The most recent Google Messages replace makes key options simpler to achieve

Final 12 months, Google Messages acquired a number of essential updates that helped convey its messaging app, which has turn into the default on most Android telephones, nearer to rivals like WhatsApp and iMessage. These updates included enhancements to group chats, spam safety, and different RCS options, resembling the flexibility to edit RCS messages despatched to an iPhone.

Now, to kick off 2026, Google Messages is rolling out a brand new function that additional cleans up its person interface with a whole redesign of its messaging context menu, the one which pops up whenever you long-press a message.

The brand new dynamic context menu, which is reportedly beginning to roll out extra broadly to Google Messages beta customers (by way of Android Authority), pulls collectively a number of options that had been beforehand tucked away behind the hamburger (three-line) menu within the top-right nook of the app. These choices now seem in a brand new context menu beneath any message you long-press, making them a lot simpler to achieve — particularly in the event you’re utilizing your cellphone one-handed. The brand new context menu was posted about on Reddit, and you may take a look at what it seems to be like under.

As you may see within the picture above, reactions nonetheless seem above a message whenever you long-press it, however the brand new context menu under the message now homes actions like Reply, Ahead, Copy, Star, Delete, Choose Extra, and Data.

Reactions to the change have been typically constructive to this point

Whereas the brand new context menu for Google Messages seems to be fairly helpful, it is nonetheless solely in beta, so it is unclear when it will roll out to the steady public model of the app. That stated, loads of beta customers on Reddit are reporting they’re beginning to see the function now, and with extra folks in a position to check it, that may very well be an indication {that a} wider launch is not too far off.

The context menu was first noticed by Android Authority again in October throughout an APK teardown of Google Messages, however till now, it wasn’t one thing most individuals might really attempt. It is also price preserving in thoughts that for the reason that function continues to be in beta, Google might tweak or refine it based mostly on suggestions earlier than launching it extra broadly. One concern raised by a Reddit person is that the brand new menu removes the flexibility to delete a number of messages directly — however you may nonetheless try this by tapping the “Choose extra” possibility.

Up to now, reactions on Reddit to the change have been principally constructive, with one person specifically declaring that the change is much like iMessage’s context menu. Personally, I like the way it seems to be loads, and I believe it will make utilizing Google Messages on my Galaxy Z Fold 7 unfolded noticeably simpler.