS disables the whole service |
| Stop sending typing indicators only | Turn off Show typing indicators | No separate RCS control is documented; turning off RCS disables the whole service |
| Stop sending both while keeping RCS | Turn off both individual switches | Not available as a documented per-indicator option |
| Stop seeing other people’s indicators | No inbound-only control is documented | No inbound-only control is documented |
| Disable RCS completely | Use the RCS on/off control only when you accept group-chat and feature changes | Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging > turn off |
For most Android users who want privacy without losing RCS, the two individual switches are the precise solution. On iPhone, the choice is service-level: keep RCS enabled or turn it off and accept the fallback to other messaging methods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off only RCS read receipts on Android?
Yes. In Google Messages, open your profile icon, choose Messages settings, open RCS chats or Chat features, and turn off Send read receipts. This switch is separate from Show typing indicators.
Can I turn off typing indicators but keep read receipts?
Yes, on Google Messages for Android. Use the same RCS chats or Chat features menu and turn off Show typing indicators while leaving Send read receipts on.
Will turning off my read receipts hide other people’s read receipts?
No such inbound-only control is documented by Google or Apple. The Android switches govern the status your phone sends; another participant may still send indicators that you can see.
Why can’t I find RCS Messaging on my iPhone?
Apple requires iOS 18 or later and a carrier that supports RCS on iPhone. Availability also varies by region, so the menu may be absent when carrier support is unavailable.
Does turning off RCS on iPhone disable SMS?
Apple’s switch disables RCS itself. Messages may instead use another available method, such as SMS or MMS, depending on your carrier and the conversation. The RCS receipts and typing features will not be available through the disabled service.
Can I safely keep turning RCS off and on to test the setting?
Google says it is not advised to turn RCS chats on and off repeatedly. Google warns that this can affect enrollment and may remove users from group chats. Use the individual Android switches when you only need to change privacy indicators.
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What if I no longer have the Android phone linked to RCS?
Google provides an RCS deactivation portal for people who cannot access their device. Use that deactivation route rather than repeatedly registering the same number on replacement devices.
Are iMessage read receipts and RCS read receipts the same setting?
No. Apple’s Send Read Receipts setting concerns iMessage and requires iMessage to be enabled for both people. Apple documents RCS separately, with a whole-service RCS Messaging switch rather than an equivalent per-receipt control.
The Bottom Line
Google Messages on Android lets you independently turn off Send read receipts and Show typing indicators under Messages settings > RCS chats (or Chat features). Apple’s iPhone instructions provide only Settings > Apps > Messages > RCS Messaging, which disables RCS as a whole. Neither platform documents an inbound-only option for hiding other people’s indicators, and RCS availability depends on the app, carrier, region, device, and conversation.
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