WhatsApp is being used by millions of users and its usefulness can easily be underscored by the fact that Facebook bought it for a mind-boggling sum of $19 billion. Most people are pretty comfortable with the simple user-interface of WhatsApp —but a few things keep some of the users guessing. For example, appearance of single tick, double ticks (also called check marks) and clock icon on the sent message bubbles are mysterious to a number of people. Let’s understand what these ticks (check marks) and clock icon mean in WhatsApp.
When you send someone a message through WhatsApp, in the first leg of journey, the message travels from your mobile phone to the WhatsApp server. By the way, did you know that now WhatsApp can also be easily used on a desktop or laptop computer?
When a single tick gets displayed in the bottom-right corner of the message chat bubble, it means that the message has reached the WhatsApp server. This tick icon is displayed as an indication for the sender that the message had successfully delivered by sender’s mobile network onto the WhatsApp server.
More Interesting Stuff: Great one line status messages for WhatsApp.
Arrival of your message on WhatsApp server is only half the journey. After getting the message, WhatsApp server sends it to the receiver’s mobile device. When message gets delivered to the receiver, the single tick icon turns into an overlapping double tick icon.
WhatsApp tick marks convey important information about your message.
Double tick indicates that your message has reach the receiver’s device —this however does not mean that the receiver has read it. Reading of a WhatsApp message is shown by blue tick marks.
You may get a rough idea whether the receiver has read your message by seeing his “Last seen” timestamp. But remember, there is a way to hide the last seen timestamp. If the receiver has chosen to hide his “last seen”, you will not get information on when he was last online.
As soon as you send the message to someone on WhatsApp —you may sometime see a clock icon in the bottom-right corner of chat bubble. This icon means that the message is still waiting to leave your mobile device. It means that the message has not yet begun its journey to WhatsApp server.
Clock icon usually appears when the network connection is slow. It is an indication that the message is waiting in your phone and as soon as WhatsApp will get mobile Internet connectivity with enough bandwidth —the message will be sent over to server.
Sometimes clock icon sticks on and refuse to go away. It simply suggests that something is wrong somewhere in the network path. You should check your internet connection, if the clock icon has been there for quite some time.By the way, this is good time to act if you realize that you have sent the message to a wrong person! If clock icon changes into single tick, then you will not be able to stop a WhatsApp message.
As soon as the network will allow message to reach the server —clock icon will turn into single tick. Thereafter, single tick will change into double tick when the message will reach the receiver’s phone.
If no icon appears in the bottom-right corner of the message bubble, the reasons is that your internet connection is not working. Check it out!
This was the story of WhatsApp tick marks. But in case you were actually looking for the meanings of WhatsApp smiley and other symbols, I have written a separate article for that too.
I hope this solves the mystery of single and double check marks as well as the clock icon in WhatsApp. Let me, please, know your comments on this!
Michelle says
What is the meaning of a grey symbol that looks like a loudspeaker, or a desktop from the side?
Kevin says
Hi there my question is sometimes a letter appears on the icon can you tell me what each letter stands for kevin
Tapas Gope says
How is it possible that the receiver reply my massage but my massage which I send is still double tick but without blue mark?
jan says
thank you for the info on the clock but i’m a little confused as to why only some of the messages have the clock and others don’t. is it the other persons connection or mine?
Peter Kasanda says
Thank you very much sir, for enlightening me on a number of issues regarding whatsApp. I had most of these questions answered here trouble my mind, but hey, am happy now I know.
Keep it up with your good works sir.
Chan T says
A friend of mine says someone sends him a rude text message while he was having text conversations with his friend.
He switched off the phone and restart later only to find that rude message has gone missing while other messages remained.
Is it possible for that sender to recall such a text message already read?
Thanks
James says
When i send message to friend i get two grey ticks. I understand what that means, what i don’t understand is why they are getting it even though their phone is switched off… we did a test and always getting two grey ticks. Are you able to provide any ideas? We would have expected only a single tick.
Lalit Kumar says
Hi James, I am sorry I can not offer any explanation for WhatsApp showing two grey ticks even if the recipient’s phone is switched off. It is not supposed to happen!
Nagender says
What is the white down arrow mean. In some msgs I see white arrow
Mark says
Hi Lalit,
I sent two messages to someone and both showed up as only one tick. I then sent two follow up messages that both showed up with two blue ticks. However, the previous messages are still showing up as one grey tick. Did they receive the previous messages? Thanks for your help
Lalit Kumar says
Hi Mark, if the latest WhatsApp messages sent by you are showing double blue ticks, then it is safe to assume that all previous messages have also been delivered and read. I have noticed that sometimes, WhatsApp fails to update the delivery and read-receipt status of some of the messages sent.
Anselm says
Nice more explanatory than the whatsapp website thanks for putting me through Lalit Kumar.
Neenu says
Sir, I sent one picture to a wrong recipient. It showed only one tick. Then I deleted that message. I want to know whether that person will receive this message when she turn on her internet or not?
Lalit Kumar says
Most probably, the message will be delivered to the recipient because the message has left your phone and now residing on the WhatsApp server.
Tiara says
Hello. Last night I had sent few messages to a friend. It showed me only one tick. And later I deleted the chat. Next morning she denied said no messages received at all. How is that possible. Her phone was switched off at night. Is it by mistake I have sent it to someone else. Or message have not passed at all.
Lalit Kumar says
Well, there could be any number of reasons. Your messages might still be on WhatsApp server, your friend’s Internet might not be working, your friend missed the message etc. And technology itself is not fool-proof. We must trust our beloved more than the technology.
Shweta Mishra says
ohh lalit kumar is romantic too ?
ravi says
What could be the reason if suddenly blue tick is not coming only for one contact? For all other contacts I see do blue ticks.
Lalit Kumar says
Hi Ravi, most probably, that contact has turn off the WhatsApp Read Receipts.
jacko says
An icon Star now appears next to the icon that check whether my message has been received and read.
What does the Star represent?
Lalit Kumar says
This star icon represents the bookmark status of the message.
sarah says
I sent something to the wrong person, it had the clock sign and my WiFi was still on but I deleted it, will the person see it?
Lalit Kumar says
If the WhatsApp message was deleted when it showed clock icon, the message will not reach the recipient.
Mathieu says
If the message showed a single tick while sending offline by mistake, then I erase it before I went online again,will the message be delivered?
Lalit Kumar says
In all probability, yes message will get delivered.
sai says
Sir, while I send message to my friend I got double tick with blue colour. But one particular number I getting double tick only grey colour. I also get reply from my friend. What is the reason?
Lalit Kumar says
It sometimes happens that WhatsApp server is not able to convey read receipt of a particular message to your mobile phone. If latest message has blue ticks, then you can assume that all the older messages have been read.
Anne says
Sent a message last week still showing as one grey tick even though they have been online since. Can see last seen updates and picture. Have they seen message or not?
Lalit Kumar says
If you’re sure that the receiver has since been online, chances are that your grey tick is just “stuck” (haven’t got updated) and the receiver has already seen the message.
Amanda says
I have a contact and now their picture and status have gone. Also there is no last seen . Have they just changed their privacy settings? Also how would you know if someone had blocked you?
Lalit Kumar says
Hi Amanda, Last Seen status can be hidden by changing settings in WhatsApp. But one can not hide their profile picture and status. If you don’t see someone’s profile photograph and status —the reason could be that the person has removed photo and status. The other possible reason is that s/he has blocked you. There is no sure-shot way to say that someone has indeed blocked you on WhatsApp.
shyam singh says
lalit is right,,
you have to wait and, wait some time, and check that, if the person is shown to you online. then you are not blocked. he/she just changed the setting of his whatsapp, but if you could not see him/her online that means you are blocked.
Irwin says
It is very thoughtful of you to educate us regarding these terms and helping us understand the different aspects of whatsap in a simple and helpful way.
Lalit Kumar says
When my articles turned out to be useful for my readers, I feel that my work is valuable. Irwin, thank you for your words of appreciation.
rajeswaran durairaju says
Simply explained and you have cleared my doubts. That is the system. A system is to be foolproof. Lengthy explanations not required. That will create more problems than solving.
Thank you very much.
Lalit Kumar says
You’re welcome Rajeswaran! Looking forward to hear more from you on TechWelkin.
anushs says
I can see only one tick for along time in my WhatsApp. What is the reason?
Lalit Kumar says
One of the possible reason is that the recipient’s mobile phone is switched off OR that person has not connected to Internet for a long time.
Lee Gek Eng says
I am unable to get my WhatsApp message delivered to recipient. Can only see a single tick next to my message. But picture can be sent across. Able to see double tick and double blue tick. Can see the recipient online too. Recipient also cannot send message to me but can send to others. Am also facing the same problem. Why?
Lalit Kumar says
Well, it’s strange. All I can suggest is a complete reinstall of WhatsApp. It might solve the issue.
Vijay says
Nice just now I cleared doubts on watsapp
praveen says
Good information. Keep it up!
Vaishali says
Sir, earlier when i sent msg it shown single tick but after one week it is again showing clock. What does that mean?
Lalit Kumar says
Vaishali, it means your WhatsApp is confused because of some technical problem. Such behavior is unexpected and therefore no simple reason can be given.
AR Raman says
Very good and valuable and useful information.
Lalit Kumar says
Thank you, AR Raman! I happy that you found it useful. Stay tuned for more interesting articles!