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Google Messages will be getting new delivered and read indicators. In other words, it will be getting a new design for those two. Google seems to be testing three different indicators which differ between individual and group conversations.
Google Messages will be getting new delivered & read indicators
At the moment, you can see ‘Delivered’ and ‘Read’ indicators in your chats on Google Messages. That goes for both RCS chats and regular SMS messages. Well, these indicators will be changing, as already mentioned.
In the case of individual RCS chats, you’ll get three different checkmarks. One checkmark will indicate that the message has been sent, two that it has been delivered, and two filled-in checkmarks will indicate that the message has been read.
Things are a bit different for group chats. The checkmarks for both sent and delivered messages are the same (one and two checkmarks, respectively). For the ‘Read’ status, things are different, as there are more people in group conversations. You’ll see “Seen by X” and “Read by all” indicators in such conversations.
Examples for both individual and group messages are shown below. That is what things will look like once Google rolls out this update. It’s a bit different than before, and it may confuse people at first, but it’s not a bad system overall.
Sticking to a text solution may be simpler, but this is more aesthetically pleasing
It is always simpler when it’s just text. People simply read out what’s the status of their message, and be done with it. That’s what iMessage is doing, and it’s arguably the best way.
This may be more aesthetically pleasing, though, as long as people understand what each of the checkmarks means. It’s not difficult to get used to, that’s for sure, let’s just hope Google will stick with one solution this time around.
We’re not sure when will this be coming to phones. In fact, Google didn’t even confirm it will. The company is currently testing this solution. Based on previous experiences, it will arrive soon, but there’s always a chance Google will change its mind. We’ll see.