Google Messages more widely rolling out circular read receipts redesign
Source: 9to5Google
In August 2024, Google Messages started testing a circular redesign of read receipts. The rollout has been gradual, and the feature now appears to be widely available for beta users.
Redesigned read receipts
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The read receipt is now integrated into the bottom‑right corner of the message bubble (or standalone media) instead of appearing below it.
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The previous double‑bubble design has been replaced by a single circle with four states:
- Ellipsis – sending
- Single check with ring – sent
- Double check with ring – delivered
- Double check solid – read
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Swiping left on a message reveals the timestamp and the RCS encryption lock.
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Tapping the receipt triggers a bounce animation to indicate the new behavior.
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Swiping right opens a reply to the message.
The redesigned read receipts also appear in the main conversation list.
Rollout status
Google has been testing the redesign for several months. Some stable‑channel users saw it for a while, while beta testers experienced intermittent rollouts and pull‑backs. As of the beta version 20260220_01_RC00 released this week, the circular read receipts appear to be rolling out broadly to testers, suggesting this is the final design.
