Learn the various ways to mark read texts and iMessages as unread on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch if you want to attend to a particular message later.
Opening an unread text (SMS/MMS) or iMessage in the Messages app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch marks it as read and removes its blue dot from the chat list. If you mark a read message as unread, the blue dot returns to differentiate it from read messages. Doing so also increases unread message count on the Home Screen icon badge, which indicates how many unread messages you still have.
On iPhone and iPad
You can mark either an individual conversation as unread or select several chats in the Message app and mark them all as read at once.
Mark a single conversation as read
You can mark any open message as unread in the Messages app on iPhone or iPad in two ways. Either swipe right on a chat in the message list and choose the hidden Unread option (or swipe further to the right to instantly mark the message as unread) or touch and hold it and choose Mark as Unread from the contextual menu.
Mark multiple conversations as read
To mark several conversations as unread in one fell swoop, drag with two fingers in the message list to instantly select multiple chats (or hit the three-dotted menu and choose Select Messages), then choose Unread from the bottom-left corner (you won’t see this option if you select one or more read messages).
On Apple Watch
To mark a read message as unread on your Apple Watch, swipe right on the chat in the message list and choose the blue Unread option. Doing so will mark the message as unread on both your Apple Watch and your iPhone. You cannot select multiple messages on Apple Watch to mark as read in the same go.
On Mac
The macOS Messages app allows you to either select a single chat as read or pick multiple conversations to simultaneously mark as read, saving you steps.
Marking a single conversation as read
Use one of the following four ways to mark a message as unread in the built-in Messages app on your Mac (macOS Ventura or later required).
1) Swipe right on a conversation and click the hidden Unread button.
2) Control-click or right-click a desired conversation and choose Mark as Unread.
3) Select the chat and click Conversation > Mark as Unread.
4) Select a message and press Shift + Command + U to toggle it as read or unread.
Making multiple conversations as read
To mark multiple chats as read on your Mac, hold the Command key while selecting individual messages, Control-click or right-click the selections, and choose Mark as Unread from the contextual menu.
Other ways to ensure a message gets your attention
- Invoke Siri and tell it something along the lines of “Remind me to reply to Sebastien’s message tonight” or some such.
- Pin the message to keep it at the top of all chats, ensuring it won’t get buried by new texts. You’ll see your pinned chats every time you open the Messages app.
Does marking a message as unread remove the “Read” receipt from the sender’s device?
After you’ve opened an unread message on your device, the sender will see a tiny “Read” label below it on their device. This is a visual indicator telling them you’ve read their message. However, marking a message as unread doesn’t remove the “Read” label from the sender’s device. Don’t forget that you can turn off read receipts at any time if you want a little more privacy.
Other tips for the Messages app: