Google Messages continues to expand its RCS and SMS toolkit, with a mix of features already live in the stable channel and others still being A/B tested with beta users. Because the app frequently trials new functionality before a wide release, some tools can take months to reach every Android device. Here is where things currently stand for the messaging client.
Features still rolling out in beta
Google is testing a customizable attachments grid, currently offered in two designs, one of which takes up more of the screen than the other. The company is also trialing a new long-press menu: instead of relying on a top toolbar, pressing and holding a message or image opens a floating menu while the background blurs. A second press lets you copy just part of a chat, rather than the entire message as before.
When iOS 27 arrives this fall, Android-to-iPhone conversations over RCS will gain inline replies with quotes, plus photo reactions that display the actual emoji rather than a text description. That capability is currently in beta.
Read receipts are also being reworked. In recent weeks, Messages has largely reverted to the two-circle read receipt design placed beneath the message, after experimenting with a single circle inside the bubble. A newer variant keeps the older icons but relocates the timestamp and encryption lock, which users now view by swiping left, while a right swipe opens a direct reply. An earlier redesign placed read receipts in a circle at the bottom-right corner of message bubbles and images, with the same swipe gestures for timestamps, the encryption lock, and replies. That first version began appearing in August 2024 and is now seeing wide beta and stable availability.
Messages for web is changing how users connect. Going forward, sign-in will require a Google Account. As of late April, the QR code pairing method was still available.
Recent launches in the stable channel
The headline addition is Chat theme, which lets users extensively customize individual conversations. It replaces the “Change colors” option introduced in 2024 and is accessed from the three-dot overflow menu. A red badge signals when the feature has reached your phone, and themes appear only on your own device.
The Colors carousel styles message bubbles across nine options, with Dynamic Color listed first and adjusting to the background of the chat. The Wallpapers option changes the conversation background, allowing users to upload their own image or choose from Google-provided collections such as Animals.
Other stable updates
Additional changes have already shipped to the stable release. Samsung Messages has been discontinued, the voice message button now appears bolder, and a tap-to-draft function is available. Alongside these, Google has continued refining smaller interface elements across the app.
As of late April, the QR code pairing option for Messages for web remained accessible before the shift to Google Account sign-in.
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Image: 9to5google.com
