What Google Messages Features Are Rolling Out [May 2025]

Like most Google apps, Messages A/B tests many features. However, it takes the RCS/SMS client a rather long time to actually launch these capabilities in stable even after they are announced. From various reports, Google itself, and devices we’ve checked, this is the current state of Messages.

Update 5/30:

Coming soon

[New] Key Verifier

At The Android Show in May, Google announced Key Verifier to “help protect you from scammers who try to impersonate someone you know” in Google Messages. This tool lets you “verify the identity of the other party through public encryption keys.” Contact keys take the form of a scannable QR code that will be available in the Google Contacts app.

For example, if an attacker gains access to a friend’s phone number and uses it on another device to send you a message – which can happen as a result of a SIM swap attack – their contact’s verification status will be marked as no longer verified in the Google Contacts app, suggesting your friend’s account may be compromised or has been changed.

Google says “Key Verifier will launch later this summer in Google Messages on Android 10+ devices.”

Still rolling out (beta)

These are Messages features that Google announced or have been spotted in the wild by beta users.

[New] RCS status in ‘New chat’ contacts list

This small redesign sees “New conversation” become the “New chat” — which is more closely aligned with RCS terminology — page. Contacts with RCS get a badge at the right, while their name and number feature Dynamic Color theming instead of just being black/white (SMS).

Old vs. new

‘Delete for everyone’

To date, deleting a message just removes it on your device. “Delete for everyone” will join “Delete for me” to let you remove something sent for every conversation participant. At the moment, this appears to just be for group conversations.

Custom group chat icons

Instead of seeing up to four small circular profile pics of contacts in the group chat, Google Messages is testing letting you set a custom one. To check if this is available for you, open Group details or tap the top bar of the conversation. Look for a pencil icon to the right of the existing image. 

Sensitive Content Warnings

This safety feature blurs images “that may contain nudity” with the ability to delete them before viewing. It also reminds “users of the risks of sending nude imagery and preventing accidental shares” before they send or forward something that may contain nudity.

Sensitive Content Warnings work on-device (via Android System SafetyCore), with no “classified content or results” sent to Google. Those over 18 can optionally enable it from Messages Settings > Protection & Safety > Manage sensitive content warnings.

Expanded text field limit

After limiting the text box to just four lines, Google Messages is now letting the compose field get much taller. We’re seeing up to 14 lines on a Pixel 9a.

Camera + gallery merger/redesign + ‘Original quality’ sending

Google Messages has merged the live viewfinder with your camera roll. This new UI is what appears after tapping the “Gallery” icon in a conversation. When taking a new picture or video, you’ll always see 3-6 recent shots. Swiping up reveals more, while you can “Write a caption” before sending with the new preview screen.

In comparison, the existing image picker is more compact and keeps you in the conversation.

As part of this redesign, Google is rolling out the ability to send pictures and videos in “Original quality.” There are two media quality options when sending:

• Optimize for chat: Send quality media faster, uses less data — “HD”
• Original quality: Sends at full resolution — “HD+”

As of March, this is seeing wider availability, including for some stable users, but it is not yet fully launched.

Read receipts redesign

Following the last redesign in early 2023, another revamp places read receipts in a circle at the bottom-right corner of message bubbles (and images).You swipe left to see all timestamps and the end-to-end encryption status, while you swipe left to reply/quote a message. This started rolling out in August 2024, with more people receiving it in November.

In January 2025, Google tweaked the design to make the circular background white. In no longer matching the bubble color, the read receipts stand out a great deal more.

L-R: Current, redesign, latest

Dual SIM RCS support

More than one SIM card will appear as “Connected” in Settings > RCS chats. This will aid international RCS adoption. It started rolling out in January 2024 but was later pulled, with more reports this August. As of late October, many more people — including in the US and physical + eSIM — are getting it.

As of January 2025, more people are seeing dual SIM RCS enabled.

Always showing Magic Compose or Magic Rewrite in the row of suggested replies will aid visibility.

Recent launches (stable)

• Google Account Device pairing
• Magic Compose
• Photomoji
• Revamped Contact Details page 
• Reaction Effects
• Profiles
• Custom Bubbles and backgrounds
• Selfie GIF
• Single-line text field
• Voice recorder redesign with noise cancellation + Voice Moods
• Larger contact photos
• Show expressive animations
• New “Select recipients” conversation picker
• RCS photo with text caption redesign
• Full RCS Messages transfer on Pixel 9
• Group search in new conversations screen
• RCS message editing
• Gemini double FAB
• Camera face filters
• “Magic Rewrite” button
• ‘Your profile’ name and photo settings
• Custom profile pictures
• Improved media receiving performance
• Text field redesign 2025
• Double tap to thumbs up

[New] Real-time and expanded Scam Detection

Announced at the start of March, Google Messages will “flag conversational text patterns commonly associated with scams,” especially those that “seem harmless, but turn dangerous over time.” This works on-device, with users seeing a “Scam Detection” card that says “Likely scam: Suspicious activity detected. Common scams often start this way.” You can “Report & block” or tap “Not a scam.” This measure targeting conversational scam is part of the existing Google Messages Settings > Spam protection setting. It is “launching in English first in the U.S., U.K. and Canada and will expand to more countries soon.”

Meanwhile, Google announced in May that Messages has expanded Scam Protection for all users to tackle new sophisticated categories beyond package delivery and job seeking scams:

• Toll road and other billing fee scams
• Crypto scams
• Financial impersonation scams
• Gift card and prize scams
• Technical support scams
• And more

Unsubscribe for SMS and RCS spam

“Unsubscribe” for “unwanted messages in Google Messages, like promotions and other non-essential content” appears above the text field, with the button also available in the conversation’s overflow menu. This sends “STOP” to the business sender from your number. It works with:

• RCS for Business messages in the United States, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

• SMS or MMS messages in the United States from short codes (phone numbers with 5-6 digits) and alphanumeric senders.

Google Messages will ask “Why are you unsubscribing?”:

• Not signed up
• Too many messages
• No longer interested
• Spam
• Other

In the case of spam, there’s a “Report this sender” option.

Screen Effects

They were first previewed in late November and made an appearance at the start of this year, particularly around Valentine’s Day but were pulled after that.

• Booo: Tomatoes, with at least three o’s required 
• Congratulations: Balloons and confetti
• Going to the beach: Waves + various objects
• Hahahaha: Tube man. Four ha’s required 
• Rise and shine: The sun, quite charming
• Halloween
• Happy Hanukkah
• Happy Thanksgiving
• Merry Christmas

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