# Help! remove read receipts in Apple Mail using Terminal

**URL:** <https://discourse.softpress.com/t/help-remove-read-receipts-in-apple-mail-using-terminal/24353>\
**Category:** Off Topic\
**Created:** [February 6, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://discourse.softpress.com/t/help-remove-read-receipts-in-apple-mail-using-terminal/24353 "2019-02-06T19:48:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![davedesigner](https://discourse.softpress.com/user_avatar/discourse.softpress.com/davedesigner/32/61_2.png) [@davedesigner](https://discourse.softpress.com/u/davedesigner)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://discourse.softpress.com/t/help-remove-read-receipts-in-apple-mail-using-terminal/24353/1 "2019-02-06T19:48:01Z")

</div>

It looks like many years ago I naively must have added the following to terminal…

* * *

## defaults write com.apple.mail UserHeaders ‘{“Disposition-Notification-To” = “Name [email@address](mailto:email@address)”; }’

Having found out years later I need to remove it. Google says use….

* * *

## defaults delete com.apple.mail UserHeaders

But that only returns…

——  
There is no (UserHeaders) default for the (com.apple.mail) domain.

Defaults have not been changed.  
——

Does anyone know the correct command to reset this?

–  
David Owen

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**Author:** ![waltd](https://discourse.softpress.com/user_avatar/discourse.softpress.com/waltd/32/2720_2.png) [@waltd](https://discourse.softpress.com/u/waltd)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2019, 8:06pm UTC](https://discourse.softpress.com/t/help-remove-read-receipts-in-apple-mail-using-terminal/24353/2 "2019-02-06T20:06:50Z")

</div>

If you are patient, typing defaults read into the terminal will give you EVERYTHING. Parse through that with a text editor. See if you can find a key that looks likely, or has the value you noted.

Walter

> On Feb 6, 2019, at 2:48 PM, David Owen [email@hidden](mailto:email@hidden) wrote:
> 
> It looks like many years ago I naively must have added the following to terminal…
> 
> * * *
> 
> ## defaults write com.apple.mail UserHeaders ‘{“Disposition-Notification-To” = “Name [email@address](mailto:email@address)”; }’
> 
> Having found out years later I need to remove it. Google says use….
> 
> * * *
> 
> ## defaults delete com.apple.mail UserHeaders
> 
> But that only returns…
> 
> ——  
> There is no (UserHeaders) default for the (com.apple.mail) domain.
> 
> Defaults have not been changed.  
> ——
> 
> Does anyone know the correct command to reset this?
> 
> –  
> David Owen
> 
> * * *
> 
> offtopic mailing list  
> email@hidden  
> Update your subscriptions at:  
> [Information for existing FreewayTalk / Groups.io users - Site Feedback - Softpress Talk](https://freewaytalk.softpress.com/person/options)

* * *

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**Author:** ![davedesigner](https://discourse.softpress.com/user_avatar/discourse.softpress.com/davedesigner/32/61_2.png) [@davedesigner](https://discourse.softpress.com/u/davedesigner)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 9:43am UTC](https://discourse.softpress.com/t/help-remove-read-receipts-in-apple-mail-using-terminal/24353/3 "2019-02-07T09:43:15Z")

</div>

Hi Walter,

There’s no match to anything useful when searching in ‘defaults read’.

However looking in mail preferences theres a .plist file… com.apple.mail.plist is mentioned…

——  
Disposition-Notification-To\_Name [email@address](mailto:email@address)ж:  
——

Do you know, can I ditch this .plist preferences to get ride of this? Would is screw things up with mail?

> On 6 Feb 2019, at 20:06, Walter Lee Davis [email@hidden](mailto:email@hidden) wrote:
> 
> If you are patient, typing defaults read into the terminal will give you EVERYTHING. Parse through that with a text editor. See if you can find a key that looks likely, or has the value you noted.
> 
> Walter

–

David Owen

* * *

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**Author:** ![waltd](https://discourse.softpress.com/user_avatar/discourse.softpress.com/waltd/32/2720_2.png) [@waltd](https://discourse.softpress.com/u/waltd)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 1:31pm UTC](https://discourse.softpress.com/t/help-remove-read-receipts-in-apple-mail-using-terminal/24353/4 "2019-02-07T13:31:11Z")

</div>

Have a look in ~/Library/Preferences for com.apple.mail.plist and see if the relevant key is in there. Make sure Mail is not running, then edit this file to remove that key and its value. Make sure to keep a backup of the original value, and use a programmer’s text editor to make the changes. You have to follow the rules of XML: remove a complete tag or tag tree, don’t leave any un-balanced hanging tags anywhere.

Walter

> On Feb 7, 2019, at 4:43 AM, David Owen [email@hidden](mailto:email@hidden) wrote:
> 
> Hi Walter,
> 
> There’s no match to anything useful when searching in ‘defaults read’.
> 
> However looking in mail preferences theres a .plist file… com.apple.mail.plist is mentioned…
> 
> ——  
> Disposition-Notification-To\_Name [email@address](mailto:email@address)ж:  
> ——
> 
> Do you know, can I ditch this .plist preferences to get ride of this? Would is screw things up with mail?
> 
> > On 6 Feb 2019, at 20:06, Walter Lee Davis [email@hidden](mailto:email@hidden) wrote:
> > 
> > If you are patient, typing defaults read into the terminal will give you EVERYTHING. Parse through that with a text editor. See if you can find a key that looks likely, or has the value you noted.
> > 
> > Walter
> 
> –
> 
> David Owen
> 
> * * *
> 
> offtopic mailing list  
> email@hidden  
> Update your subscriptions at:  
> [Information for existing FreewayTalk / Groups.io users - Site Feedback - Softpress Talk](https://freewaytalk.softpress.com/person/options)

* * *

offtopic mailing list  
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Update your subscriptions at:  
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**Author:** ![davedesigner](https://discourse.softpress.com/user_avatar/discourse.softpress.com/davedesigner/32/61_2.png) [@davedesigner](https://discourse.softpress.com/u/davedesigner)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 1:40pm UTC](https://discourse.softpress.com/t/help-remove-read-receipts-in-apple-mail-using-terminal/24353/5 "2019-02-07T13:40:08Z")

</div>

Yes it’s in there (see last reply)

in Text Wrangler it shows…

* * *

UserHeaders  
  
Disposition-Notification-To  
Name \<email@address\>  
  
——

Would all this be removed or leave 'UserHeaders’ in?

—

David

> On 7 Feb 2019, at 13:31, Walter Lee Davis [email@hidden](mailto:email@hidden) wrote:
> 
> Have a look in ~/Library/Preferences for com.apple.mail.plist and see if the relevant key is in there. Make sure Mail is not running, then edit this file to remove that key and its value. Make sure to keep a backup of the original value, and use a programmer’s text editor to make the changes. You have to follow the rules of XML: remove a complete tag or tag tree, don’t leave any un-balanced hanging tags anywhere.
> 
> Walter
> 
> > On Feb 7, 2019, at 4:43 AM, David Owen [email@hidden](mailto:email@hidden) wrote:
> > 
> > Hi Walter,
> > 
> > There’s no match to anything useful when searching in ‘defaults read’.
> > 
> > However looking in mail preferences theres a .plist file… com.apple.mail.plist is mentioned…
> > 
> > ——  
> > Disposition-Notification-To\_Name [email@address](mailto:email@address)ж:  
> > ——
> > 
> > Do you know, can I ditch this .plist preferences to get ride of this? Would is screw things up with mail?
> > 
> > > On 6 Feb 2019, at 20:06, Walter Lee Davis [email@hidden](mailto:email@hidden) wrote:
> > > 
> > > If you are patient, typing defaults read into the terminal will give you EVERYTHING. Parse through that with a text editor. See if you can find a key that looks likely, or has the value you noted.
> > > 
> > > Walter
> > 
> > –
> > 
> > David Owen
> > 
> > * * *
> > 
> > offtopic mailing list  
> > email@hidden  
> > Update your subscriptions at:  
> > [Information for existing FreewayTalk / Groups.io users - Site Feedback - Softpress Talk](https://freewaytalk.softpress.com/person/options)
> 
> * * *
> 
> offtopic mailing list  
> email@hidden  
> Update your subscriptions at:  
> [Information for existing FreewayTalk / Groups.io users - Site Feedback - Softpress Talk](https://freewaytalk.softpress.com/person/options)

* * *

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**Author:** ![waltd](https://discourse.softpress.com/user_avatar/discourse.softpress.com/waltd/32/2720_2.png) [@waltd](https://discourse.softpress.com/u/waltd)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 1:42pm UTC](https://discourse.softpress.com/t/help-remove-read-receipts-in-apple-mail-using-terminal/24353/6 "2019-02-07T13:42:27Z")

</div>

Only leave UserHeaders there if there are other children following it. Otherwise, remove the key and the dict it references.

Walter

> On Feb 7, 2019, at 8:40 AM, David Owen [email@hidden](mailto:email@hidden) wrote:
> 
> Yes it’s in there (see last reply)
> 
> in Text Wrangler it shows…
> 
> * * *
> 
> UserHeaders  
>   
> Disposition-Notification-To  
> Name \<email@address\>  
>   
> ——
> 
> Would all this be removed or leave 'UserHeaders’ in?
> 
> —
> 
> David
> 
> > On 7 Feb 2019, at 13:31, Walter Lee Davis [email@hidden](mailto:email@hidden) wrote:
> > 
> > Have a look in ~/Library/Preferences for com.apple.mail.plist and see if the relevant key is in there. Make sure Mail is not running, then edit this file to remove that key and its value. Make sure to keep a backup of the original value, and use a programmer’s text editor to make the changes. You have to follow the rules of XML: remove a complete tag or tag tree, don’t leave any un-balanced hanging tags anywhere.
> > 
> > Walter
> > 
> > > On Feb 7, 2019, at 4:43 AM, David Owen [email@hidden](mailto:email@hidden) wrote:
> > > 
> > > Hi Walter,
> > > 
> > > There’s no match to anything useful when searching in ‘defaults read’.
> > > 
> > > However looking in mail preferences theres a .plist file… com.apple.mail.plist is mentioned…
> > > 
> > > ——  
> > > Disposition-Notification-To\_Name [email@address](mailto:email@address)ж:  
> > > ——
> > > 
> > > Do you know, can I ditch this .plist preferences to get ride of this? Would is screw things up with mail?
> > > 
> > > > On 6 Feb 2019, at 20:06, Walter Lee Davis [email@hidden](mailto:email@hidden) wrote:
> > > > 
> > > > If you are patient, typing defaults read into the terminal will give you EVERYTHING. Parse through that with a text editor. See if you can find a key that looks likely, or has the value you noted.
> > > > 
> > > > Walter
> > > 
> > > –
> > > 
> > > David Owen
> > > 
> > > * * *
> > > 
> > > offtopic mailing list  
> > > email@hidden  
> > > Update your subscriptions at:  
> > > [Information for existing FreewayTalk / Groups.io users - Site Feedback - Softpress Talk](https://freewaytalk.softpress.com/person/options)
> > 
> > * * *
> > 
> > offtopic mailing list  
> > email@hidden  
> > Update your subscriptions at:  
> > [Information for existing FreewayTalk / Groups.io users - Site Feedback - Softpress Talk](https://freewaytalk.softpress.com/person/options)
> 
> * * *
> 
> offtopic mailing list  
> email@hidden  
> Update your subscriptions at:  
> [Information for existing FreewayTalk / Groups.io users - Site Feedback - Softpress Talk](https://freewaytalk.softpress.com/person/options)

* * *

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**Author:** ![davedesigner](https://discourse.softpress.com/user_avatar/discourse.softpress.com/davedesigner/32/61_2.png) [@davedesigner](https://discourse.softpress.com/u/davedesigner)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://discourse.softpress.com/t/help-remove-read-receipts-in-apple-mail-using-terminal/24353/7 "2019-02-07T15:28:30Z")

</div>

Thanks Walter

Yes! That did it, only fully took after a restart and an alt-command-P-R

Must have been held in memory.

> On 7 Feb 2019, at 13:42, Walter Lee Davis [email@hidden](mailto:email@hidden) wrote:
> 
> Only leave UserHeaders there if there are other children following it. Otherwise, remove the key and the dict it references.
> 
> Walter

* * *

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**Author:** ![Thomas\_Flynn](https://discourse.softpress.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Thomas\_Flynn](https://discourse.softpress.com/u/Thomas_Flynn)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2020, 12:40pm UTC](https://discourse.softpress.com/t/help-remove-read-receipts-in-apple-mail-using-terminal/24353/8 "2020-12-23T12:40:41Z")

</div>

Hi Walter

I hope this note finds you well.

I saw a few posts online in regards to removing read receipts in Apple Mail using Terminal.

I enabled this on an old email address but have since changed to a new address but can’t seem to stop the receipts being sent to old address. I believe I have tried everything. I wondered if you had any thoughts on this. I simple want to stop the receipts from going to the old address and enable receipts on the new address.

I’d be grateful for any assistance.

Thomas

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