A mango is ripe and ready to eat when it shows these signs:

• It gives slightly to gentle pressure when you squeeze it with your fingers or the ball of your hand; a ripe mango feels soft but not mushy. Hard mangoes need more time to ripen.
• It emits a sweet, fruity aroma near the stem end. Unripe mangoes have little to no smell, and overripe mangoes smell sour or fermented.
• The flesh around the stalk should appear firm and juicy, and the stalk may protrude slightly.
• The skin color changes depending on the variety, usually turning from green to shades of yellow, orange, red, or a combination. However, color alone is not a reliable indicator since it varies by type.
• Wrinkles may start to appear on the skin as the mango softens.
• When cut open, the flesh of a ripe mango should be bright orange or yellow, depending on the variety. Pale or brownish flesh indicates underripe or overripe fruit.

If you want to speed up ripening, you can store mangoes at room temperature, ideally wrapped in newspaper or placed next to ethylene-producing fruits like apples or pears. Once ripe, mangoes can be refrigerated to slow further ripening. Overall, the best way to tell if a mango is ripe is by checking its softness and aroma together.