Does delivery prove the recipient received the message?¶

A message may be marked as delivered, and that status can be useful.

Evidential caution: that “delivered” proves the intended person personally received and became aware of the message.

What this means¶

Delivery normally means that the service recorded the message reaching a destination defined by that service. Depending on the platform, that destination may be an account, a device, one of several linked devices or a server responsible for the recipient.

The receiving device may have been unattended, switched between users or controlled by somebody else. The account may be active on a linked computer. A notification may have displayed the content without the conversation being opened. In some systems, delivery can occur while the intended user has lost access to the account.

What to check or do next¶

• Preserve the message status, time, time zone and any visible indicators. Where the distinction matters, seek the service’s current documentation or specialist interpretation.
• Look for corroboration of actual receipt. A reply, reaction, later reference to the content, account activity, witness evidence or conduct consistent with awareness may be relevant. Even then, consider whether the same person controlled the account throughout.
• Use careful language in reports. “The service recorded the message as delivered to the recipient account” is usually more defensible than “The recipient received the message.” If delivery to a specific device can be established, say so, but do not silently convert device delivery into personal receipt.

Evidential limits¶

It does not necessarily mean that the recipient opened the application, saw the message or understood its contents.

The precise meaning of a delivery indicator depends on the service and may change over time. Do not assume that familiar symbols have the same meaning across different platforms.