Gmail users will soon be able to identify legitimate senders with the introduction of blue check marks next to their names. This update is part of Google’s Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) feature, which requires senders to use strong authentication and verify their brand logo to display it as an avatar in emails. This will help users distinguish between legitimate senders and impersonators.
The blue checkmarks have recently gained attention due to Twitter’s verification process. Twitter officially removed its old blue checkmarks, while a glitch briefly brought them back for some users who updated their bios. Other digital platforms, such as YouTube, Pinterest, and TikTok, also offer their own version of verification.
In March, Meta followed in Elon Musk’s footsteps and launched paid verification badges, while LinkedIn recently introduced its own verification badges. Google noted in a blog post that strong email authentication helps users and email security systems identify and stop spam, and also enables senders to leverage their brand trust.
When users hover over the blue check mark next to a sender’s name, they will see a message indicating that the sender has verified ownership of the domain and logo in the profile picture. The blue checkmarks will be rolling out today across both Workspace and personal Google accounts.
