What you need to know
- Google has started rolling out a new checkmark read receipt icon to messages.
- The process of sending text has been replaced with a stopwatch (Send…) and two filled checkmarks (Read).
- This gives it a more universal understanding of texting, much like its competitors, but Google chose not to explain it to users.
A small fix to Google’s messaging app might look familiar.
As 9to5Google pointed out, Android’s default messaging app has gained some new metrics when it comes to texting friends, family, and groups. In the new system, Google has replaced the typical “sending…”, “sent”, etc. with icons and ticks.
Instead of displaying “Sending…”, a stopwatch icon appears below the message. If “sent”, the message user will see a single empty check mark. For “delivered”, the user will see his two empty checkmarks. Finally, Read shows two solid (colored) checkmarks.
As 9to5 mentions, these changes have been in testing since October. And at the end of last year, very few people had access to these new rear receipts. Only those who participated in the Google Messages beta program in the last few weeks received it.
One strange approach to this new system is Google’s lack of communication about the meaning of these icons. It may be more obvious to those used to using the best messaging apps that have used this tick system for a long time, such as WhatsApp and Telegram. It can get a little confusing. Tapping the icon removes the information at the bottom of the message, but it doesn’t explain much.
Once you have the understanding behind the icons, this could be a more universal approach to knowing at a glance what text was displayed or not.
While Google has been busy providing full RCS support for its user-facing messaging apps, the company is also rebuilding other tools. Last fall, the app included some welcome features, such as the ability to reply directly to specific messages while also setting reminders to come back to text later. It’s been rebranded to “RCS”, but likely coincides with Google’s marketing of this feature trying to convince Apple to adopt it.
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