Summary
- A recent update made read receipts in Google Messages stand out more with a white background, though it might be a bit bold for short messages.
- The original design matched the checkmark’s background with the message bubble color, and in dark mode, the checkmarks stayed white to blend with the text.
- The new, bolder design is slowly rolling out to users who’ve already switched to the updated read receipt interface.
Google might have been late to the read receipts party, finally adding the feature to Messages in 2020, but it’s been fine-tuning it ever since. Now a user-enabled option, it gives a clear nod when your messages are read. Over the years, Google has polished the look of this indicator in an effort to make it easy on the eyes. Back in August, the company started testing a new design that tucked the checkmarks neatly inside the message bubble, right-aligned and circled with a subtle touch. More recently, Google has made another tweak, giving those read receipts a bit more visual pop.
As spotted by 9to5Google, Google Messages recently got a design update that makes read receipts way more noticeable with a white background. While it definitely boosts visibility, it might feel a bit bold, especially for shorter messages, the outlet notes.
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It’s probably time we moved on from the old SMS standard
In Google Messages or any of your favorite messaging apps that support this feature, read receipts show your message’s status: sending (timer), sent (single check), delivered (double check), and read (filled double check). These icons used to sit below the text bubble in Messages, squeezed between the timestamp and the RCS lock. But in August 2024, Google switched things up, moving the read receipts inside the message bubble.
The original design also matched the read receipt’s circular background with the color of the message bubble. In dark mode, the checkmarks stayed white, blending with the color of the message text.
It’s slowly reaching users with the new read receipt design
The server-side update first rolled out to a small group of beta users back in November, but it’s not widely available yet. According to 9to5Google, this latest tweak is slowly being pushed to Google Messages users who’ve already switched to the redesigned read receipt interface.
Read receipts are a key part of the Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol. So, the only thing you need to use them is for both your device and mobile carrier to support this messaging standard.
