Google Messages wants feedback from beta users

Abner Li | Nov 4 2023 - 1:45 pm PT

Google Messages has rolled out quite a few new features in recent weeks — but has not publicly announced them — and the team is now seeking beta feedback.

Opening a conversation today greets you with a banner at the top of the screen: “As a beta tester, you’re using a new version of Messages and we’d like to know what you think.”

Tapping “Share feedback” takes you to the “Send Feedback” tool that all Google apps use. In Messages, it can be accessed from “Help & feedback” in the account menu. The shortcut is at the very bottom.

Today’s Google Messages prompt is a bit vague. The biggest launch was Google Account-based Device pairing earlier this week that serves as a substitute to the QR code method. The beta feedback banner could have appeared directly in the Device pairing page if the Google Messages team wanted more specific feedback.

Google is also in the process of rolling out the redesigned voice messages recorder. Some people have the new UI, while others are just seeing a new icon.

Before that, Messages widely rolled out a new homescreen that replaced the navigation drawer for the account menu. Other features that Google is testing include animated emoji, a shortcut to launch the camera on the homescreen, and redesigned conversation picker. As always, availability — save for the new homescreen — is quite limited.