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Google Messages keeps these controls in two places. Open your profile picture or icon, choose Messages settings, then use RCS chats (or Chat features) for Send read receipts and Show typing indicators. For link cards, open Automatic previews and turn off Show all previews, or choose Show only web link previews when that option is available. Read receipts and typing indicators work only in compatible RCS conversations; automatic previews are an app-level setting.
Which Google Messages setting controls each signal?
There are three independent controls. Read receipts tell a sender that you opened a message. Typing indicators show that you are currently composing. Automatic previews create an information card for a link or another detail recognized in a message. Changing one does not automatically change the others.
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| What you want to control | Menu location | Conversation requirement | What the switch changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read receipts | Messages settings > RCS chats (or Chat features) > Send read receipts | RCS for the conversation and participating devices | Whether other participants can see that you read their RCS messages |
| Typing indicators | Messages settings > RCS chats (or Chat features) > Show typing indicators | RCS for the conversation and participating devices | Whether other participants can see that you are typing |
| Link previews | Messages settings > Automatic previews > Show all previews | No RCS requirement; this is an app setting | Whether Messages generates preview cards for recognized details such as links |
Menu names can differ by phone manufacturer, carrier, country, and Google Messages version. If you do not see RCS chats, look for Chat features in the same settings area.
Turn read receipts on or off
Use the RCS chats setting
- Open Google Messages.
- Tap your profile picture or icon in the upper-right corner.
- Tap Messages settings.
- Tap RCS chats. On some installations this is labeled Chat features.
- Turn Send read receipts on or off.
With the switch off, you stop sending a read-status signal to other people in supported RCS chats. It does not erase messages, hide the conversation, or prevent you from receiving messages. It also does not control whether you can see another person’s status.
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Why you may still not see someone else’s read status
Read status is mutual by design. To see when another person opened your message, that person must have read receipts enabled, and the conversation must remain an RCS conversation. Google’s read-status icons do not appear for ordinary SMS or MMS messages. Turning on your own switch cannot make a recipient’s phone send a receipt.
What happens in mixed or fallback conversations
If either participant cannot use RCS, Messages may send the text as SMS or MMS. In that mode, read receipts are not available, even if your setting is enabled. A setting can grant permission for receipts; it cannot upgrade an unsupported carrier, device, region, or conversation to RCS.
Turn typing indicators on or off
Change the separate typing switch
- Open Google Messages and tap your profile picture or icon.
- Choose Messages settings.
- Open RCS chats, or Chat features if that is the label on your phone.
- Toggle Show typing indicators.
Disable this option when you do not want other participants to see a live indication that you are composing. It does not stop the keyboard from working and does not hide the message after you send it.
Typing indicators require RCS on both sides
Typing indicators are an RCS feature, not an SMS or MMS feature. The other participant must also be reachable through RCS for the indicator to work. In a standard text conversation, nobody receives the typing signal, regardless of the switch position. Group conversations can also behave differently when one or more members are not available through RCS.
Read receipts and typing indicators are separate switches. You can allow one and suppress the other—for example, leave read receipts enabled while turning off typing indicators.
Turn link previews off (or limit them to web links)
Disable all automatic previews
- Open Google Messages.
- Tap your profile picture or icon.
- Tap Messages settings.
- Tap Automatic previews.
- Turn off Show all previews.
This controls preview generation inside the Messages app. It does not block URLs, prevent you from sending a link, or stop the recipient’s app from creating its own preview. A link can still be delivered as text when previews are disabled.
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Show only web link previews
Some versions offer Show only web link previews. Select that option when you want cards for website URLs but do not want previews for other recognized details. The option is narrower than Show all previews, but it is not the same as disabling every web preview. If the choice is absent, your device or app version may expose only the all-previews switch.
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Google describes Automatic previews as optional and says the app uses on-device intelligence to identify selected details, such as links and street addresses, then performs a quick lookup. Google says those details are not saved to your Google Account or Location History and are not linked to identifiers such as your name or phone number. That is Google’s description of its implementation, not an independent security audit.
The Google Messages app uses on-device intelligence to automatically spot specific things, like links or street addresses, in your chat history. — Google Messages Help, “Your chats stay private with automatic previews.”
Understand RCS, SMS, and MMS before troubleshooting
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the transport that enables Google Messages features such as read receipts and typing indicators. SMS and MMS are older carrier messaging services and do not carry those two indicators. Automatic previews are different: they are controlled by the Messages app and do not depend on RCS.
Check that RCS is available and connected
Open Profile picture or icon > Messages settings > RCS chats (or Chat features). The page should indicate whether RCS is available and connected. If your phone says RCS is unavailable, connecting, or unsupported, read receipts and typing indicators cannot operate in that state.
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- Confirm that your device, carrier, and region support RCS; availability is not identical everywhere.
- Check the individual conversation. A thread sent as SMS or MMS will not show RCS read-status icons or typing activity.
- Remember that the other person’s device and RCS availability matter too.
Changing a switch while RCS is unavailable will not convert an SMS/MMS thread into an RCS thread. Restore the underlying connection first, then test with a participant who is also using RCS.
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Common symptoms and the correct fix
“I turned on read receipts, but nobody sees them.”
- Verify that the message was sent as RCS rather than SMS or MMS.
- Ask whether the recipient has RCS chats available and read receipts enabled.
- Check your own RCS status for a connection or availability warning.
- Allow for differences caused by the recipient’s device, carrier, region, or Messages version.
Your setting only governs whether you send your own receipt. It cannot force a receipt from someone else.
“Typing indicators are missing.”
- Confirm Show typing indicators is enabled under RCS chats or Chat features.
- Check that the conversation is using RCS and that the other participant can use RCS.
- Do not use an SMS/MMS thread as a test; those services do not support typing indicators.
“I cannot find RCS chats or Automatic previews.”
Google changes labels and menu placement across releases and custom Android interfaces. In Messages settings, look for Chat features as an alternative to RCS chats. Search the settings list for Automatic previews if it is not visible near the top. If neither appears, verify that you are using Google Messages and that it is the current default messaging app; some carrier or regional configurations do not expose every RCS control.
“A preview still appears after I changed the setting.”
- Reopen the conversation after changing the setting; an existing card may remain in the current view until the thread refreshes.
- Check whether Show only web link previews is selected rather than all previews being disabled.
- Remember that your setting affects your copy of Messages. The recipient may still see a preview generated by their own messaging app.
Do not toggle RCS casually
Google cautions against turning RCS off and on as a routine troubleshooting step. Repeatedly disabling and re-enabling it can remove you from group chats. Turning RCS off also turns off read receipts and typing indicators because both depend on RCS.
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If an RCS message fails and Messages offers an SMS with a link resend option, consider what is being sent before accepting it. Google warns that media in this type of fallback may be accessible through a public link that Google does not control. That is different from an ordinary SMS/MMS attachment and can matter for sensitive photos or documents.
Choose the combination that fits your privacy preference
| Your goal | Read receipts | Typing indicators | Automatic previews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum conversational feedback | On | On | On, if preview cards are useful |
| Hide when you have read a message but keep typing visibility | Off | On | Your choice |
| Hide both activity signals in RCS chats | Off | Off | Your choice |
| Keep links as plain text in your own app | Your choice | Your choice | Show all previews off |
| Allow website cards but avoid other recognized-detail cards | Your choice | Your choice | Show only web link previews, when offered |
These choices affect different kinds of information. The RCS switches govern signals you send to conversation participants. Automatic previews govern processing and display in your Messages app. Set each one independently rather than switching RCS off simply to remove link cards.
A quick verification checklist
- For read status, open Messages settings > RCS chats (or Chat features) and check Send read receipts.
- For typing status, check Show typing indicators in that same RCS section.
- For link cards, open Automatic previews and choose whether Show all previews is enabled.
- Send a test to a contact who uses RCS and confirm the thread is marked as an RCS conversation.
- If a control or indicator is missing, check default-app status, RCS connection, carrier and regional support, and the app’s current menu labels before changing RCS registration.
How the controls behave in everyday conversations
Think of read receipts and typing indicators as outbound presence signals. When enabled, your Messages app may tell an RCS participant that you opened a message or started composing. Those signals are separate from the message content itself: turning them off does not retract a message, remove a notification already delivered, or prevent a person from knowing that you eventually replied.
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Automatic previews are primarily a local display and lookup choice. Turning them off changes how your copy of a thread is rendered; it does not sanitize a URL, disable a website, or change what another person sees. Conversely, leaving previews on does not grant the recipient a read receipt. If you want to limit several kinds of exposure, review all three switches instead of assuming one privacy setting covers the entire app.
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- Decide whether you want participants to know when you have read RCS messages. Set Send read receipts accordingly.
- Decide whether a live composing signal is useful. Set Show typing indicators independently; it can be off while receipts remain on.
- Review whether preview cards help you recognize links. In Automatic previews, turn off Show all previews, or choose Show only web link previews if you still want website cards.
- Test the result in a known RCS conversation. A test in an SMS or MMS thread cannot confirm either RCS indicator.
- Recheck after a phone, carrier, region, or app-version change. Menu wording and availability can vary, so a previously visible control may move or be renamed.
This sequence avoids a common mistake: disabling RCS just to hide typing activity or link cards. RCS is the transport for the two activity indicators, while previews have their own app-level control.
Limits that settings cannot overcome
- A disabled switch cannot make an SMS or MMS conversation display an RCS indicator.
- Your read-receipt setting cannot make another person disclose their read status.
- Your phone cannot force RCS support on a device, carrier, or region that does not provide it.
- Disabling your previews cannot remove a preview already generated by the recipient’s app.
- Turning RCS off may affect group-chat membership, so it is not a harmless way to reset every messaging problem.
When behavior seems inconsistent, identify the transport first, then identify whose app is displaying the result. That distinction usually explains why a switch appears to have no effect.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I turn off read receipts in Google Messages?
Open Google Messages, tap your profile picture or icon, choose Messages settings > RCS chats (or Chat features), and turn off Send read receipts. The switch applies to supported RCS conversations. It does not affect SMS or MMS, and it cannot hide another person’s read status from you.
How do I stop Google Messages from showing when I’m typing?
Go to your profile picture or icon, then Messages settings > RCS chats (or Chat features). Turn off Show typing indicators. This stops the composing signal in compatible RCS chats but does not disable your keyboard or prevent you from sending messages.
How do I turn off link previews in Google Messages?
Open Messages settings > Automatic previews and turn off Show all previews. Your links will still send as text. This setting changes preview generation in your copy of Messages; it does not stop a recipient’s messaging app from creating its own card.
Can I keep read receipts but hide typing indicators?
Yes. Send read receipts and Show typing indicators are separate switches in the RCS chats or Chat features menu. Leave the first on and turn the second off, or use the opposite combination.
Why do read receipts and typing indicators work for one contact but not another?
Both participants and the conversation must support RCS. The other thread may be using SMS or MMS, or the contact’s device, carrier, region, or RCS status may differ. Check the RCS status page and test with a participant known to have RCS connected.
Does turning off RCS only disable read receipts?
No. Disabling RCS also disables typing indicators because both are RCS features. Google cautions that turning RCS off and on can remove you from group chats, so do not use it as a routine way to change privacy settings.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesIs Show only web link previews the same as turning previews off?
No. When available, Show only web link previews keeps cards for website URLs while limiting previews for other recognized details. To disable all automatic previews in your app, turn off Show all previews.
What should I do if the settings are missing?
Check that you are using Google Messages and that it is the default SMS app when required. Look for Chat features if RCS chats is absent, and search Messages settings for Automatic previews. Device, carrier, region, custom Android software, and app version can change which controls appear.
The Bottom Line
Use RCS chats or Chat features for Send read receipts and Show typing indicators. Use Automatic previews for link cards. The first two require RCS on the relevant participants; previews are independent. Do not toggle RCS casually, because Google warns that doing so can remove you from group chats.
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