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'What do the check marks mean on WhatsApp?': How to determine the status of your message on WhatsApp

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While WhatsApp allows you to send messages to contacts all over the world, it loses some of its usefulness if you're not sure that your message was delivered, or much less read. 

Sometimes your message hasn't gone through because you're having connectivity issues. Other times, the WhatsApp network might be down, or the other person's device might not be connected, and so they can't receive your message.

Luckily, WhatsApp has incorporated a feature to let you know the status of your message. The key to this feature, however, is understanding what the colors and amount of check marks next to your message mean.

What the check marks on WhatsApp mean for message status

  • One grey check mark means that your message has been sent from your device.  
What do the check marks mean on WhatsApp
Indicates that the message was delivered.  Ryan Ariano/Business Insider
  • A second grey check mark means that your message has been delivered, received on the recipients' device, and isn't just floating around on the network. If the recipient has read receipts turned on, two grey check marks indicate that the recipient has received but not yet read the message. 
  • When the two check marks turn blue, that means your message has been read by a recipient with read receipts turned on. 
What do the check marks mean on WhatsApp
Indicates that your message has been read by the receiver.  Ryan Ariano/Business Insider

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Ryan Ariano grew up in Baltimore when the Macintosh was cutting edge, lived in Los Angeles as Blackberries gave way to iPhones, and now lives in Jackson Hole where his life is held together by Bluetooth. He writes on a wide range of topics but especially loves nerding out across the tech spectrum. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here.