In the top right corner, click the Gear icon > at the bottom of the right-side menu, click 'View all Outlook settings'.On a PC or Mac, open your preferred web browser > go to Outlook on the Web (OWA).

Instructions (for new Outlook on the web appearance):

How to turn off read receipts from mobile devices The problem with the default setting for read receipts for Outlook on mobile is that there is no way for you to know if a read receipt was requested and sent. You may choose to allow and send read receipts, but many people tend to block them completely. For example, sending legal documents or commercially sensitive information. Spammers will often use read receipts to confirm an email address is real and active.īut there are also legitimate purposes for requesting a read receipt. This confirms to the sender that you've received and opened the email. You'll occasionally receive an email asking for you to send a read receipt to the sender. The setting must be manually disabled and is switched-on regardless of how read receipts are handled on the desktop Outlook app.Ī Microsoft support representative confirmed the instructions for disabling read receipts (see instructions below) from mobile devices but offered no explanation why they are switched on by default.

This automatic setting appears to be the default for accounts on business-level Office 365 subscriptions. Outlook on mobile devices is quietly sending read receipts without making users aware.

Outlook read receipt default