[Android Central Question]

Sometimes when I receive messages there is a phone symbol beside the text message and wondering what this actually means, I have been told that it means the message has been sent from a 3rd party app but I know they have actually been sent from the persons phone so a little confused help needed as google pulls up nothing

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Which phone, and which messaging app? Can you show us a screenshot (blocking out any identifying information)? http://forums.androidcentral.com/gen...d-central.html. Please register on this forum, which will allow you to engage in discussion more easily, as well as post images. https://forums.androidcentral.com/as...community.html

[mustang7757]

Are you using a dual SIM phone ?

[VidJunky]

Do you know what a third party app is? I strongly suspect that this is not the meaning of the icon/symbol. A third party app is basically any app that you install on your device or they install, whichever the case may be, that replaces an app from the device manufacturer. Some devices may come with third party apps for example, if you have a Samsung device your device came with Samsung Contacts but it also came with Google Contacts. While both are native to the device, meaning that they shipped on the device when it was sold, since the device is Samsung the Samsung Contact app is the native app, while the Google Contacts app is a third party app. You can read more about this here... https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...HYaCK63NMvCvaL My point to this is that even if it was a third party app it could still have been sent from their phone. Some messaging apps have cross platform services, which allow users to send and receive messages from tablets, laptops and PCs but just being a third party service doesn't necessarily imply anything which is why I don't feel that plays a part.

I guess my questions would be;

Have you tried pressing this icon? Does it have a function or seem like it might activate something?

What app are you using for SMS/messaging? Could this be similar to an RCS or messenger feature and just be an indication that the sender is connected/online, meaning that replies are likely to be seen right away? This is the answer I'm leaning towards but we'll need more information from you about what is happening.

Is it always the same contacts that show this icon? Does this happen with any of your contacts or just these 5 contacts, for instance? If it is always the same contacts, do you share anything in common with them, i.e. the same app, the same phone, the same carrier etc. This might again support it being a feature.