Does GMail have the facility for me to check if a recipient has read an email I've sent them?

[ladybirder]

If it has I can't find how to do it. If it doesn't, does anyone know who does?
Thanks.

[hc4361]

No, in short.

There are email providers and add ons that claim to do this, but it wouldn't work on my pc so can't be relied upon.

[chrissa1]

I think aol did it, but only to other aol recipients.

[hc4361]

I would consider such a facility a gross invasion of my privacy. I will read my emails when I like, and respond when I like, if at all.

[Ellipsis]

"Read receipts" have to be supported by both the sending and receiving software. You can configure Gmail to be accessed through MS Outlook -

Outlook 2003: http://support.google...py?hl=en&answer=77661
Outlook 2007/2010: http://support.google...py?hl=en&answer=77689

Then you can use Outlook's read receipt facility - but the recipient would have to permit this too.

Read receipts in 2003: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/192929
In 2007: http://office.microso...ions-HP010080428.aspx
In 2010: http://office.microso...ions-HP010355029.aspx

[ladybirder]

hc it doesn't stop you reading them when you like or replying when you like.

[ladybirder]

Ellipsis I am on a Mac and don't use any MS stuff. But thank you.
I used to have this facility ages ago but can't remember whether it was pre or post Mac days and whether I used BTinternet at the time or not.

[hc4361]

Yes, but why should the sender know I have read it? In fact it still is no proof because somebody else in the house could have read it and deleted it.

[ladybirder]

Not mine they couldn't, nobody else has access to my emails except me.

I don't have a problem with it hc. Most of the time it doesn't matter but every now and again there is a particular message I have sent that I would like to know has been read. Nothing sinister.

[Ellipsis]

ladybirder, on a Mac you'd need to get an equivalent piece of software. I think you could do it with Mozilla Thunderbird.

Bear in mind that, these days, many recipient programs simply discard read receipts. Just because you request a receipt doesn't mean you're going to receive one, so there are a lot of false negatives. If you're desperate to know whether an email has been received, ask the the recipient to confirm receipt - or call them and check they've got it ...

[ladybirder]

Yes I know you can stop receipts going back if you chose.
The point is I can't (won't) phone and this facility would have set my mind at rest. Looks as if I'll have to forget it. I expect I'll survive. Thank you.

[squarebear]

Bear in mind that this won't work if the recipient onky reads the email in a preview pane and doesn't actually open it. At work, someone once accused me of deleting their email without reading it, until I told him the content of the mail.