GoKawiilJoe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR Google Messages v20260320 beta contains code to restore Ultra HDR support, which was removed during a 2025 redesign.
The updated feature renders Ultra HDR brightness directly in chat thumbnails, rather than only in the full image preview.
A new “Copy” option is also being tested for voice message transcripts, allowing users to easily save text to their clipboard.
Google Messages added Ultra HDR support for images in RCS chats back in 2023. This feature allows users to send and receive Ultra HDR images with a preserved gainmap, with Google Messages showing brightened images in the image preview screen. This feature was quietly removed in 2025, but it seems Google now wants to bring back the ability to send and receive Ultra HDR images, as the feature has been spotted once again.
Even back in 2023, when the feature was rolled out, no one initially noticed that users could send and receive Ultra HDR images. This was primarily because users had to tap the image to see the Ultra HDR effect, while the thumbnail in the chat (wrongly) appeared as a standard image.
Some time in 2025, while Google was redesigning Google Messages to support threaded replies, users lost the ability to view Ultra HDR images when the new media preview screen rolled out.
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In Google Messages v20260320 beta, we’ve spotted code that not only restores Ultra HDR image support but also adds the Ultra HDR effect to the thumbnail preview, supporting the feature correctly this time.
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