Google Messages tweaked to provide more clarity through minimalism

Some of you may recall that last October, Google set out to verify some changes to its Messages on Android. Most users who’ve had a ‘Droid phone in the past would be familiar with the app, as it is the one that comes pre-installed with most of the Best Android Phones out there.

That being said, popularity certainly does not prove perfection. In the spirit of this entire Material You redesign thing that the Big G has going on, the Messages app is getting some long-awaited changes in the spirit of the minimalist movement.

The entire gist of it is as follows: gone are the ugly and archaic markers for message statuses such as “read” or “received”, which up until now were just that: the word itself. From here on out, those that’ve gotten the update will see tiny, nifty icons instead.

Hold up though, is this change really necessary? Well, yeah. Tiny text typically causes eye strain, which is something that we all want to avoid. Our brain — the powerful bugger that it is — is capable of understanding symbols much better, and after seeing them a couple of times, it can do so without much effort. So overall: this is a great step forward to reducing mental and physical strain. Yay!

And what are these new symbols that Google has put in your Messages app? Glad you asked! Here’s a breakdown for you:

• If you see a Timer, then the message is being sent
• If you are seeing a single Check, then it has been sent
• If that Checkmark doubles up, then it has been delivered
• And if you see the double Checkmark become colorized, the recipient has read the message

A quick mental note here: depending on Android version and customization options, said colorization may differ. But this also means that it will be impacted by Android theming, which is always awesome.

All in all, this is a welcomed change. It’s not only easy on the eyes, but it also looks modern and it brings up the Messages app to speed, as other competitors like WhatsApp have already been doing this for years. The update with these changes is rolling out right now, so keep an eye out for it.