Delivery reports are a convenience feature that lets the sender know if the message they sent has been received (not read) by the recipient’s device (for this, it has to be online and have sufficient storage space, though modern phones usually have so much storage the latter is no problem at all).

Every single phone I ever had, from early Nokias in the 00s to Androids and iPhones, had it disabled by default. While feature phones often delivered these reports with a pop-up and sometimes notification sound, which some people could deem annoying, this trend continues even with smartphones, which typically display it merely as an indicator in the chats list of your messaging application.

So, is there an actual reason why it’s turned off by default everywhere? The feature has to be enabled on the sender’s device to receive these and the recipient has no way of opting out of this, so it’s not a privacy thing by any means.

UPD: Apparently, carriers in some countries charge customers for receiving delivery reports as if they were sent messages. I’ve never realized this - reports always were absolutely free where I live. Thank you for your responses!

  • cholesterol@lemmy.world
    311·
    1 year ago

    Honestly seems like a good question for chatGPT (is this frowned upon? —edit: yes ):

    Phones typically come with SMS delivery reports turned off by default for several reasons:

    • User Experience: Enabling delivery reports for every SMS can clutter the messaging interface and make it more complicated for users, especially those who are not familiar with the feature. Keeping it turned off by default ensures a cleaner and simpler user experience.
    • Privacy: Some users may be concerned about their privacy, and enabling delivery reports can reveal when they read a message. By defaulting to off, phone manufacturers respect users’ privacy choices. Network Overhead: Sending delivery reports consumes a small amount of network resources. When enabled for all messages, this can add up and potentially lead to increased network traffic. By defaulting to off, network operators can manage their resources more efficiently.
    • Compatibility: SMS delivery reports may not be supported by all carriers or may work differently on different networks. Keeping them off by default ensures that users have a consistent experience regardless of the carrier they use.
    • Simplicity: Many users don’t need or want delivery reports for every message they send. By keeping the feature turned off by default, phone manufacturers reduce the complexity of messaging settings. Users who want to enable SMS delivery reports can usually do so through their phone’s messaging settings. This allows for a more customized experience based on individual preferences.