If you think it is best for email senders not to know when you open their messages, you routinely decline Outlook's requests to return read receipts, I guess. If you get no such requests, maybe you wonder whether Outlook answers on its own?
Fortunately, you can control how Outlook reacts to read receipt requests in emails. You can have it reply to them automatically, ask you what to do — or simply ignore them.
Prevent Outlook from Answering Read Receipt Requests
To make Outlook ignore all requests for read receipt you receive:
- Select Tools | Options... from the menu.
- Go to the Preferences... tab.
- Click E-mail Options...
- Now click Tracking Options....
- Make sure Never send a response is selected under Use this option to decide how to respond to requests for read receipts. Only applies to Internet Mail accounts..
- Click OK.
- Click OK again.
- Click OK once more.
Keep in mind that, if you use Exchange server, the server will always respond to receipt requests if configured to do so.
