To stop Google Messages from telling others when you’ve read their messages or are typing, open profile icon > Messages settings > RCS chats (or Chat features) and turn off Send read receipts and Show typing indicators. You can keep RCS enabled. To stop a particular person or group, block that conversation; turn RCS off only if you want to disable RCS as a whole.
First decide what you want to stop
- Stop sending your own read receipts or typing indicators: turn off the two individual controls. RCS can stay on.
- Stop messages from a particular person or group: block the conversation.
- Stop non-essential messages from a business: use Unsubscribe if it appears in the conversation.
- Disable RCS entirely: turn off RCS chats, understanding that this affects more than indicators.
These controls do different jobs. In particular, Google’s settings let you control indicators you send; they do not document a setting to hide other people’s incoming typing indicators while keeping RCS on.
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Turn off the read receipts and typing indicators you send
- Open Google Messages and tap your profile icon.
- Tap Messages settings, then RCS chats. In some app versions, the menu is called Chat features.
- Turn off Send read receipts and Show typing indicators.
These switches control what other people can see about your activity: Google describes read receipts as letting others know you have read their messages, and typing indicators as showing others when you are typing. A read receipt is also dependent on the recipient having read receipts enabled for you to see when they have read your message. See Google Messages Help: How RCS chats keep your conversations secure and Turn on RCS chats in Google Messages.
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Can you hide other people’s typing indicators?
The official Google Messages instructions cited here do not document a control for hiding incoming typing indicators while retaining RCS. A Google Messages Community reply says the feature cannot be turned off, but that is community guidance rather than an official product setting: Turn off indicators of other people typing in RCS chat.
#1 Best Overall
- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
Turn RCS chats off completely
In Google Messages, tap your profile icon, then Messages settings > RCS chats (or Chat features) and switch RCS off. Google says that turning off RCS also turns off typing indicators and read receipts. It cautions against toggling RCS on and off because you may be removed from group chats. RCS also provides features beyond these indicators; use the individual switches instead if your goal is only to stop sending read and typing signals. Details: Google Messages Help and RCS setup and controls.
Samsung Messages
On most Samsung devices, Google’s stated path is Samsung Messages > Menu > Settings > RCS chats settings, then switch Rich Communication Services on or off. Labels and availability can differ across device makers, apps, carriers, and regions. RCS support and fallback behavior also depend on the device, carrier, region, messaging app, and the other participants; SMS/MMS may be used in some circumstances. See Google Messages Help and RCS chats by Google FAQ.
Rank #2
- Carrier: This phone is locked to Tracfone, which means this device can only be used on the Tracfone wireless network. Tracfone plan required, activating is easy, just 3 steps.
- DISPLAY: Immersive viewing on a 6.7-inch super-bright 120Hz display with powerful stereo speakers and Bass Boost for cinematic entertainment.
- CAMERA SYSTEM: Advanced 50MP Quad Pixel camera captures sharp, detailed photos and videos in any lighting condition
- PERFORMANCE: Lightning-fast 5G connectivity paired with a powerful processor and RAM Boost for smooth multitasking.
- BATTERY LIFE: Long-lasting 5000mAh battery with TurboPower charging technology delivers hours of power in minutes.
Block a person or group without reporting it
To stop a specific conversation in Google Messages, touch and hold it and tap Block. Depending on the app version, you can also open the conversation and use More options to find Details or a blocking option. Blocking is separate from reporting spam, so choose a block-only option if you do not intend to send a spam report. Google’s instructions are available under Change Messages notifications & settings and Block senders and report spam in Google Messages — Android.
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Choosing Block & report spam blocks the sender and moves the thread to Spam & blocked, but it also submits a report. Google says a report may include the sender’s number and the last ten incoming messages; a group report can include information about other participants. Use the report option when you intend to report suspected spam, not as another name for a private block. See Report spam in Google Messages — Android.
Rank #3
- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
Unsubscribe from non-essential business messages
For a business conversation, open More > Unsubscribe if that option is available. It is intended to stop non-essential messages, not to block the business completely. Requested essential messages, such as one-time passwords or transactional updates, may still arrive. Blocking or reporting the business is a separate action. See RCS chats with businesses.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What spam protection does—and does not do
On supported devices, Google Messages’ spam-protection setting is under profile icon > Messages settings > Protection & Safety > Spam protection. Google says protection is enabled automatically and can be turned off where the option is available. Its spam detection may use on-device machine learning and may check message URLs. Menu availability can vary, and spam protection helps identify suspected spam; it is not a replacement for blocking a sender you already know you do not want to hear from. See How Google protects your privacy with spam detection.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Carrier: This phone is locked to Tracfone, which means this device can only be used on the Tracfone wireless network. Activating is easy, just 3 steps.
- ACTIVATION Promotion: Includes 1500 min, 1500 texts & 1500 MB Data + add more as you need it
- CAMERA SYSTEM: 50MP Quad Pixel camera. Capture sharper, more vibrant photos day or night with 4x the light sensitivity.
- PERFORMANCE: Blazing-fast Qualcomm performance. Get the speed you need for great entertainment with a Snapdragon 680 processor and 4GB of RAM.
- 64GB built-in storage. Get plenty of room for photos, movies, songs, and apps. Made for US
Rank #4
- PRIVACY DISPLAY: Automatically hide your screen from those beside you. The built-in privacy display can be preset¹ to turn on when receiving notifications, typing passwords, or using specific apps
- TYPE IT IN. TRANSFORM IT FAST: Enhance any shot in seconds on your smartphone by using Photo Assist² with Galaxy AI.³ Add objects, restore details, or apply new styles by simply typing or tapping
- NIGHTS, CAPTURED CLEARLY: From gigs to city lights, record and capture moments after dark with clarity using Nightography so your photos and videos stay crisp and clear on your Samsung Galaxy
- MAKE IT. EDIT IT. SHARE IT: Turn everyday moments into something personal with creative tools built right into your mobile phone, whether it’s a special contact photo, custom wallpaper, an invitation or more⁴
- HELP THAT KEEPS UP: Stay in the moment while Now Nudge with Galaxy AI helps you respond faster and stay organized with smart suggestions⁵ that appear exactly when you need them on your phone
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