Like most Google apps, Messages A/B tests many features. However, it takes the RCS/SMS client a rather long time to actually launch these capabilities in stable even after they are announced. From various reports, Google itself, and devices we’ve checked, this is the current state of Messages.
Expand Expanding Close
Following last week’s announcement, Google Messages is widely rolling out features like “Snooze notifications” and “Delete for everyone” to the stable channel.
Expand Expanding Close
Historically, the Google Messages beta offers a stable experience, but there’s currently a bug that crashes the app when trying to share images and links.
Expand Expanding Close
The new Google Messages Gallery redesign makes the bold choice of making this common action require a fullscreen interface and attaching a large camera viewfinder. There’s no way to revert to the previous design, but turning off the camera might help.
Expand Expanding Close
Alongside the Android 16 launch and June 2025 Pixel Drop, Google is highlighting the latest (app) features for all Android devices.
Expand Expanding Close
After widely rolling out the redesigned compose field last month, Google Messages is now addressing a common complaint about the 4-line limit when drafting by letting the text box get much taller.
Expand Expanding Close
After debuting in the conversation view earlier this week, Material 3 Expressive is coming to more parts of Google Messages beta, including the media viewer and search experience.
Expand Expanding Close
After testing first got underway in November of 2024, Google Messages is now widely rolling out a big redesign of the gallery and camera interface.
Expand Expanding Close
More Google Messages beta users now have the Material 3 Expressive redesign of the chat interface, while it’s also beginning to appear on the app’s homepage.
Expand Expanding Close
Following Gmail for some users and Photos, Google Messages is beginning to roll out a Material 3 Expressive redesign of just the chat interface.
Expand Expanding Close
Google Messages is rolling out a tweaked “New chat” page to let you immediately check which contacts have RCS enabled.
Expand Expanding Close
After a years-long wait, Apple finally added RCS messaging support to the iPhone last year, and that’s resulted in over 1 billion RCS messages being sent every day in the US alone between both Android and iOS devices.
Expand Expanding Close
In a bid to improve messaging security, Google has announced that the Key Verifier function will be coming to Android. This function will ensure that contact credentials are legitimate.
Expand Expanding Close
Google Messages for Android is getting the ability to delete a chat message for everyone in a group RCS conversation.
Expand Expanding Close
Google is beginning to roll out the ability to personalize group chats in Messages for Android with custom icons.
Expand Expanding Close
Google Messages is gaining a new “Unsubscribe” feature to combat spam and other unwanted SMS texts or RCS chats from business senders.
Expand Expanding Close
Following last year’s announcement, Google Messages is rolling out Sensitive Content Warnings that blur nude images on Android.
Expand Expanding Close
Google Messages looks to be planning a sizable update to group chats, with the highlight being an ability to “join this group with this unique link or QR code.”
Expand Expanding Close
After spending 2024 cycling through different looks before reverting to the original for some reason, Google Messages has widely rolled out a redesign of the text field.
Expand Expanding Close
One of the downsides of RCS messaging for a while was a lack of support for end-to-end encryption but, now, the GSMA has announced that the latest update to RCS will add the long-awaited security layer, and both Google and Apple will support it.
Expand Expanding Close
Google Messages has addressed slowdowns, failures, and other issues with receiving media in Android’s RCS app.
Expand Expanding Close
Alongside the Pixel (Feature) Drop today, Google is announcing the latest Android features for Spring/March 2025, with Find My Device ‘People’ sharing and Android Auto games leading the way.
Expand Expanding Close
Back in December, Google Messages rolled out the latest text field redesign and a new version makes it ever so slightly bigger.
Expand Expanding Close
The latest Scam Detection features for Google Messages and the Phone by Google app are coming to Pixel with a March update.
Expand Expanding Close