Google Messages for web removing QR code pairing

Abner Li | Mar 23 2026 - 9:23 am PT

Today, you can use Google Messages for web using QR code pairing or Google Account sign-in. The original login method will soon go away.

Opening messages.google.com/web and using the QR pairing option today reveals a new prompt to “Sign in with your Google account to stay connected.” Specifically, “QR code pairing is going away soon.”

To avoid interruption, sign in with your Google Account to pair with Messages for web.

This was the original sign-in method before Google introduced Account logins in 2023 that involved entering your credentials (if not already signed in) and being shown an emoji that you have to select on your phone.

Despite the name, Google Messages for web is also the company’s solution to accessing SMS and RCS on your Android tablet. What looks like a native Google Messages application appears on that large screen form factor, but it’s essentially a Progressive Web App (PWA). The lack of a more native experience, with the Messages app already offering a large screen interface on foldables, remains a pain point.

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The sign-in change that requires a Google Account might add login friction for some, but the vast majority of people are arguably already signed in to Gmail or YouTube on their browser.

Google Messages does not specify when QR codes are being removed beyond “soon.” Hopefully, this change will enable the company to modernize the Messages for web experience.