What does the open blue circle with a check mean on Messenger?

The short answer

An open blue circle with a check mark means your message has been sent to Facebook’s servers but hasn’t been delivered to the recipient’s device yet.

All Messenger status icons explained

Messenger uses a series of small icons next to each message to show you exactly where it is in the delivery process:

• Open blue circle — your message is currently sending
• Open blue circle with a check — your message has been sent to Facebook’s servers
• Filled blue circle with a check — your message has been delivered to the recipient’s device
• Small profile photo — the recipient has seen (read) your message

The open blue circle with a check is the second stage. It means Facebook has your message, but the other person’s phone or computer hasn’t picked it up yet.

Why is my message stuck on sent?

If the icon stays as an open blue circle with a check for a long time, the recipient’s device hasn’t connected to Messenger to receive it. Common reasons:

• Their phone is off or has no internet — the message will deliver once they come back online
• They uninstalled or logged out of Messenger — the message is waiting on Facebook’s servers
• They blocked you — your messages will stay on “sent” and never move to “delivered”
• Messenger is down — rare, but server issues can delay delivery

When should you worry?

In most cases, the message will be delivered once the other person opens Messenger. But keep in mind:

• If messages to one specific person never move past “sent,” you may have been blocked
• If all your messages are stuck on sent, check your own internet connection or try restarting the app
• A message stuck on the open blue circle (without the check) means it never left your phone — check your connection and try again