Do you want to read a Telegram message without letting the sender know about it? Maybe you need more time to think of a reply, or just don’t want the pressure of an immediate response. Thankfully, that’s easy to do whether you’re using Telegram on your iPhone, Android phone, or the web. Here are different ways to read Telegram messages and chats without marking them as seen or read.
If you often feel puzzled with Telegram’s interface or confused by its icons, check out our guide explaining what all the symbols and icons mean on Telegram.
Read Telegram Messages Without the Sender Knowing
Telegram has a Chat Previews feature that you can use to quickly sneak a peek at the message. You can also read it from notifications, use the infamous airplane mode trick, or even use third-party hacks (shown below). These methods will help you read the message and its contents, like photos, without showing the sender you’ve read it.
1. Use Chat Previews
To preview a Telegram message without marking it as read, use the Chat Previews feature. Tap and hold the profile picture of the chat with the unread message, and a preview window will pop up, letting you read it discreetly.
It’s similar to how you preview an iMessage with a long press. This method works on both iPhone and Android devices.
2. Use Airplane Mode
The Airplane mode trick (from our Instagram guide on reading DMs without being seen) works for Telegram, too. Before reading the message, turn on Airplane mode or simply turn off your mobile data and Wi-Fi connections. After you’ve read the message, close and force-stop the Telegram app (if you’re on Android).
The message won’t be marked as read unless you reopen the Telegram app or it starts automatically in the background.
To ensure Telegram doesn’t start automatically unless you want it to, make sure Keep-Alive Service and Background Connection are off in Settings > Notification and Sounds.
3. Read Messages From the Notification
It’s easy to read Telegram messages directly from their notification previews. Just tap the arrow on a notification preview to expand it and see most of the message without even opening the app.
If you don’t see previews, follow these steps:
- Open the Telegram app and head to the Settings.
- Tap on Notifications and Sounds.
- Choose the relevant category (e.g., Private Chats) and toggle on Message Previews.
On Android, you can even read the message after you accidentally swipe away the notification. Ensure Notification History is enabled in your phone’s Settings > Notifications > Notification History.
4. Read Telegram Messages on a PC
Reading a message without sending read receipts or marking them as read is much easier on a desktop. All you need to do is open Telegram Web on the browser of your choice and log in to your account. After that, turn off the internet by disabling Wi-Fi and then read the message.
You can then close the Telegram Web tab and clear the browser cache. When you reconnect to the internet, the message will still appear as delivered and not as read to the sender.
5. Use Third-Party Apps
Several third-party apps let you read your Telegram messages discreetly without the sender knowing. However, for them to work, you need to give them access to your Telegram account, which we wouldn’t recommend if you have sensitive chats or media.
One such app is Unseen – No Last Read. It allows you to read Telegram messages while hiding blue ticks (read receipts) or the Last Seen time. Additionally, the app stores these unread messages, so even if someone deletes a message or you remove it accidentally, you can still view it.
Download: Unseen – No Last Read
6. Ask Google Assistant to Read Your Telegram Message
Alternatively, you can ask the Google Assistant on your phone to read out the last Telegram message, given it has permission to access your notifications. Just say “Hey Google, read my last Telegram message,” and wait for it to read aloud the message for you.
We tried it ourselves – the message appears to the sender as if it’s still not been read by you, and it still stays single tick, as shown in the screenshot below.
7. Turn Off Read Receipts
We’re mentioning this trick last for a reason. No one wants to disable read receipts to hide the Read status, as it defeats the purpose: the other person knows you’ve hidden it, and you can’t see theirs. Yet, it’s still the only foolproof way to read messages without them being marked as seen.
To turn off read receipts:
- Open Telegram on your phone and go to Settings.
- Choose Privacy and Security > Last Seen & Online.
- Toggle on Hide Read Time.
Hiding your read time on Telegram hides it from all users. That being said, it also hides the other person’s read time from you, unless you are a Telegram Premium user.
Read Telegram Messages Secretly
The best way is to use Chat Previews by holding down on the profile picture of the other person, which shows you most of their message. If you’re using an Android phone, Google Assistant adds another layer of convenience for discreetly reading Telegram messages, especially hands-free. Ultimately, there are so many options, so choose the one that best fits your workflow.
