Your Gmail Is Getting Verified Check Marks. Here's What They Mean
There's now another way to tell if you've received a legit email on Gmail.
The next time you're reading emails in your Gmail inbox, you might notice blue check marks next to the names of some senders. The check mark icon is Google's latest attempt to fight phishing emails that attempt to imitate legitimate senders.
The check marks started rolling out on Wednesday and will be visible in personal and work Gmail accounts, Google said in a blog post.
Gmail is far from the only place you'll spot a blue check mark these days. Twitter notably has been in the news for making various changes to its verification system, including removing blue check marks from legacy verified accounts.
So, what do blue check marks in Gmail mean? Here's a quick breakdown.
How will the verified check marks appear in Gmail?
In an example provided by Google, a blue check appears next to Google's email address in an email. Hover over the check mark and a box appears that says: "The sender of this email has verified that they own Google.com and the logo in the profile image."
The wording of the message will change to reflect the domain of the verified sender, whatever comes after the @ in their email.
There's also a link to "Learn More" that takes you to a Google support page about verified emails. It explains exactly how Google determines an email is verified.
Who can get a verified check mark in Gmail?
For now, it's geared toward brands and organizations. The check marks will be added to the emails of senders who've adopted Google's Brand Indicators for Message Identification, or BIMI, standard. BIMI "requires strong authentication" and verification of logos before they're displayed in Gmail, according to Google.
"Strong email authentication helps users and email security systems identify and stop spam, and also enables senders to leverage their brand trust," Google wrote in its blog post on Wednesday.