If you’re an iPhone or Android phone user, you may have noticed those little blue dots. These dots tend to appear on both system apps and user-installed apps. If you’re new to either of these mobile operating systems and wondering why there’s a blue dot on your phone, there’s no need to worry.
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Why Do Apps Show a Blue Dot?
Developers actually add the blue dot as a user interface feature to grab the user’s attention. It’s a way to notify users about a new update, notification, unread message or email, or a pending request. But don’t confuse it with the green dot, which indicates a friend’s active status in a chat app.
The blue dot isn’t limited to just a few services or recently updated apps. Smartphone users often see it on platforms like Facebook Stories, Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat, Samsung contacts, and Android messages. It can also appear next to your contacts, emails, and newly added stickers or emojis.
In this article, we’ll explore what the blue dot means on different social media apps and services.
A Blue Dot on a Facebook Story
When viewing the list of viewers on your Facebook stories, you may have noticed a blue dot next to their names.
A blue dot next to viewers on a Facebook story
The blue dot next to a Facebook story viewer represents new views since you last checked those views. It’s an interesting way to let users know who recently saw their story.
In Messenger and Message Requests
In Messenger, a blue dot means you have an unread chat message from a friend or contact. Once you open the conversation and read the message, the notification goes away.
Additionally, you’ll see a blue dot next to message requests in Messenger that you haven’t opened yet.
On iPhone Messages
If you see a blue dot in the Messages app on your iPhone, it means you have unread text messages. The dot appears next to messages you haven’t read yet and disappears once you view them.
A blue dot in Messages on iPhone
Next to Sent Email on iPhone
It may seem strange to see blue dots next to some sent emails in the Mail app on your iPhone, but there’s a reason for it.
While a blue dot in the “Inbox” indicates unread emails, iOS uses a blue dot to represent sent or forwarded emails that you’ve marked as unread. The dot disappears once you read those sent emails.
Next to Apps on iPhone and Android
A blue dot appears next to app icons on your iPhone’s home screen for apps that have been updated but not yet opened. Once you open the updated app, the blue dot won’t appear again until the next update. Additionally, a blue dot may show up next to newly installed apps on Android.
On Instagram
Similar to Facebook Messenger, a blue dot on Instagram means you have unread direct messages in your inbox. The dot disappears when you open and read the specific message.
On Snapchat Filters
You’ve probably seen a blue dot next to various filters on Snapchat. This dot indicates that Snapchat has updated or added new filters for you to try out. Once you try the new filter, the blue dot disappears.
You may also see a blue dot over the “Chat” icon when there’s an unread chat message.
On WhatsApp for iPhone
A blue dot over the “Status” tab in WhatsApp means there’s a status update you haven’t viewed yet. It’s worth noting that WhatsApp doesn’t show a blue dot for muted status updates.
NOTE: There’s no way to turn off or remove the blue dots on either iOS or Android.
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