After introducing in 2022, Google Messages for Android has removed a “Nudges” capability that provided reply and birthday reminders.
The first Nudge served as “reply reminders to follow up after a certain time to a message you sent or received.” The concept was first introduced in 2018 for Gmail (where it remains available). Google Messages would:
- “Prompt you to reply to messages you haven’t yet replied to”
- “Show outgoing messages that you haven’t followed up on”
Machine learning models were leveraged to determine whether a follow-up was needed, with conversations moved to the top of your homescreen list for prominence.
The second suggestion type would remind you about birthdays if that date is stored in your phone’s contacts app. This occurs on-device with birthdays “not uploaded to Google servers,” though that’s a moot point depending on the app you use.
Top comment by Ollie Francis
Improve on what's there or relegate features behind a switch hidden away in the settings - but removing it entirely only makes user experience worse for those who use it.
As of the latest Google Messages beta (version 20240429_01_RC00) and stable, Nudges no longer appear in Settings > Suggestions, which is now just home to Smart Reply, Suggestions (Attach recent photos, Create event, Start video call, Share location, or GIF search), Magic Compose, and Suggested stickers. As of today, Google still advertises the capability on an Android landing page introduced in late March.
It follows Messages in 2023 removing the Assistant integration. Messages considered a replacement feature called “Spotlights,” but that never materialized. In terms of smarts, we of course have Gemini today as a chatbot.
Google Contacts has invested a lot in reminders through both notifications and as prominent cards in the “Highlights” tab. The app is a more natural home for that capability especially if you don’t talk to people over RCS/SMS.
Meanwhile, Reply Nudges were an early example of Google applying AI to its apps with the capability receiving an I/O announcement.
More on Google Messages:
- Google Messages rolling out ‘expressive animations’ setting to turn off Reaction Effects
- Are Wear OS Tiles for Google Messages and Wallet coming?
- Google Messages Custom Bubble colors and backgrounds widely rolling out
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