In order to combat phishing attempts, the blue badge for certified companies is coming to the Android and iOS versions of Gmail. A good way to see at a glance if an email comes from a legitimate sender or a scammer!
Account certification has become an essential element on the Web. Whether on X (ex Twitter), on LinkedIn or even on Facebook and Instagram with the Meta Verified offer, platforms increasingly offer to display a small blue check mark, symbolizing the user’s reliability. The fault lies in the proliferation of identity theft and fake news!
Google was also quick to adopt this certification system in Gmail. Thus, its mail service benefited from the arrival of blue badges guaranteeing the identity of message senders in May 2023. A good way to spot phishing attempts, with, for example, emails claiming to come from an Internet operator or the Health Insurance Fund! But, until now, this certification was only visible from the Web version of the messaging service. A year later, it is finally visible on the mobile application on Android and iOS, as Google announced in a blog post. Great news! The company is rolling it out now, and it should be available on all mobiles in the coming weeks.
Gmail Badges: Spot Certified Businesses at a Glance
Typically, when you receive an email from a verified account, the brand logo appears in the avatar location instead of the initial of its name – this is the case when you receive an email from Google, Netflix or Airbnb, for example. It is the presence of this logo that assures the user that it is indeed the official address of the company, and not yet another phishing attempt. However, Google has noticed that not everyone is necessarily familiar with this authentication technique. The giant has therefore decided, in 2023, to implement the famous blue check mark that makes the message appear “the sender of this email is certified” when hovering over it. A way to tell the difference between companies and scammers at a glance.
To obtain this certification, companies must join Gmail’s BIM (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) program, which has been available since 2021 – those who have already signed up will automatically get the blue checkmark. Google support explains the details of the procedure, which is quite technical. The verification badge is available to Google Workspace subscribers, but also to all individuals with a personal Google account.