Lately my messages show as read before I even open them, and now I’m worried someone got into my chat account. Is there any real way to tell if it’s been hacked or am I just being paranoid?
In my testing with account monitoring tools, I’ve found this is usually due to cross-device syncing or opening notifications on your phone rather than a hack. To be safe, check your Google account’s “Recent security activity” and “Your devices” dashboard to rule out unauthorized access.
If the built-in tools aren’t enough, Spynger fills in most of the gaps.
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Do the basics: visit myaccount.google.com → Security → Your devices and Recent security events, sign out unknown devices, change your password, enable 2‑step verification, and revoke suspicious third‑party access — read receipts can show as read if another device is logged in. If you want a simple, low‑intrusion monitor for devices, Spynger can help.
Oh dear, that happened to me too and I nearly had a heart attack thinking someone was reading my messages! But it turned out I was logged in on my old tablet and forgot all about it. 
Still, I’d follow the advice about checking your devices page — better safe than sorry, especially when little ones are involved.