8 Real Reasons People Put Read Receipts On

Read receipts are all the rage with iPhones today. There seems to be a split in the Apple population about why they should or should not be turned on. Some find them annoying, and some find the ability to see when someone reads your text as one of Apples better features on the iMessage app. In all reality though, why do people have their read receipts on in the first place? Why is it so important to let people know their read receipts are on?

They serve a helpful purpose in furthering the flow of conversation. 

If you know that your friend has not read the message yet, there is no purpose in sending another because the chances of him or her reading that are low. Like this has ever stopped me. I will triple text you until the cows come home, but it's nice to know the effort could be there.

They allow you to know when important messages have been received. 

I'll let you define what is an "important text," but it is nice to know your boss saw you were headed out to lunch, your friend saw you got home safe, or that your co-worker saw you needed help lifting stuff into the office and still chose to sit at their desk. What goes around comes around, Janice. 

People with read receipts on like for people to know that the sender knows the message has been read and they receiver did still not respond.

For example, when I'm in a fight with my S.O. and I want them to know that I read their message and still chose NOT to reply. There is a passive aggressive element to this but the world is a petty place, what can I do?

They keep me organized. 

If the text is never opened, I won't forget to respond when I do get to it. Essentially, this is the complete opposite of the previous reason. On the downside, I have about 298 unread messages that I just "never got to." Organized chaos is still a thing, right?

They instill hostility in people because the receiver of the text likes the sender to know they're being ignored. 

So when my co-worker, Janice, asked me if I could pick her up a smoothie while I was out I replied in my own way. *Read at 1:41 p.m.*

Reassuring people the message that does not need to be replied to, was read. 

Unless I'm trying to prove an attitude, I will no longer be sending the word text "K." If you get a "K." message from me, you effed up somewhere along the line.  *Read at 3:00p.m.* is better for all of us.

They're not aware that they are on.