WhatsApp is one of the most successful and well-known applications that exist today. But despite the fact that millions of users of all ages use it daily, there are still some doubts, or points that are not completely clear. For example, there are still people who They do not fully know the difference between seen and read on WhatsApp. An elementary question when it comes to knowing how to use the app.
It must be taken into account, as we will also see below throughout this article, that WhatsApp is not just an instant messaging tool with which to share conversations, videos, images or even calls. For a lot of people, it's much more. A window to your privacy that, to tell the truth, can be of major importance in many cases. Both on a personal and professional level. Or in other words, there can be a lot at stake with it.
The importance of knowing WhatsApp well
Any type of relationship that is not face to face can be interpreted in unfortunate ways on many occasions. It doesn't matter if it is an email or, as in this case, with WhatsApp. Except for audio messages, the reality is that one, for example, can make a mistake when interpreting what another person wants to say, being unable to understand the way they express themselves, the intonation, etc. Who has not received a message on some occasion and thought that they were angry with them (or the opposite), with the situation being very different in the end?
The case of WhatsApp, as simple as it may be, is especially complex. Not only because it is used a lot, but because it is used in all types of relationships: family contexts, couples, romantic contexts, with friends... practically everything one can imagine. Hence even experts agree on how important it is to know every detail well. Details how to learn the difference between seen and read on WhatsApp. If something characterizes the Meta application, it is its simplicity. But simple is not the same as simple, and that is why it doesn't hurt to review some basic concepts.
Difference between seen and read on WhatsApp
When you send a message via WhatsApp, the most normal thing is that you want the recipient to see it as soon as possible; and make sure you have done it. Hence how important it is to know when that person has actually seen a message. What is the difference between seen and read on WhatsApp? Basically the following:
First of all, the option “seen”, I simply mean that WhatsApp has sent your message and that it has reached the recipient. It must be taken into account that this app is used in real time and, therefore, when the message is sent the user will appear online.
For its part, “read” specifies that the message has been read, with the two well-known symbols that go from gray to blue. Although this, as we will see later, does not always have to be this way. A measure that Meta had to introduce due to user complaints.
How to make sure the difference between seen and read on WhatsApp
Beyond the blue ticks that show that a message has been read (not always), WhatsApp has a way of detailing what has happened to a message, which not everyone knows but which is simple, and can be useful. It simply consists of Press and hold a message and then go to the menu at the top right, where it says “info”. It specifies whether a message has been read, and also the exact time it was sent.
In any case, it is important to keep another detail in mind when knowing the difference between seen and read on WhatsApp. This application, like almost any technological tool, is not infallible; That is, it can sometimes fail. Especially if the connection, whether via Wi-Fi or mobile data, is not good. what does it mean exactly? Well, it is not unlikely that someone has seen a message and it does not appear as such. Any user who uses WhatsApp frequently will surely have suffered from it on some occasion.
In addition, there is the issue of the clock, an icon that means that a message has not yet been sent. In these cases, it is most likely that it was the connection that has failed, so it is a good idea to make sure that the phone has access to the Internet; but sometimes the problem may be in the receiver and not in oneself, so you just have to have some patience.
Around with the two blue bars
One of the issues that generates the most questions among users when it comes to knowing the difference between seen and read on WhatsApp is undoubtedly the ticks or two bars that appear when sending a message. On many phones, they turn blue when someone has read the message in question. But it doesn't happen like that on all occasions. As we mentioned before, many users have been complaining that this is uncomfortable. The reason is easy to understand: there are times when a person reads a message, but does not want to or cannot respond at the moment. With the two blue bars “reporting” that it has been seen, it can give the impression that you do not want to respond. Or what is the same, we return to the fact that it can be interpreted as inconsideration. That's why Meta, those currently responsible for WhatsApp, have an alternative.
This consists of preventing the double bar from turning blue, and therefore always remaining gray. Translating: there is no difference here between seen and read on WhatsApp. It is true that this way the application is less precise, so to speak, but at the same time it helps privacy prevail. To activate this alternative, you just have to select it in the “Settings” of the app.