What is a Read Receipt in Gmail?
Simply put, a Gmail read receipt is a feature that allows the sender to get a confirmation when the recipient opens the email. Think of them as similar to the seen receipts in text messages. When an email is opened, the sender will get a notification that it’s been opened, which can give them reassurance that the message was delivered.
We’d like to note that the feature is exclusive to business accounts; therefore, you’ll need a business Gmail account to use read receipts. Once you create a new Gmail account, explore how to activate delivery confirmation option to track important emails, but keep in mind that only a work or school administrator can set it up.
This is a useful feature for those sending emails that are time-sensitive or very important. It can be stressful to be sitting around wondering if your crucial information was received. Adding this to your arsenal of tools can get rid of that email anxiety and help you use Gmail effectively.
Requesting and Sending Read Receipts in Gmail
The process for requesting and sending read receipts in Gmail is pretty straightforward, but is slightly different on desktop and mobile.
How to Request Read Receipt in Gmail
For desktop users:
- Start by composing a new message.
- In the email window, find the three-dot menu (More options), located at the bottom right corner at the end of the other options.
- Click the Request read receipt option in the menu.
- Once your email is ready, click Send as you normally would.
For mobile users:
Unfortunately, the read receipts feature in Google Workspace isn’t available in the mobile version of the Gmail app; it's exclusive to the desktop version of Google Workspace.
Additionally, this functionality is turned off by default and requires activation by your Workspace account administrator.
Sending a Return Receipt in Gmail
Now, let’s talk about what happens when you receive a read receipt request. The receipts aren’t sent without the consent of the person getting the email. When you get a read receipt request, you’ll be prompted to send a return receipt indicating that the email has been delivered and seen.
Here’s how to do that:
- Gmail will notify you when you’ve gotten a read receipt request within the email.
- Open the email as usual.
- If a sender has asked for a read receipt, you will receive a notification and have a couple of choices:
- Click Send receipts if you want to send the receipt immediately.
- Select Not now to delay sending the receipt. You will be prompted to send it the next time you view the message.
- Once you’ve sent the read receipt, Gmail will usually display a message confirming that it has been sent to the sender.
How to Turn Off Read Receipts on Gmail
There may be some instances where you want to customize Gmail and turn off read receipts. Here’s how to do so:
- If you’re using Google Workspace, sign in to your Google Admin Console with your admin account.
- Open the Google Workspace menu and navigate to Apps → Google Workspace → Gmail.
- Select the User Settings section on the right.
- When you get to the Email Read Receipts section, you can choose to disable all functions related to them for your users.
- Save the settings to apply changes.
Elevate Your Gmail Inbox With Clean Email
Using Gmail read receipt is one of the many ways to improve your quality of email life. Along with this feature, using tools such as Clean Email can not only boost efficiency but also enhance security. Here are some of the benefits of using Clean Email.
Cleaning Suggestions
Having an inbox full of junk mail can be overwhelming. It may even make you avoid your inbox altogether. The Cleaning Suggestions tool is good for the person who has trouble hitting delete on emails. It offers actions based on data from how you or other users have handled similar emails in the past. You’ll be able to get rid of clutter and focus on the emails that matter.
Unsubscriber
This tool is ideal for those who appreciate subscribing to email lists. We’ve all subscribed to something just to get the discount on our first order, right? With Unsubscriber, you can save time and precious inbox space by letting it help you unsubscribe to unwanted emails that you’ll never read.
Auto Clean
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a tool that you can set filters to automate some of your inbox functions? Auto Clean is another feature from Clean Email that allows you to set up actions for different senders so you don’t miss anything important. It will also save you time that you’d spend doing this manually.
Smart Folders
With Clean Email, you’ll have 33 predetermined filters for putting your emails into separate categories. If you receive a lot of bulk emails, this feature is for you. It makes it easy for you to find those crucial emails without sifting through all the junk.
Clean Email will not only help you stay organized, but their main focus is security and privacy. Using the Privacy Monitor tool will give you alerts to potential data breach risks. These notifications may let you know to change your password and keep your Gmail account safe.
Clean Email offers these and other features for its mobile users. Its mobile-friendly interface ensures an intuitive experience on smartphones and tablets. Although sending read receipts in Gmail on mobile isn't possible, Clean Email enables users to manage their inboxes efficiently while on the move.
Wrap-up
Gmail read receipts can be a key tool for ensuring important information is received on time. Pairing email read receipts with Clean Email can be a strategy for an efficient inbox you can log into without feeling overwhelmed.
Having a second mailbox on Outlook? Learn more about how to add read receipts in Outlook.
FAQs
How to request a read receipt in Gmail?
Open Gmail on your desktop, compose a new email, click the three-dot menu at the bottom right corner, and select the "Request read receipt" option. Note that the feature isn’t available in the mobile Gmail app.
How to send read receipt in Gmail?
When you receive a delivery confirmation request within an email, you can either click "Send receipts" to send it immediately or select "Not now" to send it later when you reopen the message.
How to enable read receipts in Gmail?
To enable the receipts, your Google Workspace account administrator needs to activate this functionality, as it's turned off by default and only available in Google Workspace accounts.
How to turn off read receipts on Gmail?
Sign in to the Google Admin Console with an admin account, navigate to Apps → Google Workspace → Gmail, go to the User Settings section, and disable the receipts function in the Email Read Receipts section. Save the settings to apply the changes.
