Read Receipts Unavailable in Channel Conversations
Microsoft has promised to deliver read receipts for private chats for some time. The roadmap item (51552) was revised from Q2 2019 to Q3 2019 and now we’re into 2020. As announced in Teams User Voice, the good news is that the read receipts feature has started to appear in Office 365 tenants for Teams desktop and browser clients. Microsoft says that it can take up to two weeks for all users to see read receipts in browser and desktop clients once roll-out starts for a tenant. The Teams mobile clients has had the necessary user interface for a couple of months to allow testing of read receipts by tenants in the Technology Adoption Program (TAP).
The admin documentation for read receipts says “Read receipts allow the sender of a chat message to be notified when their message was read by the recipient in 1:1 and group chats 20 people or less. Message read receipts remove uncertainly about whether a message was read, and improve team communication.”
Read receipts are not supported for Teams channel conversations. As explained below, the implementation of read receipts in Teams uses a simple visual indicator to show when a message is read. Collating who has read a message in a busy channel imposes a much larger performance penalty to gather the data and there’s some extra user interface needed to present the data.
Teams read receipts are different in concept and implementation to email read receipts. Instead of an explicit notification coming back through email, Teams signals that someone has read a message by posting a eye icon (Seen) beside it. Figure 1 shows the two icons you can expect to see; the first is Seen, the second is the tick mark showing that the message is Sent (but might not be read).
Figure 1: How read receipts show up in a Teams chat
In a group chat, you can find out who has read your message through the […] menu (Figure 2). When everyone in the chat has read the message, the icon changes to Seen.
Figure 2: Discovering who has read a message in a group chat
User Settings for Read Receipts
Controls over read receipts are available at personal and tenant level. Users can set read receipts on in the Privacy section of Settings in the Teams desktop and browser clients (Figure 3). On a slightly inconsistent note, the setting is under Messaging in the Teams mobile client.
Figure 3: User setting to control Teams read receipts
Turning read receipts off in your account means that Teams won’t tell other people when you read messages. It doesn’t affect read receipts for your messages to other people unless they also disable the feature.
Guest users don’t have any control over read receipts. Guests can see if other users have read their messages (if allowed by the user), but they can’t block read receipts generated when they access messages.
Administrative Control
Teams administrators can control read receipts through messaging policies. When applied to a user account, the policy dictates if the feature is turned off, always available, or can be controlled by users. Figure 4 shows how the setting appears in a messaging policy as viewed through the Teams Admin Center.
Figure 4: The administrative control for Teams read receipts are in messaging policies
I don’t see any good reason to disable read receipts, especially if you’re trying to move people away from email and they are used to having read receipts. However, it’s nice to have the administrative control at such a granular level allied to the user control through client settings.
Need more information about the ins and outs of Teams? The Office 365 for IT Pros eBook is packed full of information. In fact, we have several hundred pages of Teams content in the most comprehensive (and up to date) coverage available anywhere.
5 Replies to “Read Receipts Available for Teams Personal and Group Chats”
my iPhone does not have read receipts in the options and I have it turned on for everyone in the Teams Admin – What do you mean that it has been available for months for mobile users?
Yep, I’ve seen read receipts for a few months now in the mobile client. However, it’s possible that some components have not yet reached your tenant. It does take time to deploy everything across Office 365.
Not as good as the read reciepts in the Skype application which shows each persons reciept in real time as they read it without needing to click 3 places to see whos read it. Maybe one day they will add that feature to Teams.
{"id":null,"mode":"button","open_style":"in_modal","currency_code":"EUR","currency_symbol":"\u20ac","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/office365itpros.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/office365itpros.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":100,"top_media_type":"featured_image","featured_image_url":"https:\/\/office365itpros.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/cover-141x200.jpg","featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Virtual Tip Jar","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"Office 365 for IT Pros","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"Office 365 for IT Pros","form_subtitle":null,"currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you for supporting the work of Office 365 for IT Pros!","payment_confirmation_title":"Office 365 for IT Pros","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
my iPhone does not have read receipts in the options and I have it turned on for everyone in the Teams Admin – What do you mean that it has been available for months for mobile users?
Yep, I’ve seen read receipts for a few months now in the mobile client. However, it’s possible that some components have not yet reached your tenant. It does take time to deploy everything across Office 365.
Not as good as the read reciepts in the Skype application which shows each persons reciept in real time as they read it without needing to click 3 places to see whos read it. Maybe one day they will add that feature to Teams.