What Does the Blue Dot Mean on Samsung Text Messages?

Android messages users may see blue dots next to some contacts in their messages and contacts lists, but they often don’t know why. Here is a simple explanation.

Every smartphone includes a default Messages app for sending texts (SMS) and media files (MMS) over carrier signals.

Google added support for a new messaging service to the default Messages app for Android. Users can now send and receive text and media messages with end-to-end encryption over the internet.

So, what does the blue dot mean? A blue dot next to a contact’s profile on an Android phone indicates that the contact can use the chat messaging feature.

This means you can send or receive messages with them over the internet instead of using SMS or MMS. These internet messages are called RCS messages.

To use RCS messaging, both you and your contact must enable the Chat feature on your devices. RCS messaging works over Wi-Fi or mobile data, so you don’t need to rely on carrier signals.

Why is this important? RCS messages provide multiple advantages over traditional SMS and MMS. They offer end-to-end encryption for better security. They also support higher-quality media files, read receipts, typing indicators, and improved group chat options.

In short, the blue dot in Android Messages is a helpful indicator. It shows which contacts can use the enhanced chat features for a better messaging experience.

Make sure to enable the Chat feature on your device to take full advantage of RCS messaging. This will let you enjoy secure, high-quality communication with your contacts.

Enable RCS Messaging on the Messages App

To use Chat features or RCS messages, you must meet specific requirements. These features are available only on Google Messages and Samsung Messages (for Samsung devices).

Other default messaging apps do not support RCS messaging yet. However, Google Messages is usually pre-installed on most Android phones or can be freely downloaded from the Google Play Store.

Once installed, users may need to set Google Messages as the default messaging app.

In both Samsung Messages and Google Messages, the Chat feature is disabled by default. To enable it, tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the app, or tap the profile picture on some devices. It’s a simple and quick process.

When enabled, a lock symbol appears under the send button icon while sending a text or media file, and the dialog box shows ‘Chat’ before typing. This indicates that the Chat feature is active, and the message will be sent over the internet with encryption.

If the dialog box shows ‘Text’ and ‘SMS’ or ‘MMS’ appears under the send button, the feature isn’t active or available for the recipient.

Chat messages are displayed in darker blue bubbles compared to SMS or MMS messages. The Chat features on Android text messages offer more functionality than SMS or MMS, including read receipts, typing indicators, message reactions, end-to-end encryption, and the ability to send larger files up to 100MB.