Advertising tends to creep its way into anything and everything you’re using in some form, and it seems that text messaging is a focus for some brands in India. Lately, Google Messages and its RCS messaging has been abused by businesses in India.
Google Messages Stories May 17
Google Messages Stories May 13
The latest update to Google Messages prepares to offer suggested actions for certain messages such as starring, scheduling, and more.
Google Messages Stories May 11
Google I/O is the tech giant’s annual chance to boast its wins, and also provide meaningful updates on where its various products stand. Below, we’ve collected some of the key numbers and metrics from Google I/O 2022.
Today at Google I/O 2022, Google confirmed that over 500 million people are actively using RCS messaging and took the chance to throw another dig at Apple.
Google Messages Stories April 22
A new bug in Google Messages leaves your camera on in the background, quickly draining your battery and heating up your device.
Update: Google has begun rolling out a fix for the Messages app.
Google Messages Stories April 21
Here’s what you can do with RCS and Google Messages – and why it’s worth trying
While straightforward SMS texting isn’t perfect by any means, the adoption of the RCS standard means you can do pretty neat things in Google Messages that you couldn’t for a very long time. Follow along to learn a few tips and tricks for using RCS messaging and Google Messages features to the fullest.
Google Messages Stories March 22
In response to a research paper outlining the data collected by Google’s Phone and Messages apps, including call and text records, the company has updated both apps to better respect privacy.
Google Messages Stories March 10
In recent weeks, Google has been testing and slowly rolling out a number of new features for Messages on Android. The company announced today that iMessage reactions, Google Photos integration, and several other capabilities will soon widely launch.
Google Messages Stories March 2
To help improve the auto-categorization of SMS and RCS messages, Google Messages is now asking selected users for SMS “donations.”
Google Messages Stories February 25
In a big win for Google, its Messages app is the default client for the Galaxy S22 in the US. However, Google’s RCS backend might not be powering your messaging experience and that might result in an extra step during the set-up process.
Last year, Google Messages in India started automatically categorizing your texts into categories. This auto-group capability is now starting to appear for users in other parts of the world.
Google Messages Stories February 19
Messages picked up a navigation drawer redesign and Google Photos integration at the start of this month, but it has yet to become widely available even on the beta channel. Users that have it noticed today that image upload capability has disappeared.
Google Messages Stories February 15
[Update: Rolling out] Google Messages prepares setting to disable pinch to zoom text size [Gallery]
Google Messages is preparing a new setting that will keep you from accidentally zooming and increasing the size of your text.
Update: This option is now rolling out to those in the Google Messages beta.
Google Messages Stories February 14
Messaging on Android has been a mess for years, but the tide is finally changing. With Google Messages bringing enhanced RCS messaging to virtually any Android user that wants it, there’s finally a “default.” Now, RCS is getting a big boost as Samsung has finally adopted Google Messages as its default app in the United States.
Google Messages Stories February 9
Google Duo debuts Live Sharing, Messages getting inline YouTube previews on Galaxy S22
As part of Galaxy Unpacked, Google announced a handful of first-party app updates that go hand-in-hand with the new Galaxy S22 and Tab S8. This covers Google Messages, Duo Live Sharing, and Voice Access.
Google Messages Stories February 4
After we enabled on Wednesday, Google Messages is starting to roll out the navigation drawer redesign in Photos integration.
Google Messages Stories February 2
As Google starts rolling out iMessage reaction translations, Messages is readying a navigation drawer that surprisingly bucks the company’s recent design trend. Meanwhile, we have more details on how Google Photos media uploads will work.
Google Messages Stories January 31
As we spotted in November and following the latest push for RCS support on iPhone earlier this month, Google Messages is starting to roll out iMessage reactions in beta for Android users.
Google Messages Stories January 10
Over the past year, Google has publicly pressured Apple to support Rich Communication Services. The latest salvo this weekend was the harshest yet, but RCS on the iPhone is not the panacea to Google’s historical messaging woes, nor will support lead to a transformatively better experience for Android users when interacting with their iPhone counterparts.
After critical comments on Saturday, Android chief Hiroshi Lockheimer is back with some “thoughts and clarifications” on RCS and iMessage.
Messaging is a core part of any smartphone, and it’s something that Apple has really nailed with the iPhone and iMessage. Googlers have voiced their frustration recently over how Apple uses iMessage as a tool for lock-in and while Apple’s resistance to RCS and other cross-platform standards is certainly annoying, the context of Google’s countless failures in messaging don’t really help the company’s case.
Google Messages Stories December 25, 2021
Just got a new Android smartphone for the holidays? If it’s your first one it could be a little intimidating so, to get you started, here are 5 apps you should immediately install or set up on a new Android device. Alternatively, if you’re not already using these apps, it might be time to give them a shot!
Google Messages Stories November 19, 2021
The latest update to Google Messages prepares for a new way to handle the annoying iMessage reaction messages often seen in mixed group chats.
Update: This feature has already begun rolling out for some, allowing us to see it in action.
Google Messages Stories November 5, 2021
Google is all-in on Rich Communication Services (RCS) as its main consumer messaging strategy. That said, Google Messages is working on the ability to have video usually sent over MMS be sent using Google Photos instead.
Google Messages Stories October 7, 2021
The latest beta version of Google Messages widely introduces a Material You redesign, but the Dynamic Color aspect for Pixel devices running Android 12 is currently incomplete.
Google Messages Stories October 4, 2021
WhatsApp is down but Google Messages and RCS proves a perfect alternative
As Facebook scrambles to get Instagram and WhatsApp back up online after an extended period where the services are down, Google Messages might provide the perfect alternative.
Google Messages Stories September 2, 2021
Google Messages now rolling out overhauled Wear OS app
The new Wear OS revamp is coming with a lot of new and improved Google apps. Next on the list? Google Messages, which is now rolling out its revamped Wear OS app to users on hardware both new and old.
Google Messages Stories September 1, 2021
In July, Google rolled out a new unified emoji, GIF, and sticker picker for Android’s default SMS/RCS client. The latest tweak sees Google Messages get an attachments menu redesign to access all the things you can send besides text.
Google Messages Stories August 31, 2021
In the midst of Hurricane Ida, I’ve found that RCS is not ready to be depended upon, while Google Messages has not thought out all the edge cases for the future.
Google Messages Stories August 11, 2021
Google Pay for Wear OS gets a facelift, works on Galaxy Watch 4; Messages app rolling out
While Google is moving on from older Wear OS products with the debut of its revamped platform, it’s not abandoning it. Today, Google has revealed that it is bringing a new Google Pay app and a new Messages app to Wear OS that will be present on Galaxy Watch 4, but also available soon to older Wear OS products.
Google Messages Stories July 20, 2021
Messaging has always been a tough point for Android phones compared to iPhones simply because iMessage is, put simply, very good both for its experience and its security. As Google finally solves that problem with expanded adoption of RCS with end-to-end encryption, the company is pushing for its rival, Apple, to do the same by pointing out that the current fallback method instantly drops security.
From 2022, Verizon will begin preloading Google Messages as the default SMS and RCS messaging app on all Android phones sold by the US carrier.
Google Messages Stories July 13, 2021
There are many ways to enter emoji and other expressive media, with most messaging apps offering their own experience. Google Messages is now redesigning its emoji and GIF picker while simplifying entry.
Google Messages Stories July 9, 2021
Google Messages is preparing a new, specialized Android permission that will help you send RCS messages from a tablet or smartwatch using Samsung’s “Continuity.”
Google Messages Stories June 30, 2021
Google and AT&T announced today that the carrier would be using the Messages app and Rich Communicate Services (RCS) on all Android phones in the US.
Google Messages Stories June 29, 2021
If somebody sends you an important text/chat, your natural inclination today on how to save it is most likely screenshotting. Google wants to replace that behavior with the new built-in ability to star in Messages for Android.
Google Messages Stories June 28, 2021
As we spotted in development last year, Google Messages will now “automatically sort your messages into categories.” This feature, along with auto-deleting one-time passwords (OTPs), is rolling out starting in India.
Google Messages Stories June 18, 2021
From rolling out end-to-end encryption to the upcoming ability to star messages, Google’s RCS/SMS client has seen a number of feature additions recently. You can now pinch-to-zoom to change the font size in Google Messages for Android.
Google Messages Stories June 15, 2021
Back in November, Google announced that it would start testing end-to-end encryption in Messages for Android. After being limited to the beta channel, E2EE is now rolling out to all stable users.
Google Messages Stories June 9, 2021
Just over three weeks ago, Google announced Material You as its hyper-personalized design system for creating apps that adapt to users, specifically their Android wallpapers. It will take some time for all apps to get updated, but here’s an early look at Material You theming for Google Messages.
Google Messages Stories May 31, 2021
Google generalizes ‘Messages for web’ sign-in to ‘Device Pairing’
Save for Fi integration, the Messages for web experience hasn’t seen too many updates in recent years. The latest Google Messages for Android makes an odd tweak that renames the web client set-up process to “Device Pairing.”
Google Messages Stories April 29, 2021
You can install the One UI version of Google Messages on a Pixel
It emerged earlier this week that Google’s default RCS client is rolling out a Samsung-specific design for the Galaxy S21 series. Those curious about how it looks and works can install the One UI variant of Google Messages on non-Samsung devices, including Pixel phones.
Google Messages Stories April 27, 2021
Recently, Samsung made Google Messages the default messaging app on the Galaxy S21 series outside of the US, instead of their own app. It seems the next step of this change is that Google has more widely launched a redesign for the Messages app that looks more like Samsung’s One UI on Galaxy S21 series phones.
Google Messages Stories March 29, 2021
Google and T-Mobile today announced a big partnership that sees the carrier promote key services like RCS, Google One, and YouTube TV, as well as the Pixel line.
Google Messages Stories February 23, 2021
While Google Messages offers a variety of exclusive features like bringing RCS to more Android phones and allowing texting from the web, there are quite a few things it can’t do. One of those is about to change, as it seems Google has begun to allow a lucky few to schedule when messages should be sent.
Update: Scheduled sending for the Google Messages app is now widely available.
Google Messages Stories January 19, 2021
With unique features like RCS messaging and a handy web client, Google Messages has become an essential SMS/MMS app for Android. It seems that later this year, Google intends for its Messages app to stop working on uncertified Android devices.
Google Messages Stories January 15, 2021
As RCS takes over the default messaging service on Android, Google Messages is leading the charge. Yesterday, Samsung and Google announced that Google Messages would be “native” to the Galaxy S21 but without going into detail on what that meant. Now, we’ve got a bit more context.
Google Messages Stories January 14, 2021
Samsung devotes a portion of every Unpacked event to talk about its partners, and the Google segment today revealed how Messages is “native” on the Galaxy S21, while you can connect Duo video calls to your TV.
