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Google is rolling out a refreshed Timers tab in its Clock app as part of the September Android Drop. The update flattens the digit style, removes circular backgrounds from the keypad, adds quick presets for 1, 5, 10, and 15 minutes, and moves the start button above the number pad. Multiple active timers now display in a grid instead of a scrollable vertical list.
Google released its monthly Android feature drop this week, adding tools like a motion sickness reducer for screen use in moving vehicles, shared notes within chat threads, camera-based object identification, and customizable Google Messages chat themes. The update also lets users ask Gemini to remember where they placed everyday items, such as passports or keys, storing that information in Google's Find Hub tracking app.
Google has rolled out its September 2026 Android Drop, a bundle of feature updates spanning several Android apps. Highlights include a new Gemini capability that lets users verbally ask the assistant to remember where they placed objects, saving that location in Find Hub, plus a Gemini Live Guided Vision mode that describes surroundings aloud and suggests reframing for dim or small text. Google Messages also gains built-in Google Keep list sharing and officially launches customizable Chat Themes with matching text bubble colors.
Google's September Android Drop update lets users insert collaborative checklists directly into Google Messages threads, powered by Google Keep. Anyone in a chat, including group threads, can create, edit, or check off items without leaving the conversation, and Messages will also surface a 'Create List' option through Suggested actions. The update is part of a broader rollout that also includes improvements to Gemini's collaboration with Find Hub and a new Guided Vision accessibility feature.
Google has begun automatically inserting a Gemini AI shortcut into Google Messages, even though there is no dedicated toggle for it in the Connected Apps settings within Gemini itself. Users who don't want the floating AI icon hovering near their chat button can still remove it through an in-app setting, according to Android Authority.
Multiple Reddit users report that Google Messages is inserting old texts from unrelated conversations into new ones, sometimes attaching them to photos or group chats and in some cases actually delivering them to unintended recipients. The bug spans both Pixel and Samsung devices, occurring regardless of whether RCS is enabled, and follows other recent Messages glitches like broken RCS delivery and duplicated threads. Google has acknowledged at least one report and passed it to its engineering team, but no fix has been announced.
Google Messages has begun rolling out a long-requested feature that lets users apply custom themes to individual chat conversations. The update, spotted on version 20260824_01_RC00, works on both stable and beta builds but requires RCS chats to be enabled. Users need to update the app via the Play Store and confirm RCS is turned on in settings to access the new option.
Google has acknowledged a bug in its Messages app that causes existing group conversations to unexpectedly split into multiple separate threads with the same participants, often erasing prior message history. The company is asking affected users to submit feedback tagged #splittingthreads to help its engineers investigate. Some users also report similar duplication happening in one-on-one RCS chats, though Google hasn't confirmed a link between the two issues.
Google is rolling out a feature letting users personalize individual conversations in Google Messages with custom wallpapers and matching bubble colors. Users can pick from preset image categories like Animals or Space, upload their own photos, or select a simple color scheme, with a preview and reset option available. The customization requires RCS to be enabled and only appears on the user's own device, not for other chat participants.