Following backlash, WhatsApp releases update to disable ‘blue tick’

For many, Whatsapp’s blue ticks are a welcome feature that lets users know exactly when their message has been read.

For others, however, they have made it harder to ignore people – and the feature’s release earlier this month led to a backlash from a number of disgruntled members.

In response, Whatsapp now lets users disable these Read Receipts – but only if they’re using an Android phone, reports MailOnline.

Once installed, they can disable the receipts in the Privacy section of Settings.

It is not known when the full update will be pushed out to all users, or when other platforms, including iOS and BlackBerry, will see the changes.

Before the blue tick update, there were only two types of tick – a single grey tick meant the message had been successfully sent, and a double grey tick meant it had been deliver

Now, when a message has been sent, delivered and read, the double grey tick turns blue.

In a group chat, the second ticks appear when all participants in the group have received the message.

And two blue ticks only appear when all participants in the group have read the post.

To see what time the messages were read users can now press and hold down on a particular post.