The blue checkmark has been used for a long time as the sign that shows that the person is real and using a real account. Though it’s more worthless on Twitter than before, Gmail is simply reusing it. Last year, Gmail had brought blue checkmarks and is now expanding these to its apps on Android and iOS.
The Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) standard enables logos to be placed in the “avatar space” adjacent to the sender’s name and address. For instance, in place of an ‘A’ you may see the apple icon.
Google’s Gmail in particular indicates the blue verified checkmark for email senders who have implemented BIMI with VMC or with a trademark. Google says “BIMI promotes another layer of security to Gmail by requiring strong authentication and verification of logos before they’re displayed in Gmail as avatars.”
After launching on the web last year, it’s now rolling out to Gmail for Android and iOS. On mobile, it appears between the sender’s name and date. Tapping will show the following prompt: “This sender of this email has verified that they own [example.com] and the logo in the profile image.”
When will be the blue checkmarks available on Gmail?
These blue checkmarks will be available in Gmail for Android and iOS “over the next few weeks” for individual Google accounts as well as for Google Workspace.
Meanwhile, Gmail is supporting a new type of BIMI certificate being issued by Certificate Authorities (CA) that allows for a “broader range of senders to utilize BIMI, who might not have the registered trademark required for a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC).”
Although the senders can display brand avatars in Gmail through a CMC, such brand avatars will not include the familiar blue tick. This is a missed opportunity as a more obvious checkmark would assist users in easily deciphering between real senders especially where BIMI logos or any other affiliated logos are not well known or questionable.
However, it is refreshing to find Google restoring the blue checkmark as a credible sign of account verification rather than just using it as a moneymaking tool.
