With RCS, pictures that you send and receive are much higher resolution than they would be via MMS, but Google Messages is now testing a “Send photos faster” setting.
Expand Expanding Close
Back in December, Google rolled out a unified Pixel Launcher search experience, and a small tweak now sees a different Messages shortcut.
Expand Expanding Close
Vodafone is pulling the plug on its own RCS implementation in the coming days, with an alert to customers going out now.
Expand Expanding Close
Have you ever been unsure of how best to reply to a friend? Google Messages is readying a new AI generation feature that could make replying to text messages easy as can be.
Expand Expanding Close
Google introduced voice message transcription with the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro before later making it available to older generations. Google Messages is now improving the creation experience with a redesign of the voice recorder UI in development.
Expand Expanding Close
After bigger changes to “RCS” branding and read receipt icons in recent weeks, Google Messages for Android is adding a contact’s profile photo to the top of conversations.
Expand Expanding Close
After testing in October, Google Messages looks to be widely rolling out a redesign of read receipts with icons replacing words (sent, delivered, and read).
Expand Expanding Close
Back in November, Google started testing a vertical photo gallery in Messages for Android, and the scrolling picker is now seeing wider availability.
Expand Expanding Close
With every app change, learning new icons and tools is an adjustment period. The Google Messages app is going through that now, changing up what a sent, delivered, and read message icon looks like. Here’s how to read those icons to know what your RCS message is doing.
Expand Expanding Close
Since last year’s “Get the Message” advertising campaign online and in New York City, awareness of Rich Communication Services (RCS) is growing more mainstream. Google is now making RCS even more consumer-facing by prominently surfacing the name of the standard — a brand, of sorts — in Messages for Android.
Expand Expanding Close
Last year we saw the Google Messages icon design change into something new. Even though that change was around three months ago, users are just now seeing the notification icon for Google Messages reflect the new design.
Expand Expanding Close
Back in November, Google Messages started testing the ability to react with any emoji, and it’s now getting wider availability.
Expand Expanding Close
In recent months, Android’s Messages app quietly lost its Google Assistant integration. However, Google Messages might be replacing that functionality with something called “Spotlights.”
Expand Expanding Close
Google recently finished rolling out end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for group chats in beta, but the Messages capability currently has a 21-person limit.
Expand Expanding Close
There’s absolutely no reason anyone needs just to accept random spam texts or otherwise uninvited messages. This guide will take you through how to block a number in Google Messages on your Android device.
Expand Expanding Close
Starting today, Google is rolling out end-to-end encryption (E2EE) in group chats for Messages users enrolled in the beta program.
Expand Expanding Close
Back in September, Google started updating the account switcher found in the top-right corner of all its Android apps, and it’s now getting more Material You and Dynamic Color.
Expand Expanding Close
Back in September of 2021, Gmail gained a new “Google Illustrations” tool that lets you create a custom profile pic, and it’s now available in Google Contacts.
Expand Expanding Close
Google Messages is absolutely rich with features. The RCS app’s selection of settings makes it a fantastic default messaging app for the Google Pixel or any Android phone. This guide will take you through everything we think you should set up in Google Messages on your Android device.
Expand Expanding Close
In addition to a slew of other announcements in October, Google shared that group end-to-end encryption (E2EE) in Messages would start rolling out by year’s end. Ahead of that, some uses are seeing how Google Messages will note E2E encryption status in group chats.
Expand Expanding Close
In addition to an updated icon, Google Messages has a new “sent” sound that more people are now encountering on Android.
Expand Expanding Close
After testing new delivered/read indicators and a photo picker redesign, Google Messages is beginning to roll out full emoji reactions for some users.
Expand Expanding Close
In addition to introducing a handful of Messages features, Google is rolling out new icons for the SMS/RCS app, as well as Phone and Contacts.
Expand Expanding Close
Google previewed that a number of new features are coming to Messages last month, but one that didn’t get highlighted is a new photo picker that’s starting to appear for some users.
Expand Expanding Close