How to track Gmail read receipt without recipient knowing?

Gmail read receipt is a feature of Google’s Gmail (a part of Gsuite) available only for business accounts. So, normal or standard or free Gmail account users won’t get this facility. Now, What does the Gmail read receipt mean?

Have you ever questioned to yourself “how to know sent mail is read or not in Gmail by the users?” If yes, then my friend you already know about Gmail read receipt. It is a kind of mail tracking feature that keeps monitoring the sent email messages in order to intimate the sender whether the mail has been delivered to the intended recipient or not. And to tell if an email has been read in Gmail the sender will receive the notification along with a time stamp. However, in Gmail read receipt, if recipient rejects the request of sending read receipt info then the sender wouldn’t be able to know that a message was opened or read by the recipient.

So, as we know the official Gmail read receipt feature is the part of premium Google’s Gsuite service then how can you tell if an email has been read in Gmail without Gmail read receipt feature? Here is the solution, we can use a third party Gmail read receipt plugin called Mailtrack– Email Tracking for Gmail. It is available as an extension on Chrome, Mozilla & Opera store as well as Gmail Add-on.

How does Mailtrack for Gmail work?

Like most of the other email tracking service, it also uses the benefit of technology by sending a digital time-stamp along with the mail. As the recipient opens the mail it tracks and reveals the exact time along with reading details to the creator of mail. It notifies in the same as our Instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp message delivered and read receipts in the form of ticks.

As I said it is an email tracking extension for Gmail that adds double check/tick (✓✓) marks to your account. Whenever we create any email it attached tracking digital signature with the mail, which we can remove too while sending; depending upon the user whom you want to track. It has both a free and paid version.

Now, why use this email tracking extension?

In official Gmail signature, we need to ask our colleagues or recipient to accept our request to send the read receipt notification, so that we can know the status of our mail. However, in Mailtracker, that’s not an issue. It doesn’t request the receiver to send the reading notification. It provides a dashboard to filter emails that have been read or not read. Plus, Mailtracker also notifies to mail sender that how long ago and how many times his emails have been read.

Each mail sends by using this extension will include “Sent with Mailtrack” signature. The free version is free forever for unlimited mail. Apart as a Chrome extension, it also available for FireFox and Opera browsers.

So, this is all about this tracker now let’s see how to use mail tracker to read receipt after email is sent.

How to know if receiver read email on Gmail

1. Go to Chrome Web store.
2. Search for Mailtrack email tracking extension.
3. When it appears to click on Add to Chrome button.
4. Install the mail tracking extension.
5. Open your Gmail Account.
6. Compose an email.
7. In the signature of the email, the extension automatically adds the digital mail tracker sign.
8. Now send the mail.
9. The moment the receiver or recipient of the mail opens it, you will get two ticks at the front on the sent mail in the Gmail sent box. Also, an alert mail will send by the Mailtracker itself too.

Step by step instruction along with screenshots:

Step 1: Open Chrome store and search Mailtracker

Either you can use the search engine to search for mail tracker extension or you can use this link: Chrome extension. If you are not using the Chrome browser then to download mail tracker plugin for other two supported browsers: Opera Mail tracker extension and Firefox mail tracker extension.  Here we are using Google Chrome for this tutorial, however, the process of usage would be the same other two as well.

Step 2: Connect Mailtrack with Gmail

After installing the Mailtrack extension it will automatically open a new tab on the browser with an option “Connect with Google“. Click on that.

Step 4: Choose the Google Account (Gmail)

As you click on the Connect with Google button it will redirect to the Gmail login screen. If you have multiple accounts on your browser then select the one which you want to access using Mailtrack. Enter your respective Gmail account passowrd.

Step 5: Mailtrack wants to access Gmail account

This steps will ask for your permission to read, compose, send and permanently delete all your email from Gmail. Don’t worry, it will not going to send or delete any mail without the user permission. Click on the Allow button.

Step 6: Go to your Gmail

Open your Gmail in the browser and this time you will see a Mailtrack icon on the right top side.

Step 7: How to turn on reading Mail tracker receipt in Gmail

After installing the extension, it will get automatically enabled on your Gmail account. Just compose mail and this time you will see the Mailtrack digital signature. You can remove it manually if don’t want to send it along with the mail.

To disable Mail tracker permanently, click on the double green colour tick mark and then toggle button. To access the dashboard of Mail tracker click on the gear icon.

Step 8: How to know sent mail is read or not in Gmail

Once you send the mail, the question arises, how would you know whether the receiver has read your mail or not. So, for that after sending the email either you can check it in your sent box of Gmail or you will get notification from Mailtrack itself.

In the Sent box, before the sent mail which you have set to track will appear with two ticks. One green tick means the email has been a delivered and double tick, the user has read the Gmail email.

Second, you will receive an email alert that recipient has read the mail XX minutes ago after it was sent. If it makes you annoying then you can turn off the email alerts.

Furthermore, a quick pop-up notification will also appear on the right below side stating that mail has just read.

Moreover, the add on Mailtrack is also available for Android Gmail App to track the emails directly on the Android-based smartphones.

Is Mailtrack for Gmail safe?

After all this, one thing might be coming in your mind whether the Mail track is safe for Gmail or not.

These are the thoughts of Mailtrack on Connection to Google Account: Privacy and Security

Mailtrack complies with the European Union’s Data Protection Laws. At Mailtrack your data is secure and your emails are kept private.

The connection to your Google account and the permissions requested are technical requirements that are used exclusively to provide the Mailtrack service:

a) No one reads your emails
b) We never send emails on your behalf
c) We never share the content of your emails with third parties
d) We don’t collect nor share your browsing data with third parties
e) We have a dedicated security and privacy team.

To know more about Mailtrack terms and permission: see this link.

In this way, you can check if an email has been opened or not? Without the recipient permission using Mailtrack free Gmail read receipt plugin.

Other Resouces to read:

• How to setup Franz a social network app on Linux based systems
• Install OverGrive on Ubuntu – A Google drive desktop client solution for Linux
• How to add an automatic signature at the end of every outgoing email on Gmail
• Read Articles App “Pocket”: Make your favourite articles read for you
• How to change Gmail password on Android and web
• 10 Gmail Tips for Work that will make you a Gmail expert