In almost all chat apps you can set whether you want to send read receipts. This indicates that you have read (read: opened) the message, so that the sender knows that you have seen the message. Some people find this useful, but there are also many who would prefer to have this turned off to avoid discussions. For example, it can feel like an obligation to respond immediately when you open a received message. All the more annoying that the read receipts in iMessage are sometimes sent wél, even though the function is disabled, MacWorld writes.
‘Bug with read receipts in iMessage’
MacWorld writes that a number of users have experienced that read receipts are always sent. Even if the function is turned off in the settings of iMessage or for that specific person. It's unclear how widespread the problem is, but at least it would affect devices running iOS 15. On Apple's discussion forum, a number of people are complaining about the problem.
So, this bug can be quite annoying if you're under the impression that your messages can never be seen as read, when it might be. But not everyone suffers from it. We have not experienced this problem on our own devices.
A restart of the iPhone or iPad sometimes offers a solution, although this is often only temporary. We expect Apple to fix this issue with a software update. In our separate tip you can at least read how you can disable iMessage read receipts.