Google is testing two very useful features in its Messages app

Read receipts are a useful messaging tool since they allow the person sending a message to know whether it was delivered to the recipient and more importantly, whether it was read by him or her. Earlier this year, Google introduced icons to replace the words "delivered" and "read" which are be placed under messages that were, well, delivered and read. Keep in mind, Android users, that the read receipt icons only appear in RCS to RCS messages meaning that both parties must be using the Google Messages app.

When a message has been sent, the sender will see a small circle with a single checkmark inside it. When the message is delivered, you'll see two circles with a single checkmark inside side-by-side. And when the message has been read by the recipient, the two circles are filled and the checkmarks are white against a black background. And now these icons are being added to another location inside the Google Messages app.

As noted by 9to5Google, read receipts icons are being added to the Google Messages conversation list. This way, you can tell at a glance whether a message you just sent has been received and/or read without having to open up the message. And as they say in those late-night television infomercials, "Wait, there's more!" Google is also adding precise read count icons to the conversation list to the right of each listing. The icon includes the number of messages unread in a particular conversation.

These updates are beginning to make their way to Google Messages beta testers. If you are using a carrier-branded Android messages app, you might want to switch to Google Messages because of Rich Communication Services (RCS). Similar to Apple's iMessage platform, RCS-to-RCS chats feature larger character counts, the ability to send higher-resolution images, typing indicators, read receipts, and end-to-end encryption. You can install the app, if you don't already have it, by tapping on this link.