Google Messages

Like most Google apps, Messages A/B tests many features. However, it takes the RCS/SMS client a rather long time to actually launch these capabilities in stable even after they are announced. From various reports, Google itself, and devices we’ve checked, this is the current state of Messages.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Messages is addressing how some users do not like the redesigned fullscreen camera + gallery interface by adding a dedicated shortcut to access the latter.
Expand Expanding CloseThe Google Messages redesign started widely rolling out to the stable channel last week, and Material 3 Expressive is now available on the actual chat screen.
Expand Expanding CloseAs previewed last year, Google Messages is beginning to roll out QR code-based key verification to confirm that you’re “communicating with the person you intend to.”
Expand Expanding CloseAfter testing since June, Google Messages is rolling out its Material 3 Expressive redesign, including an updated homepage, to the stable channel.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Messages was one of the first apps to beta test Material 3 Expressive, and the redesign is now making its way to the stable channel.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Messages for Android has now rolled out Sensitive Content Warnings that blur nude images.
Expand Expanding CloseToday’s Google Messages beta introduces a small bug that has you seeing two identical icons for the Android app.
Expand Expanding CloseAs of Thursday afternoon, some Google Messages users are having the app crash a few seconds after opening.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle is rolling out a redesign of the Messages app’s Details experience that leverages Material 3 Expressive.
Expand Expanding CloseLike on Android phones, Google Messages is testing a straightforward M3 Expressive redesign on Wear OS.
Expand Expanding CloseBack in March, cross-platform end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS was announced, and Google Messages is beginning to test the new Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Messages is addressing a big complaint of the combined gallery and camera redesign by letting users access each separately.
Expand Expanding CloseFollowing last week’s announcement, Google Messages is widely rolling out features like “Snooze notifications” and “Delete for everyone” to the stable channel.
Expand Expanding CloseHistorically, the Google Messages beta offers a stable experience, but there’s currently a bug that crashes the app when trying to share images and links.
Expand Expanding CloseThe new Google Messages Gallery redesign makes the bold choice of making this common action require a fullscreen interface and attaching a large camera viewfinder. There’s no way to revert to the previous design, but turning off the camera might help.
Expand Expanding CloseAlongside the Android 16 launch and June 2025 Pixel Drop, Google is highlighting the latest (app) features for all Android devices.
Expand Expanding CloseAfter widely rolling out the redesigned compose field last month, Google Messages is now addressing a common complaint about the 4-line limit when drafting by letting the text box get much taller.
Expand Expanding CloseAfter debuting in the conversation view earlier this week, Material 3 Expressive is coming to more parts of Google Messages beta, including the media viewer and search experience.
Expand Expanding CloseAfter testing first got underway in November of 2024, Google Messages is now widely rolling out a big redesign of the gallery and camera interface.
Expand Expanding CloseMore Google Messages beta users now have the Material 3 Expressive redesign of the chat interface, while it’s also beginning to appear on the app’s homepage.
Expand Expanding CloseFollowing Gmail for some users and Photos, Google Messages is beginning to roll out a Material 3 Expressive redesign of just the chat interface.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Messages is rolling out a tweaked “New chat” page to let you immediately check which contacts have RCS enabled.
Expand Expanding CloseAfter a years-long wait, Apple finally added RCS messaging support to the iPhone last year, and that’s resulted in over 1 billion RCS messages being sent every day in the US alone between both Android and iOS devices.
Expand Expanding Close