Google Messages may soon get new icons for delivery, read status: What to expect – Times of India

Google is testing a new design for message status icons to indicate delivered and read texts in the Messages app on Android. The company is currently testing this feature with users who have RCS Chat enabled and it has reportedly started appearing for a limited number of users. These signs are a common system in messaging apps that indicate the read/delivered status of a text and are available in popular apps like — WhatsApp and Telegram. Apple’s iMessage indicators use only text and don’t include checkmarks that are more common with WhatsApp users. Instead, iPhone users need fewer translations as they can read out the words “Delivered” and “Read” directly underneath their texts.

How will it work
According to a report by 9to5Google, these new indicators will currently appear for select Google Messages users who have the RCS Chat enabled. Currently, the message status indicator in the app shows words like “Delivered” and “Read” between the sent time and lock icon for end-to-end encryption (E2EE). Google is now testing new checkmark icons that are supposed to appear in the same position under the last sent messages.
Google Messages may soon start showing a checkmark inside a circle when a message has been delivered. However, when the recipient has read the message the new indicator design will add another similar icon that will partially overlap the first. With this new change, the company might be trying to decrease the visual width of the information that appears below a message.

Google has recently started rolling out new icons for some of its first-party apps that include its Messages app. Last week, the tech giant also previewed several new features for its messaging app for Android.