Mail doesn't support read receipts?!? OS Monterey v.12.6.1

The last community response to this matter of not being able to request read receipts refer users to other platforms such a Gmail. I'm mildly offended that I spend the $$$ to use Apple products but can't request a read receipt for my high priority emails. Do I really have to go to Gmail or MSN?

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Nov 15, 2022 08:08 AM

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2 replies

Nov 15, 2022 08:20 AM in response to fem_over50

Just to be clear - read receipts are not standard on Gmail accounts not tied to a business or institution with an administrator...

Request or return a read receipt

This feature is only available if you use Gmail for work or school set up by an administrator. If you use a gmail.com account, read receipts won’t work.

To find out when an email you sent was opened, you can request a read receipt. A read receipt is sent to you as an email with the time and date of when your message was opened.

Want to get more out of Google apps at work or school?  Sign up for a Google Workspace trial at no charge.


Request a read receipt

  1. On your computer, open Gmail.
  2. Click Compose.
  3. Compose your email as you normally would. 
  4. At the bottom right, click More options   Request read receipt
  5. Send your message.

Important: You’ll see any read receipts in your Inbox. The person you sent the message to may have to approve the read receipt before you’re notified.

Return a read receipt

If you receive a message that requests a read receipt, and your organization wants you to approve it first:

  1. On your computer, open Gmail.
  2. Check your emails as you normally would.
  3. If a message tells you a sender has requested a read receipt, choose an option:
    • To send the receipt now, click Send receipts.
    • To send the receipt later, click Not now. You'll be asked to send the receipt the next time you open the message.

Tip: If someone requests a read receipt, but you don't see a message, your receipt was sent automatically.

When receipts aren't returned

Read receipts work across most email systems, but you won't get a read receipt if:

  • You send a message to a group mailing list or alias.
  • Your administrator restricts receipts to people within your organization or to specific people outside your organization.
  • The recipient uses an email program that doesn't sync in real time (like a Post Office Protocol [POP] client that syncs only on demand, or a Google Workspace Sync client).
  • The recipient returns a read receipt on an email client using Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) and read receipts aren't sent automatically.

Don't rely on receipts to certify delivery

Getting a read receipt doesn't always mean the recipient read your message. How a receipt works depends on which email system your recipient uses.

For example, you may get a read receipt if a person using an IMAP-based email client marks your message as read, but doesn't open it. Some non-IMAP mobile email systems may not return receipts at all.


Nov 15, 2022 08:19 AM in response to fem_over50

Mail has never supported read receipts, ever, because they are useless.

If you believe the response you got from a disposition request told you anything useful you don’t understand how they work. That disposition response comes from the server and only tells you that they delivered the message to an inbox. It doesn’t inform you that the recipient read the email. It could have been automatically sent to the Trash.

The only way you can know what a recipient did with an email is if it is on an enterprise network email server like Exchange.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Mail doesn't support read receipts?!? OS Monterey v.12.6.1

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