If you’re an Android user, it’s no secret that Google Messages is the go-to messaging app on the platform. Most Android smartphones actually have it pre-installed on their phones.
If your Android device doesn’t have Google Messages installed, you can easily install it from the Playstore.
Messages is mostly popular among users because Google is consistent in updating the app regularly across various facets, be it design or features.
Additionally, the introduction of Rich communication services (RCS) on Messages a few years back, in an effort to make the messaging experience more engaging also makes Google Messages a solid case for Messages on Android.
As a continuation of this practice, Google has again announced a bunch of new features to the Messages app. Here’s a look at some of the new Messages features aimed to enhance your messaging experience going forward.
1. Respond to an Individual Message
This handy feature lets you respond to individual messages in a conversation and is available once you enable RCS inside Messages.
With this feature, you can selectively reply to any message in a conversation without interrupting the flow. So, say, for instance, if you’re exchanging texts in a group, you can now respond to people’s messages selectively to avoid causing confusion to other group members.
2. Reminders in Messages
Google is bringing reminders in Messages to help you remember important upcoming events in your calendar. Basically, with this new feature, you can set a reminder to remind yourself to call someone or schedule an appointment.
Additionally, Google Messages will also intelligently pick up events like birthdays or anniversaries you’ve assigned to your contacts and remind you to wish them when you open the Messages app.
3. SMS Reactions
As part of a Messages update earlier this year, Google introduced the ability to interpret reactions from iPhone users.
With this update, whenever an iPhone user reacts to your message, rather than alerting you about the same in the form of text, Messages now grabs the reaction, understands it, and adds an appropriate emoji reaction that matches the exact sense of the reaction.
Now, taking this a step further, Google is adding the ability to respond to SMS messages from iPhone users via reactions. Once the feature is available, if you receive a message from an iPhone user as an SMS, you can respond to it using emojis.
4. Voice Message Transcription
Google has added the Voice Message Transcription feature in Messages that helps you transcribe voice messages into text. It uses machine learning to transcribe the incoming audio message into text, so you can view its content—just like a regular message—without having to play the audio.
Voice Message Transcription will be available on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 series, along with Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series and the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
5. Ability To Star Messages You’ll Need Later
Before this update, if you wanted to find a message in a conversation, you had to look it up manually using search. But with the latest update to Google Messages, you can now star important messages to find them later quickly and easily.
Messages makes this possible by suggesting that you star a message whenever there’s one containing an address, phone number, or door code. You can then choose to either ignore it or star it to make the message easier to find later.
6. Quick Video Calls
At times texting can feel tiresome and hopping onto a video call may seem like a better mode to communicate with the other person.
With this idea, when you receive a text message from the other person to get on a video call, like “Can you talk now?”, Messages will now recognize it and suggest a Meet call. It will show you the Meet icon next to the message, which you can tap to start a video call.
Similarly, if a message contains text like “Let’s meet at 6 pm on Tuesday” to catch up, Messages will suggest adding a calendar event for the same so you don’t forget about it.
7. Ability To Play YouTube Videos in Google Messages
Google is bringing the ability to play YouTube videos inside the Messages app. When you receive a message that contains a link to a YouTube video, you can tap this link to watch the video right inside Messages and also respond to it without leaving the app.
8. Chat with Businesses
Chat with Businesses is a new feature in Messages that lets you chat directly with businesses you find on Search and Maps inside Messages. Not only does this offer a more private and secure communication experience, but it also lets you view all your messages in one place, which you can come back to when you need them later.
