{"id":537256,"date":"2026-03-15T04:05:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T04:05:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/537256\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T04:05:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T04:05:20","slug":"what-new-google-messages-features-are-rolling-out-march-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/537256\/","title":{"rendered":"What new Google Messages features are rolling out [March 2026]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\"Google<\/p>\n

Like other Google apps, Messages for Android A\/B tests many features. It can take the RCS\/SMS client a rather long time to actually launch new functionality in stable. From various reports, Google announcements<\/a>, and devices we\u2019ve checked, this is the current state of Messages.<\/p>\n

Update 3\/14:<\/p>\n

Still rolling out (beta)<\/p>\n

These are Messages features that Google announced or have been spotted in the wild by beta users<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[New] Trash folder<\/p>\n

Chats will now \u201cstay in the trash for 30 days before they\u2019re deleted.\u201d You can access this new folder from the account menu.<\/p>\n

\tAdvertisement – scroll for more content<\/p>\n

More<\/a><\/p>\n

[Announced] Real-time location sharing<\/p>\n

Powered by Find Hub, this joins the existing \u201cOne-time Location\u201d option that sends a static Google Maps link. You will be able to select an increment \u2014 For one hour, Today only, Until you turn this off, Custom duration \u2014 from the new inline interface. After sending, there\u2019s a rich map in the thread that you can expand.<\/p>\n

More<\/a><\/p>\n

Android-iPhone encrypted RCS<\/p>\n

As of iOS 26.4 beta 2, Apple and Google are testing end-to-end encrypted RCS between iPhone and Android devices. iOS users will see a lock at the start of the thread, with Google Messages using the same icon.<\/p>\n

More<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Read receipts redesign<\/p>\n

Read receipts are now placed in a circle at the bottom-right corner of message bubbles and images. You swipe left to see timestamps and the encryption lock, while you can swipe right to reply. This first started appearing in August of 2024<\/a>, but is now seeing wide beta<\/a> and stable availability. <\/p>\n

EllipsisSendingSingle check with ringSentDouble check with ringDeliveredDouble check solid circleRead<\/p>\n

@mentions in group RCS chats<\/p>\n

This ability to get a person\u2019s attention in group conversations even \u201cif their notifications are muted\u201d has been slowly seeing a broader rollout in recent weeks. It\u2019s not yet widely available.<\/p>\n

More<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Instead of a toolbar, long-pressing on an image or message opens a floating menu, with Google partially centering what you\u2019re viewing. The background gets blurred, while you feel haptic feedback.<\/p>\n

More<\/a><\/p>\n

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Recent launches (stable)<\/p>\n

Gemini-powered Scam Detection<\/p>\n

On-device Gemini Nano is being leveraged for \u201cmore nuanced analysis of complex conversational threats\u201d on the latest flagship Android phones in US, Canada, and UK. This includes the Pixel 10 series, Galaxy S26, and other select devices. It\u2019s rolling out now.<\/p>\n

\u2026it can better detect the subtle conversational patterns used in job offer scams or sophisticated romance baiting scams (also known as \u201cpig butchering\u201d), a deceptive tactic where a scammer builds a long-term \u201crelationship\u201d with a potential victim to gain their trust, before tricking them into a fraudulent investment. Because these methods rely on gradual manipulation and don\u2019t present typical warning signs, they need more advanced capabilities to catch them at scale.<\/p>\n

More<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Edit History in Details page<\/p>\n

RCS edit history is once again available. Long-press on an edited message to \u201cView details.\u201d<\/p>\n

More<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

Toned down Nano Banana Remix<\/p>\n

When you long-press on an image, \u201cRemix\u201d in the bottom-left corner is now smaller. Meanwhile, the fullscreen viewer has moved the button to the bottom row to provide an unobstructed image. <\/p>\n

Other designs that Google tested removed the banana emoji, but Messages is now keeping that branding in place.<\/p>\n

More<\/a><\/p>\n

Old vs. new<\/p>\n

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FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Like other Google apps, Messages for Android A\/B tests many features. It can take the RCS\/SMS client a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":521641,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[49,48,61],"class_list":["post-537256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/537256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=537256"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/537256\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/521641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=537256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=537256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=537256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}