Like other Google apps, Messages for Android A/B tests many features. It may take a long time for the RCS/SMS client to enable new functionality in stable mode. From various reports, Google adsand the devices we check are the current status of these Messages.
Update 6/27:
Still rolling (beta)
These are Messages features that Google has announced or discovered in the wild beta users.
(New) Chat topic
Google Messages allows you to further customize conversations with “Chat Threads”. Replacing Change Colors from 2024, you can access this new option from the three-dot overflow menu. Note the red icon when this is presented for your phone.
Colors carousel themes message bubbles. There are nine options, Dynamic Color is the first option and responds to the background of your conversation. Your other eight options are static as before.
The wallpapers option allows you to change the background of the chat. In addition to uploading your own photo, Google offers the following collections: Animals, Architecture, Black and White, Cityscapes, Landscapes, Macro, Space, Sunsets, and Textures.
(New) iOS 27 adds replies and photo reactions to Android-iPhone RCS
When iOS 27 launches this fall, Android-iPhone conversations over RCS will gain support for built-in replies that include quotes instead of text descriptions, as well as photo reactions with actual emoji. This feature is currently in beta.
Instead of a toolbar, long-pressing an image or message opens a floating menu, while Google partially centers what you’re looking at. The background blurs while you experience haptic feedback.
Refresh: This long-press menu is seeing wider availability in the beta channel, but is not yet widely used.
Redesign of read receipts II
In recent weeks, Google Messages reverted to two circular read receipts below the message design after testing a single circle inside a bubble.
Google is now testing a variant that uses the old icons but carries the time stamp and encryption lock. Now you view this information by swiping left and direct answers by swiping right.
Samsung Messages will be discontinued in July
In the US, Samsung is forcing users to switch to Google Messages. On Android 14+, Google’s RCS app will “automatically move to your home screen dock” after migration.
Messages for web to remove QR code pairing
In the future, Messages for web users will need to use a Google Account login. As of the end of April, the QR code method is still available.
Redesign of reading receipts I
Read receipts are now placed in a circle in the lower right corner of message bubbles and images. You can swipe left to see timestamps and encryption lock, and swipe right to reply. It appeared first August 2024but now he sees wide beta and stable presence.
| Ellipse | Sent |
| Single check with ring | Sent |
| Double check with the ring | Delivered |
| Double check the solid circle | Read it |
Latest releases (stable)
Bolder voicemail button
Google is now theming the voicemail button with a bolder color, after previously matching the waveform to the layout area
Old and new
Tap to draft
This new option helps reduce random Smart Answers. After enabling it in Settings > Offers & Actions > Offers, tapping Smart Reply will place it in the text field to allow further edits before manually tapping the Send button. “Click to send” remains available and is the default behavior.
Selfie GIF appears in sequence
Fixed an issue where the ‘Selfie GIF’ option would not appear consistently in the Google ‘plus’ menu every time you opened attachments. This resulted in the “One Time Location” shortcut moving between spots, thereby affecting muscle memory. This is fixed in stable version 20260428_00_RC02.
Encrypted RCS for Android and iPhone with iOS 26.5
On May 11, Apple released iOS 26.5 with end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) RCS. Chats/messages between Android and iOS users cannot be read by anyone else as they are sent between phones.
Google Messages users will still see the lock when talking to someone on their iPhone. The iOS Messages app will display “Text Message · RCS | (lock icon) Encrypted” in the center of the screen.
Encrypted RCS “will be automatically enabled for new and existing RCS conversations over time.” Apple says it’s “available on supported carriers and rolling out over time.” make sure you run latest version Google Messages. Supported carriers are: mentioned here.
In the US, this is AT&T, Boost Mobile, C Spire, Cellcom Wisconsin, Consumer Cellular, Cox Mobile, Cricket, Family Mobile, FirstNet, Metro by T-Mobile, Mint Mobile, Nex-Tech Wireless, PureTalk, Red Pocket, Spectrum, Strata, T-Mobile USA, TracFone, Ultraight Mobile, US Talk C, Veriless. Visible and Xfinity Mobile.
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