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Tech News
A tech guide highlights five Google Messages settings that are enabled by default but may hurt the user experience, including features tied to notifications and AI tools. The piece argues that disabling these options can make the app function better for most users, despite its overall strength as Android's default texting app.
Google has officially begun rolling out redesigned icons for its Contacts, Messages, and Phone by Google apps, the company confirmed in a blog post. The new icons feature gradient coloring and more rounded curvature, moving away from the apps' previous flat designs.
Google Messages beta version v20261030 introduces a redesigned app icon that replaces the current flat, interlocking pill design with a rounded speech bubble rendered in a blue gradient. A smaller, darker blue bubble sits behind it, echoing the old icon's conversation motif. The new icon is also appearing on Wear OS in the same beta release, though Google hasn't said when it will reach stable channels.
Android Authority outlines methods already available on most Android phones for sharing a user's real-time location with contacts, including Google Maps, Google Messages, and Find Hub. The guide walks through enabling location sharing in Google Maps via the profile menu, where users can set a time limit or share indefinitely until manually stopped.
Google rolled out chat themes to Google Messages in late August 2026, allowing users to set custom colors and wallpapers for individual conversations, a feature long available in other messaging apps. An Android Authority writer shared ten custom themes built from the app's included wallpaper collections, such as texture and space-photo backgrounds, paired with various accent color options.
OpenAI has enabled its ChatGPT 'Dot' AI agents to communicate directly through Google Messages (RCS) on Android and iMessage on iPhone. Dots can proactively text updates, photos, or voice notes about ongoing tasks and retain context from prior conversations across ChatGPT, Slack, or Teams. The feature is currently a preview limited to ChatGPT Pro subscribers in the US.
Android Authority's poll of 1,144 readers found the floating Gemini button in Google Messages to be the most unpopular feature, drawing 48.6% of votes among five options. Respondents cited its prominent placement near the 'Start a new chat' button, which makes it easy to tap by accident, and its redundancy given Google's standalone Gemini app.
Android Authority reports that Google's Pixel VIPs widget has been significantly upgraded, becoming more interactive with a new full-screen layout showing more contact information. Despite calling the update an improvement over the original Android 16 version, the outlet identifies several shortcomings, including limited third-party app support beyond WhatsApp and no ability to search notes attached to contacts.
Google Wallet recently switched from a horizontal scrolling card layout to a new vertically stacked design, and reports suggest further features like receipt scanning and agentic capabilities may be coming. An Android Authority columnist argues the new stacked layout makes it harder to distinguish similar-looking cards from the same bank, since it removed the alias text shown under each card previously.
An Android Authority writer switched from Google Messages to QUIK, an open-source SMS app descended from the discontinued QKSMS, after growing frustrated with Google Messages' rigid spam filter. The writer says Google Messages often misflags legitimate texts from banks and carriers as spam while letting real scam messages through, with no settings to adjust the behavior. QUIK, available via F-Droid, is described as a basic but functional SMS-only app without RCS support.
Android Authority identified an in-development update to Google Messages, found in version messages.android_20261020_00_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic, that reorganizes the app's single long settings list into separate categorized sections. Individual settings pages, such as those for RCS chats and SIM/country selection, are also being redesigned with new graphics and subdivided menus.
Google's Android 17 update introduces the ability to 'bubble' any app, not just messaging apps, keeping its icon floating on top of the screen for quick access. Users can place up to five bubbled apps along the left or right edge of the home screen by long-pressing an app and selecting the Bubble option. The feature currently works only on Pixel devices, though Google says it will expand to other manufacturers.