To be annoyed at people who turn off 'read' receipts on WhatsApp?

Controlling people never think they are controlling

If anyone wants to read a message and not let a read receipt go through (if you haven't switched them off) then put your phone in airplane mode read it and swipe out again before switching off airplane mode.

That'll keep people like OP on their toes!

Mine are off, as is my online status.
I might want to watch a film or have a bath or just not want to be interrupted.
My phone is on silent permanently anyway. Half of the time it's not even in the same room as me.

I’m another that thinks it’s weirdly controlling that you NEED to know if I have or haven’t read it.

I have mine turned off as occasionally customers will get hold of my personal number and message me at all hours followed by ‘???’ If I don’t reply. I’ve had this on Boxing Day.

Yes exactly that. I used to get people sending me further '??' (and even more demanding) messages before I'd had chance to reply to the first one. Which is why I now switch my online status off.

My ex used to get really nasty if he saw I had read a message but not replied. I would get a torrent of nasty and aggressive messages.

I turned mine off. I'll reply when I want to reply, I don't think it's anyone's business to be policing when I've seen my messages. My controlling ex used to make me have the read receipts on so he could have a go at me for not replying right away, so if anything I think your need to see when someone has read your message is controlling, not the other way round!

I turned mine off because I was sick of (some) people seeing that I had read their message and expecting me to reply instantly. Sometimes it's not possible to reply instantly. Sometimes I haven't actually read your message, I've just clicked on it.

Better to wait a reasonable time for a response and then chase if needed, and not rely on the read receipt.

I have mine on because I don't generally go on WhatsApp unless I'm free to chat at that time, and if I do read it and then something distracts me from replying, I don't mind someone chasing me up a while later with a "Are you okay?" or similar.

That said, a few of my friends have theirs off and that's not a problem for me either as it's their choice.

I have them on but I find it useful for messages between me and DH when it's important to know when we have read texts as 90% are things like childcare pickups or grabbing stuff from the shop.

I don't care about people leaving me on read or leaving me on read though as anything very urgent would warrant a phonecall. I don't expect my contacts to be at my beck and call, nor do I sit stewing about Sarah not replying to my WhatsApp from 2 days again even though I know she's read it, because people are busy and I value my friends and family's personal time.

In fact, if you could turn them on / for certain contacts that would be great.

Mine are off because I'm not on the clock all the time for someone else's benefit. Sometimes I'm not up to having a conversation or want to have a think before I reply (if a request to arrange something)

And also because my work started using personal numbers as a way of communicating and would get funny if we read and didn't reply.

The irony of your statement is hilarious. You don't see it as controlling because the developer of the app set the default. It set the default to encourage use of the app and to bring about fomo, it's a gamification theory applied for business reasons, not to benefit society nor communication.

You really could benefit from some reflective time as your lack of insight to what is control is concerning.

Mine are off and so is my online status, nobody needs to know if I’m online and if I have read their message. It’s my decision to reply when I want to as I want to.

Mine are on, and I find it annoying when other people turn theirs off. BUT that is absolutely their choice and I don't have the right to monitor their message-reading habits!

You might not think it’s controlling but have a read of all the answers on here and then think again.
and I find it hard to believe that you couldn’t work out for yourself that people turn this off for the reasons explained above. It’s not rocket science

Mine are off because I don't always have the social battery to reply. I don't want to offend anyone by making it look like I've left them on read because I can't be arsed to reply.

The other reason is that I don't want to get stressed by seeing that someone else has read my message and not replied.

So you are calling them controlling because you want to control them?

It is up to the person I send a message to when they read it not up to me

You are being controlling

Because of people like you who might struggle with emotional responses when their messages are read but not immediately replied to.

I think it's controlling that you are demanding to be acknowledged with a read receipt!

Maybe re read your OP and have a think about how you come across. That may be why people don't want you to know!

Mine are turned on but I don't mind if people have turned them off. I often read the message in preview so can assess if I need to action it quickly. (I use my phone for work as well)

I hide my online status though, some people can get obsessive over it.

I keep meaning to turn mine off, because I hate when (controlling) people chase me up to reply when I am doing something else, primarily working. It will say read if I've tapped on my watch to briefly read it and check it isn't anything urgent. I will deal with it properly when I have time to fish out my phone.

Thank you for the reminder OP.

Quite. I always reject them on emails too. It's always a certain type of person who tries to get an email read receipt.

I just don't want you to know if I've read your message. It's quite simple!

Mine are off, everywhere, so I can prioritise and reply at times that work best for me. I had no idea this was contentious!