What’s the difference between WhatsApp blue ticks and the blue verification badge?

Blue ticks are read receipts that show when a message has been opened. The blue verification badge, on the other hand, confirms that a business account is officially verified by WhatsApp.

Can I turn off blue ticks for all chats?

Yes, you can disable read receipts in WhatsApp settings. However, this won’t affect group chats or voice notes, which will still show as read when opened.

How easy is it to set up automated responses?

With a no-code platform like SleekFlow, it's incredibly easy. You don't need to be a developer or have any coding skills. Our intuitive Flow Builder uses a drag-and-drop interface that allows you to visually design and build automated chat flows. You can set up welcome messages, trigger replies based on keywords, and even route conversations to the right agent, all without writing a single line of code.

How can SleekFlow's analytics replace the need for blue ticks?

Blue ticks provide a single, individual data point. SleekFlow's advanced analytics dashboard provides a comprehensive, high-level view of your communication performance. You can track overall message delivery rates, read rates across campaigns, and average team response times. This provides actionable insights that are far more valuable for optimising your strategy than a single blue tick on one message.

Will using SleekFlow make my communication impersonal?

On the contrary, SleekFlow helps you strike the perfect balance between efficiency and personalisation. By automating routine tasks like answering FAQs and providing instant acknowledgements, you free up your human agents to focus on high-value conversations that require empathy and a personal touch. Our AgentFlow feature can be trained with your brand's data to handle basic queries while knowing exactly when to hand off the conversation to a human, ensuring your customer feels understood and valued at every step.

how to remove blue ticks on whatsapp

With digital communication being efficient, managing customer expectations is paramount. When a client's message receives two blue ticks, it signals not just that it has been read, but also the implicit expectation of a rapid response. For businesses managing high volumes of inquiries, this can create immense pressure on your team, leading to rushed answers and potential burnout. While read receipts are a core feature of WhatsApp, they can sometimes add an unwanted layer of pressure, affecting your team's efficiency and the quality of your customer service.

This guide will explore how to manage this dynamic and how to go beyond simple settings to build a professional and scalable communication strategy.

What are the different types of ticks on WhatsApp?

different types of ticks on WhatsApp showing different message statuses

On WhatsApp, the ticks next to your messages provide real-time status updates on their delivery and a recipient's interaction. A single grey tick indicates the message has been successfully sent from your device. Once the message is delivered to the recipient's phone, it becomes two grey ticks. The final stage is two blue ticks, which signify that the recipient has opened and read the message. These ticks provide businesses with a clear understanding of the message's journey, from sending to delivery and finally to a confirmed read.

It’s worth noting that WhatsApp also offers a blue tick verification badge for official business accounts, which is different from read receipts. This verified business badge builds trust and authenticity with customers. You can learn more about this in our guide to WhatsApp Business verification.

Should I disable blue ticks for my business?

blue tick read receipts being disabled for businesses on whatsapp

For businesses, the decision to manage or disable read receipts is a strategic move to optimise customer service and team efficiency. Ultimately, it's essential to weigh what's right for your brand and your customers.

Reasons to disable blue ticks

Manage customer expectations and team workload

When a customer sees the blue ticks, they expect an immediate reply. For a business handling high volumes of inquiries, this can create unrealistic pressure on your support team, leading to rushed, unhelpful responses and employee burnout. Disabling them allows your team the necessary time to provide thoughtful, well-researched answers without the pressure of an instant reply.

Ensure a measured and professional response

Not every customer query can be answered with a quick "yes" or "no." Some require team collaboration, data retrieval, or consultation. By disabling read receipts, your team can gather all the necessary information to provide a comprehensive and accurate response, upholding the professionalism of your brand.

Prevent misinterpretation of message statuses

Customers might see two blue ticks and assume their message is being ignored if an instant response isn't provided. This can lead to frustration and a negative customer experience. By removing the blue ticks, you shift the focus from the message being "read" to the quality of the eventual response, building trust and a more positive relationship over time.

Reasons to enable blue ticks

Confirm message delivery and acknowledgement

Blue ticks serve as a simple and effective confirmation that a customer has received and seen a critical message, which can be invaluable for time-sensitive communications.

Build transparency and trust

Some customers appreciate the transparency of knowing their message has been seen. In this view, blue ticks confirm that their inquiry is in the queue and will be attended to, which can build confidence in your business's responsiveness.

Facilitate urgent follow-ups

For sales or support teams, seeing a message has been read without a reply can be a trigger for a proactive follow-up call. The blue tick provides a clear signal that the customer is aware of the communication, giving your team an opportunity to engage further.

Important note: Turning off read receipts is a universal setting for your account. It will disable blue ticks for all individual chats. However, the setting does not apply to group chats or voice messages, where read receipts will always be visible. Additionally, if you turn off read receipts, you will also not be able to see them for messages you send to others.

How to remove blue ticks on WhatsApp

On Android

Open WhatsApp.
Tap the three dots (menu) > Settings.
Go to Privacy.
Toggle off Read receipts.

On iPhone (iOS)

Open WhatsApp.
Tap Settings at the bottom.
Go to Privacy.
Switch off read receipts.

How blue ticks work in WhatsApp Business API

Screenshot of how blue tick read receipts work in WhatsApp Business API

Unlike a personal WhatsApp account, the WhatsApp Business API operates without the traditional WhatsApp interface, instead using the interface of the programme. This means businesses don’t directly see blue ticks or read receipts the same way individual users do. Instead, the focus shifts to strategic communication and backend analytics.

While the consumer-facing app prioritises one-to-one privacy, the WhatsApp Business API is designed for scalability, automation, and professional engagement. Businesses rely on a centralised dashboard to track key performance indicators, such as message delivery rates and read rates, which provide a more holistic view of communication effectiveness across all customer segments.

Understanding this key difference allows businesses to move past the pressure of individual read receipts. Instead of stressing over an instant reply, the emphasis is on a well-structured communication flow that leverages the API's capabilities.

You may understand the difference between the different types of WhatsApp accounts, such as WhatsApp Business and the WhatsApp Business API, in our blog.

Eliminate team stress with automated responses and AI Agents

At SleekFlow, we understand that the pressure to respond immediately is a major source of stress for customer service teams. That’s why our solution is built to help you respond fast, making the presence of a read receipt irrelevant.

Automated responses and chatbots

Using automated workflows, when a customer's message arrives, our platform can trigger an instant response based on the enquiry. This immediate acknowledgement confirms to the customer that their message has been received and is being processed, effectively managing their expectations without your team needing to lift a finger. This replaces the need for an instant human-driven reply.

Deploy teams of AI Agents

For even more advanced operations, you can deploy AI agents to handle a significant portion of customer queries autonomously. It can answer frequently asked questions, provide order updates, and even guide customers through a purchase process. This frees your human agents to focus on complex or high-value interactions, eliminating the pressure of a blue tick because the response is handled automatically and intelligently, 24/7.

By integrating features like these, SleekFlow ensures that your business communication is both scalable and stress-free. Your team can focus on providing quality service, while our platform handles the pressure of instant engagement, with or without blue ticks.

A strategic approach to communication

For businesses looking to succeed, the conversation should go beyond blue ticks to how you manage customer relationships. While the manual act of disabling a read receipt offers some relief, having a comprehensive solution like SleekFlow empowers you to build a communication strategy that is both scalable and stress-free.

Successful businesses use automation, unified inboxes, and AI to provide timely, professional service. This approach ensures that every customer feels valued and attended to, without creating unmanageable pressure on your team. Ultimately, moving beyond the blue tick means embracing smarter, more efficient ways of connecting with your audience.