[Update: Rolling out] Google Chat adding Hangouts-style read receipts for direct messages

Abner Li | Oct 8 2020 - 3:11 pm PT

Besides Gmail integration, the last big update to Chat in July introduced a dark theme. Google Chat will soon be picking up read receipts in one-to-one conversations.

Update 10/8: Google Chat read receipts in DMs are starting to roll out to all Google Workspace customers. It will be fully available over the coming weeks.

Original 9/3: Like classic Hangouts, read receipts in Google Chat appear as that user’s avatar. Instead of appearing underneath the last seen message, Chat displays them in the bottom-right.

Read receipts will show a sender when a message has been read by the recipient or if the recipient has replied to a message from a notification. Read receipts won’t be visible in group messages or rooms.

Only appearing in “active chat windows for one-on-one conversations,” Google makes a note to exclude group conversations and rooms. The latter would certainly be hectic, but these indicators would be useful for groups.

This feature is rolling out “no sooner than October 5.” They will be available in Google Chat for Android, iOS, and the web.

Classic Hangouts is scheduled to shut down for G Suite customers later this year. The transition started in earnest this June, and Google will presumably turn its focus to free consumer accounts afterwards. There have been reports of some classic Hangouts messages already appearing in Chat for Gmail users. Starting last month, there is still no rhyme or reason to this behavior.