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Google Messages is working on advanced parental controls
Select conversations can be hidden from view
Google Messages is bundled by default on some of the best Android phones available today. Like most messaging apps, Messages also undergoes occasional changes, like the recent and somewhat controversial revamp of the in-app camera UI. We're now stumbling upon another new, under-development Google Messages feature pertaining to parental controls.
Android has a new way to colorfully animate messages since Google rolled out emoji reaction effects to Google Messages. Reaction effects empower your conversations using emojis embedded into your texts. You can add reactions to your chats, creating a more dynamic and expressive flow in your conversations. The best part is that you do not need to upgrade from budget phone options to access these nifty Google Messages features.
How to retrieve deleted texts on your Samsung phone
Lost your texts? Here are a few tips to bring back your messages
Social media and instant messaging apps help us connect with our loved ones in various ways. From making plans to sharing important information to sending quick replies, texting is many people's main form of communication.
Magic Compose tips and tricks to send flawless messages
Learn how to put Magic Compose into effect and how to make the most of this feature
Magic Compose is an experimental feature in Google Messages. It uses the company's generative AI technology to craft context-appropriate, stylized responses. The feature is available in beta, and Google is rolling it out to more users. While this feature is not available to Android Go users, you can access it on other devices, whether it's a budget Android phone or a flagship.
Google Messages has picked up a ton of features over the past several months. Meanwhile, developers continue to grind out new and useful functionality for the messaging app, such as safeguards to reduce RCS spam. However, not all feature additions are perfect, and the app's text field redesign is a fine example of that. Thankfully, it looks like Google has heard people's complaints against this redesign, which first appeared several months ago.
Google has a drastic solution for RCS spam
A new confirmation dialog box will pop up when you tap on an external link
RCS should eventually entirely replace SMS, as it provides a better text messaging experience. This transition should speed up once Apple adds support for the communication protocol to the iPhone's Messages app later this year. But RCS has its own pain points, with uncontrolled spam being among the biggest. At one point, the situation was so bad in India that Google had to turn off RCS promotional messages altogether. Google now appears set to take a drastic step to reduce unwanted promotional messages and discourage scammers from using RCS.
Satellite connectivity in Google Messages may work for more than just emergencies
The connection would not support the exchange of photos and videos
It can be frustrating when you’re on the go and your phone lacks connectivity, and it always seems to happen when you need it the most. Perhaps you need to contact a friend when you’re running late, but you don’t have any signal or Wi-Fi. Manufacturers are now working with mobile service providers to resolve the issue by developing a new type of connectivity, and all you need is clear skies. Satellite connectivity is one option being explored by companies, including Google.
Gemini infects a new host and Galaxy AI goes mainstream in this week's news
This week in Android: Samsung and Google dominate the headlines with AI and updates
A leaked roadmap in late 2022 offered insight into Google's hardware plans, and a credible Pixel 9 rumor this week has corroborated some of what we saw there. Artificial intelligence wasn't part of that Google roadmap, but with the breakneck development speed of things like Gemini and Galaxy AI lately, there was no predicting what was to come in this arena. Even Google can't get its own story straight with Gemini Nano AI, but at least the company is under-promising and over-delivering on that and Circle to Search. Between these moves and a major Samsung One UI rollout, the two biggest players in the Android space absolutely dominated this week's top headlines.
There’s nothing more entertaining than some good old pettiness between two tech conglomerates that have a higher combined market capitalization than just two countries’ GDPs, but that’s what we have here. Apple and Alphabet (Google) have very little love for each other, and nowhere is that more felt than when both companies take shots at each other in their marketing efforts. Recently, Google has turned up the wick when it comes to fighting Apple’s market share, leading to the “Best Phones Forever” campaign that has poked fun at the iPhone 15’s USB-C implementation and the lack of Apple RCS support. That brings us to the latest Google-Apple spiciness, as Android’s new Google Messages landing page brags that RCS is coming to iPhones this fall.
Gemini in Google Messages sees a wide beta rollout
If you're lucky, you can now try out Gemini on the Messages app
Chatbots can be a bit of a puzzle for users because they're expected to do a lot: act as a search engine, help create things, and be an assistant, all rolled into one. This is even more challenging when it's a chatbot from Google. The search giant has been diving deep into AI to boost its search engine, voice assistant, and pretty much every other tool it has. Now, Google Gemini is starting to slide into your private messages too, if you're one of the lucky Google Messages beta testers.
Google wants you to know what you’ll miss by using Messages while logged out
A new warning page tries to nudge you towards staying logged in
Google Messages continues to grow in terms of its functionality as the company rolls out new features on an ongoing basis. For example, Google recently launched screen effects within the app, allowing users to send more animated messages. As Google account holders know, all you need is to log in if you want to use features, such as easy device pairing and Magic Compose. While you can still use Google Messages without an account, there are consequences that come with doing so — and now, Google wants to make sure you know what they are.
Latest Google Messages beta makes sending multiple images a breeze
Image editing tools are still missing, though
Google Messages is one of the staple chat apps on Android with support for RCS and conventional SMS messaging. Although it cannot hold a candle to the likes of WhatsApp and Telegram in terms of features, you can get by sharing images, location pins, stickers, GIFs, and voice notes in RCS chats. However, the user interface doesn’t make it very easy to share multiple images quickly. Thankfully, widespread beta testing for a potential fix ensued recently.
Google Messages gets a new camera UI, but it's not all roses
The new viewfinder is stripped down compared to the system camera app
Sharing photos and videos on your go-to messaging apps is an awesome way to stay connected with your loved ones. Google Messages has been making things even easier by adding a tweak to its UI and putting a camera icon right on the home screen to make it quicker to send photos and videos. Previously, you could only access the camera UI from within a specific conversation, and deciding between snapping a picture or recording a video wasn't as smooth. Now, Google is rolling out a new camera UI to fix some of those issues, though it's not flawless.
Google Messages is starting to roll out custom RCS colors
Blue bubbles on Android! And red bubbles, and orange bubbles, and...
It may not have the global adoption rates of WhatsApp or the mindshare of iMessage, but RCS is a big deal — particularly in the US, where a huge percentage of Android users are now chatting with the updated standard meant to replace MMS and SMS. Over the years, Google Messages has become the de facto home for RCS as the company continues to add features to both its app and its Jibe platform to help push the ecosystem forward. Now, RCS chats are gaining a significant customization option for some.
Google Messages is blocking RCS texts on rooted Android phones
The company says it is doing so to prevent spam and abuse
Rooting an Android phone is no longer as popular as it was a few years ago. Plus, if you root your phone now, you will run into several issues, like Google Wallet and banking apps not working, as the device will fail the Play Integrity API test. It makes sense for Google to block banking apps and payment functionality on rooted phones for safety and security reasons. But the company is now taking things a step further and has started blocking RCS from working in Google Messages on rooted or bootloader unlocked Android devices.
We've known for a while now that Google Messages would pick up some form of AI capabilities. Since the start of the year, we've come across multiple reports of Google Gemini (formerly Bard) integrating with Google Messages. This particular feature addition is now official, with Google announcing Gemini for Google Messages (in beta) as part of its multi-layered MWC 2024 announcements.
Google Messages is likely the chat app Google has taken most seriously out of all its failed attempts in the past. The RCS and SMS messenger keeps getting updates with important security features and quality-of-life enhancements. The latest improvement is the ability to double tap to send a thumbs-up reaction, which is currently rolling out in the beta version of Messages.
Google Messages could soon let you edit sent texts
A feature that has been available in all popular messaging apps for years now
The best messaging apps for Android allow you to edit the texts you send easily. Google Messages is the only outlier, lacking the ability to edit RCS messages. In December 2023, flags in the Messages beta app revealed that Google was working on this feature. A new report confirms the imminent arrival of the edit option for sent texts in Google Messages and sheds more light on how it will work.
Google Messages gradually rolls out Screen Effects
Type out some special phrases to get rewarding visuals
Google Messages celebrated a significant milestone last year, announcing that the service has a billion active RCS users. To commemorate the occasion, the Messages team also offered a preview of some new features coming to Google's messaging app. A few of these have already made their way to Messages in some parts of the world, including voice moods, AI-powered Photomoji, reaction effects, animated emoji, etc. However, Screen Effects, also revealed in the November 2023 preview, weren't activated. It looks like Google is now slowly but surely making this available to Messages users.
Google Messages could soon let you double tap to react
The feature was spotted in beta, but is not live in the app just yet
While it’s true that Google has a seemingly endless list of products and services, the company rarely lets one of its core products fall by the wayside. Google is proving this as it continues to develop new features for Messages, the default texting app for many Android devices, and the one at the forefront of the recent RCS push. Features like message reactions are core to the enhanced RCS experience. Now, it could get even easier to use them in ongoing conversations.