WhatsApp Green Tick vs Blue Tick: What’s Changed (2026)

The WhatsApp green tick is now a blue tick. The verified badge beside a business name used to be green, and Meta now describes it as a blue checkmark. The two blue ticks under a message are something else: they’re read receipts, and they mean the message has been read.

Because both get called “the blue tick”, advice online often mixes them up. This guide explains what each tick means, what has changed for businesses, how to turn off read receipts, and where to go if you want the badge.

Key takeaways

The verified badge is a blue checkmark beside a name. Older guides call it the green tick.
Two blue ticks on a message mean it was read. One grey tick means sent; two grey ticks mean delivered.
To turn off read receipts, go to Settings › Privacy › Read receipts. Group chats and voice message play receipts stay on.
Turning them off also means you can’t see other people’s read receipts.
Businesses get the badge through an Official Business Account on the API, or a paid subscription on the Business app.
The badge doesn’t change your messaging limits or message prices.

Which tick are you looking at?

What you see	Where	What it means
One blue checkmark	Beside a name, such as a business in your chats	The verified badge
A green tick	Old screenshots and older guides	The same badge, before it changed colour
One grey tick	Under a message you sent	Sent
Two grey ticks	Under a message you sent	Delivered to their phone or a linked device
Two blue ticks	Under a message you sent	Read

So “how do I get the blue tick?” and “how do I turn off the blue tick?” are about two different things. The first is about verification, and the second is about privacy.

WhatsApp says verified badges can appear in places such as the business profile and context cards, so that’s where to look if you’re checking a business.

Green tick vs blue tick: what’s changed

The colour. Meta’s developer documentation says Official Business Account numbers have a blue checkmark beside their name, and Meta’s help pages call the verified badge a blue tick on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. It’s now one look across Meta’s apps.
The routes. Businesses on the API request an Official Business Account. Businesses on the WhatsApp Business app can subscribe to Meta Verified, which Meta first announced for businesses in September 2023.
Meta One. On 15 September 2026 Meta announced Meta One, a subscription across its apps. Its Essential business bundle includes a verified badge and a verified channel in the WhatsApp Business app, pending successful verification. Meta says plans and availability vary by region, app and account.
Existing badges. WhatsApp says that if you already have a verified badge, you keep your verified status and don’t need to do anything.

What hasn’t changed is the badge’s job. An Official Business Account is a number Meta has verified as belonging to an authentic business. Meta says it isn’t given to employees of a business, test accounts or WhatsApp Business app numbers, which is why the app has its own subscription route.

What the blue ticks on messages mean

WhatsApp shows ticks beside every message you send. Two grey ticks turn into two blue ticks once the other person has read it.

To check one message, open Message info for it. It shows when the message was delivered, and when it was read or seen. For a voice message, it also shows when it was played.

None of this has anything to do with verification. Anyone’s messages can show two blue ticks, verified or not.

How to turn off the blue ticks (read receipts)

Open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
Open Privacy. On some versions it sits under Account.
Turn off Read receipts.

Before you do, know what this changes:

	With read receipts off
People you chat with one-to-one	They don’t see blue ticks on messages you’ve read
Other people’s read receipts	You can’t see them either
Group chats	Read receipts stay on; WhatsApp says you can’t turn them off
Voice messages	Play receipts stay on; you can’t turn those off either
Status	It may affect whether others can see when you view their status

If you handle sales or support from the app, think before you turn them off. You’ll also lose the blue ticks that show a customer has read your reply.

Why blue ticks might not appear

Grey ticks don’t prove that someone is ignoring you. WhatsApp lists these reasons:

You or the other person turned off read receipts.
They’ve blocked you.
They haven’t opened the conversation.
One of you has a connection problem.
It’s the first time they’ve received a message from you, so a read receipt may not be sent.
The date or time is wrong on one of the phones.

How businesses get the verified badge today

	WhatsApp Business app	WhatsApp Business API
Route	A paid subscription: Meta Verified, or Meta One where it’s offered	An Official Business Account request
Fee	Monthly subscription	No fee for the request
Main conditions	Eligible account in a supported location, then a review by Meta	Business verification, approved display name, two-step verification, 30 days on the platform, policy compliance
If it’s refused	If Meta can’t verify you, the payment is refunded	Apply again after 30 days

Full steps, eligibility and India pricing are in how to get the WhatsApp verified badge. Display name rules are in WhatsApp display name.

WhatsApp Settings in Automate AI showing the connected display name, phone number, message limit and quality rating — A connected number with its display name, message limit and quality rating (sample data).

What the badge doesn’t do

It doesn’t raise messaging limits. Business verification, quality and usage decide those. See WhatsApp broadcast limits.
It doesn’t lower message prices. Pricing depends on the message category and the country.
It doesn’t approve templates. Meta reviews each template on its own.
It isn’t the same as business verification. Meta business verification is one of the conditions for the badge, not the badge itself.

Is the badge worth getting?

For most businesses it’s a useful extra rather than a first priority. It helps people trust that they’re talking to the real you, but it won’t get more messages delivered. A rough guide:

Your situation	What to do
New to the API and still building your list	Focus on opt-in, templates and quality first
Copycat accounts are using your name	Worth getting. Meta Verified on the app also adds impersonation protection
You want WhatsApp Groups on the API	You need it: groups require an Official Business Account
You use in-chat payment options in India	Check them, as some require a verified business with the checkmark
You have a strong brand, a real website and a press presence	Request an Official Business Account once you meet the conditions

The groundwork is worth doing either way. A verified business and an approved display name help with more than the badge, and Automate AI’s team helps with both when you connect your number.

Read status and your WhatsApp campaigns

If you send campaigns, “read” is one of the numbers to watch. Meta says low read rates can lower a template’s quality rating, which can lead to pacing and pausing. See WhatsApp quality rating.

In Automate AI campaigns, reports show sent, delivered, read and failed counts, and you can resend to people who received a message but didn’t read it.

Campaign details in Automate AI showing messages sent, delivered, read, failed and clicked — A campaign’s delivered, read and failed counts (sample data).

Frequently asked questions

Is the WhatsApp green tick still available?

The badge is, but Meta now describes it as a blue checkmark. Businesses get it through an Official Business Account on the API, or a paid subscription on the WhatsApp Business app.

What is the difference between the green tick and the blue tick on WhatsApp?

For businesses they’re the same verified badge: green was the old colour and blue is the current one. The two blue ticks under a message are different, and mean it has been read.

How do I turn off the blue tick in WhatsApp?

Go to Settings, then Privacy, and turn off Read receipts. On some versions Privacy sits under Account. Group chats and voice message play receipts stay on.

If I turn off read receipts, can I still see when others read my messages?

No. WhatsApp says that if you turn them off, you can’t see read receipts from other people.

Why does my message have grey ticks and not blue?

Either person may have turned off read receipts, they may not have opened the chat, they may have blocked you, or there may be a connection problem.

Does a blue checkmark mean a business is safe?

It means Meta has verified the number as belonging to an authentic business. It doesn’t tell you about the quality of what the business sells, so use normal care.

Can I get the blue tick on a WhatsApp API number?

Yes, through an Official Business Account request in WhatsApp Manager, once you meet Meta’s conditions. Approval is Meta’s decision.

Sources

WhatsApp rules and prices change. We check these guides against Meta’s documentation, but always confirm current terms with Meta before you rely on them. Questions? Message us on WhatsApp at +91 836 977 8812.