Short Message Service (SMS) has been a staple of text messaging since the flip phone, but it may be time to let it evolve. SMS was created in 1992, back when cellphones could be mistaken for bricks.

Google Messages shows check marks and other symbols on your texts to hint at what's happening behind the scenes. Here's what each of these means.

Rahul Naskar has years of experience writing news and features related to Android, phones, and apps. Outside the tech world, he follows global events and developments shaping the world of geopolitics.