How to check the exact time someone read your WhatsApp message

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a crumpled up paper receipt
The correct fate for all receipts.
Photo: Michael Walter/Unsplash

In a civilized society, there would be no such thing as a “read receipt” for messages or emails. You’d send your message, and that would be it. But read receipts are here, and if you’re one of the folks that doesn’t turn them off, then you’re going to love this WhatsApp tip.

You already know the meanings of the checkboxes that indicate successfully sent, delivered and read messages in WhatsApp. Today we’ll see how to check the exact time a recipient read your WhatsApp message.

See the exact time your WhatsApp message was read

In WhatsApp, every message has status indicators, aka checkmarks. A lone gray checkmark means that the message was sent. A pair of gray checkmarks means that it was delivered. When that pair turns blue, it means your message was read. If you don’t see any of these, it could be that the recipient has switched off read receipts, in the name of both sanity and privacy.

But you know that already. What you may not know is that simply sliding a WhatsApp message to the left reveals a screen full of extra details. You can also long-press on any message in a thread, and then pick Info from the menu that appears.

The WhatsApp message info screen

This is how you see read-receipt details. You can find the exact time your WhatsApp message was read.
This is how you see read-receipt details.
Photo: Cult of Mac

And here’s the screen. You can see what time the message was delivered, and what time it was read. And although I couldn’t track down a screenshot for this post, I also have seen this page when swiping an audio message. In that case, you can see what time the message was listened to.

If you insist on keeping your WhatsApp read receipts on like a stalker in a low-budget psychological thriller, this could prove very useful.

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