Waiting for someone to reply to an important email can exist a frustrating feel. The reasons for the lack of correspondence could exist that they are busy, avoiding answering, or oasis't received it at all. So, how can you tell if the person in question has actually seen your bulletin? Well, if you're prepared to put in a lilliputian endeavor, it is possible. Here's how.

Using Read Receipts

The traditional fashion to see if someone has opened any emails was to employ the Read Receipts characteristic. This is automatically triggered when the recipient accesses the message, prompting them to agree to the Read Receipt being sent back to you. Of grade, they can deny this request, which kind of defeats the signal.

This isn't quite what it once was though, with email security at present much tighter than ever before, it'southward not uncommon for Read Receipts to be identified as potential malware and therefore screened out by email security scanners.

A further complication is that many e-mail services don't actually offer this feature. Gmail currently has no style to apply Read Receipts unless you go for a third-political party option which frequently involves a subscription. Plus, nosotros found that our Mac version of Outlook also had the feature disabled while about popular email apps on Android and iOS don't even have information technology as an pick.

If yous're using Outlook on a Windows PC then you're in luck, upwards to a betoken. To ready a Read Receipt y'all'll first need to launch the app, compose a new email, and so click on the Options tab forth the top of the message window.

In here yous'll see two tickboxes: Request a Delivery Receipt and Request a Read Receipt. Tick the latter and send the email. If things get well, y'all should receive the notification that your communique has been opened.

how to tell is someone has read your email

In our tests though, this wasn't plain sailing at all. Some email addresses just filtered out the Read Receipt request entirely, while a individual Gmail account popped up a scary alarm message for the recipient. And so, it looks like this old method is all merely finished these days.

Using a third-party Gmail extension

Standard Gmail accounts don't support email tracking, every bit these are reserved for work and school versions, but y'all can utilise an extension to emulate this feature.

Mailtrack is i such extension and the costless tier allows unlimited tracking. To add Android compatibility and other avant-garde features y'all'll demand to step up to the Pro level, with prices starting at $iv.99 (about £4) per month.

To install Mailtrack, open Gmail on your PC and click the Settings icon in the top right corner. From the drop-downwards menu select Get add-ons then search the store for Mailtrack. One time you've gone through the various agreements, and the app is installed, y'all're ready to give it a test run.

Create a new e-mail and you'll find that there are now 2 green arrows down past the Send button. Click these and you'll open upward the Mailtrack settings. Ensure that it is switched on, then close it, complete your email as normal and click Send.

how to see if someone has read your email

If things go well, and they did during our tests, yous should receive an email as before long every bit the recipient opens your message, with the bonus that they can't turn down to send the notification.

how to see if someone has read your email

The free version of Mailtrack does suspend a signature to your message so the person knows that yous're using the service. This tin can be removed though if you motion to the Pro level.

Using tracking services

If your needs are for within your business concern, then in that location are several companies that offering email services that allow you to share internal correspondence via Outlook or Gmail. These come with a multifariousness of features, such equally newsletter creation and the similar, but also take strong electronic mail tracking reporting and then you lot can know when your employees or colleagues are opening letters.

Two of the virtually pop ones are Bananatag and ContactMonkey, both of whom offer a range of price tiers dependent on the number of features included in the parcel.