A new receptor based on naphthalene diimide‐benzothiazole (NDI‐1) conjugate was designed and synthesized. The nucleophilic addition of cyanide ion to the NDI‐1 exhibited naked‐eye, a colorimetric change is an optical response. The addition of CN− ion to the NDI‐1 solution display change in red color to green. The UV‐Vis spectroscopy measurements establish for the sensing of CN− in chloroform solution. Moreover, NDI‐1 exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity towards CN− ions in the presence of the interfering other anions such as F−, Cl−, I−, Br−, HSO4−, H2PO4−, OAc−, ClO4− and HCO3−. The detecting mechanism was established by 1H NMR, DFT calculations and Job's plot analysis. Moreover, NDI‐1 exhibited very low limit of detection 85 nM.