Snapchat’s chat feature allows users to communicate with friends and contacts. The chat bubbles can appear in different colors, which indicate the status of the chat.
Grey Chat Bubbles
Grey chat bubbles in Snapchat indicate an unopened snap or chat. When a user sends a snap or chat message, the chat bubble appears grey for the recipient until they open it. Once opened, the chat bubble turns blue or purple.
Some key things to know about grey chat bubbles:
- Mean the message is unopened
- Appear grey for recipient, remain blue/purple for sender
- Chat remains grey until recipient opens the message
- Grey color serves as visual indicator message is still unread
Grey chat bubbles do not mean the recipient cannot view the message. It simply indicates the message has not been opened yet. The recipient just needs to tap on the grey chat bubble to view the snap or message.
Blue Chat Bubbles
Blue chat bubbles indicate an opened message in Snapchat. When recipients open a snap or chat message, the grey chat bubble turns blue. This serves as a visual confirmation that the message has been seen.
Some key things to know about blue chat bubbles:
- Mean the snap or message has been opened
- Only turn blue once recipient opens the message
- Let senders know the recipient has viewed the chat
- Chat bubbles remain blue after opening on both sender and recipient sides
The blue chat bubble does not necessarily mean the recipient is actively viewing the message currently. It simply means they’ve opened it at some point. Even after opening, chat bubbles remain blue for both parties.
Purple Chat Bubbles
Purple chat bubbles indicate a chat message marked as a “priority” by the sender. Users can long-press a chat bubble before sending to mark it high priority. This makes the chat bubble appear purple for the recipient.
Things to know about purple chat bubbles:
- Indicate sender has marked the message as priority
- Appear purple before opening for recipient
- Remain purple after opening for both parties
- Serve as a visual alert of an important or urgent message
The purple color alerts the recipient that the sender wants priority attention for this message. Snapchat users should respond promptly to purple chats when possible.
Why Chat Colors Matter
The color-coding of Snapchat chat bubbles serves some useful purposes:
- Lets senders know if recipients have opened snaps and chats
- Alerts recipients to unopened messages that need attention
- Indicates priority status of certain messages
- Provides visual cues about status of conversations
- Helps avoid confusion about whether messages were received
The chat colors give helpful insight into message status. They allow Snapchat users to manage long chat histories and follow up on important conversations.
Do Chat Colors Sync Across Devices?
Yes, Snapchat chat colors sync across devices. When a recipient opens a snap or chat on one device, the chat bubble will turn blue across all their linked devices. This keeps chat status consistent.
Some key points about cross-device syncing:
- Chat colors update in real-time across iOS and Android apps
- Desktop apps also sync chat bubble colors
- Color changes apply whether message opened on phone or computer
- Ensures uniform visibility of chat status
Syncing of chat colors prevents confusion when users access Snapchat across multiple devices. It provides a seamless messaging experience.
Can You Turn Off Chat Colors?
Unfortunately, there is no setting to turn off chat colors within Snapchat. The colored bubbles are hardcoded into the apps across all platforms.
Some reasons Snapchat does not allow disabling chat colors:
- Colors provide valuable status indicators
- Important for coordinating responses to messages
- Lets users know messages need attention
- Prevents confusion about whether chats were read
While some users may want to disable the colors, they are an integral part of the Snapchat messaging UX. There are currently no plans for Snapchat to add options to turn off chat colors.
Troubleshooting Grey Chat Bubbles
Sometimes grey chat bubbles may not turn blue even after opening the message. There are a few potential reasons for this:
- Poor internet connection – Colors may not update if service cuts out
- Outdated app – Older versions may have chat syncing bugs
- App backgrounding – App must be open foregrounded for colors to change
- Device syncing issue – Rare app glitch prevents color update
- Unauthorized third-party apps – Unofficial apps may cause issues
Here are some troubleshooting tips for grey chat bubbles:
- Confirm internet connection is stable
- Update Snapchat app to latest version
- Open app in foreground when reading chats
- Try reinstalling the Snapchat app
- Avoid third-party apps that access Snapchat
- Report persistent issues to Snapchat
Following these steps can typically resolve any problems with chat colors failing to update.
Conclusion
Snapchat’s chat bubble colors provide important messaging insights. Grey indicates unopened snaps and chats, blue means opened messages, and purple highlights priority status. Colors sync across devices to eliminate confusion. While some users may want to disable chat colors, Snapchat currently does not provide this option since the visual cues are core to the app experience.