Nobody likes to leave a message unanswered, and when it happens, we often wonder why. Trying to understand the reasons behind non-responses can be valuable, and that’s where knowing the difference between “Seen” and “Read” in WhatsApp comes into play.
In principle, we might think there’s no difference – “Seen” and “Read” essentially mean the same thing. Of course, there could be scenarios where the recipient has viewed the message but decided to read it later. Alternatively, they might have read the message upon entering the chat but chosen not to respond, at least for the moment.
When you observe a double blue tick next to your message, there’s no doubt – the other person has read your message but opted not to reply. If the double tick doesn’t appear, it’s possible that the recipient has received and even seen the message, but they haven’t entered the chat to read it.
WhatsApp Read but Not Delivered: Is It Possible?
Now that you understand the dynamics of reading and viewing messages, you might wonder about the possibility of a WhatsApp read but not delivered situation.
In reality, this isn’t possible. When a WhatsApp message shows as delivered with a double tick, it confirms that the other person has received it. However, when only a single tick is visible, it means the message has been sent but not received by the other person. Naturally, if the message hasn’t reached their device, they cannot have read it. If you see the double tick, you instantly know that the message didn’t reach them, eliminating any potential excuses.
Message Delivered but Not Read: What Does It Mean?
Conversely, there’s the scenario of a message delivered but not read – in this case, the message has reached the recipient but remains unopened.
This frequently occurs during the interval between sending a message and the recipient reading it. You can identify a message as delivered but not read if the double tick doesn’t turn blue. Keep in mind, for the tick to change color, both you and the recipient must have read receipts enabled. If not, there’s no definite way to confirm if your message has been read, although you might infer it if you notice that the person has been online recently.
The Purpose of Enabling Read Confirmations in WhatsApp
Since we’ve delved into this topic, you may be curious about the benefits of enabling read confirmations in WhatsApp. Enabling this feature allows you to see the blue double tick when the recipient has read your message. This feature is great for avoiding uncertainty about whether the recipient has read your message or not. Furthermore, it also enables the recipient to determine if you’ve read their message.
Of course, remember that both participants in the conversation must have read confirmations activated for this feature to work. If either party has deactivated it, the double tick will not change color.
