Ever since WhatsApp introduced a new feature that allows users to know when exactly their message has been read, the public outcry has been overwhelming. We’re assuming that the blue ticks that indicate that the message in question has been read by the recipient or not would have jeopardized several friendships and relationships by now.
However, WhatsApp is now offering users a way out of this. The new version of WhatsApp for Android allows users to disable the “Read Receipts” option. Users who disable the feature will be able to cover their footprints and other people who send messages to such users won’t get blue ticks on their messages sent to these users. As with the last seen option, those who disable “Read Receipts” won’t be able to know if their messages have been read or not by others either, which seems like a fair trade to us. To disable the feature, users need to hit Settings > Privacy > and disable the ‘Read Receipts’ option.
To enable the option, users need to download the APK for the latest version of the app from WhatsApp’s website for Android, as the update isn’t live in the Play Store yet. We’re assuming WhatsApp will be rolling out a similar update for iOS and Windows Phone soon as well.
Grab the latest version from WhatsApp website here.