Multiple users, including on Reddit and Android Authority's own test devices, report that the built-in camera in Google Messages either fires the LED flash too early, producing dark photos, or fails to trigger it at all. The bug appears across stable and beta versions of the app, on different phone models and carriers, and has reportedly been occurring for over a month. The flash works normally in other camera apps and outside the Messages interface, indicating the fault is specific to Google Messages' in-chat camera.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-24
Google is testing a redesigned search experience in Google Messages that shows preview rows of shared photos, videos, links, and places directly on the search homepage, rather than requiring users to tap into separate filter categories. The beta also adds the ability to search within a specific conversation from the main search page and see every matching text message without switching between chats. These changes were found in Google Messages beta version 20260917 through an APK teardown.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-22
Meta is heavily promoting Muse, a new AI agent for Instagram and Facebook users that links to email, bank accounts, and other personal data to automate tasks and build a long-term memory of user habits. Multiple users, including a journalist at Inc Magazine, reported that Muse surfaced private text message content despite never granting it permission to access Messages, and Meta's own staff gave conflicting, unconvincing explanations for how this happened.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-22
Google has started sending automated texts to Google Messages users through the app's business chat feature, promoting new app features like RCS photo and video quality. The messages appear as a verified conversation from 'Google Messages' but only allow pre-set replies, not user responses. Users can opt out by declining a prompt that appears before the texts begin, or unsubscribe later if they've already accepted.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-22
An APK teardown of a recent Google Messages beta build reveals an unreleased interface change that relocates the Gemini shortcut to the top header, replacing the current search icon there. The Start Chat button shifts from the bottom-right corner to the bottom-center of the screen, and a new Search button joins it at the bottom, both expanding and collapsing based on user scrolling behavior.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-22
A journalist testing Meta's Muse AI assistant on its new Mac app found it referencing contents of his Messages conversations, despite believing he hadn't granted access. When questioned, Muse gave a confused and inaccurate explanation, claiming it only saw notification previews synced through the paired Mac app. Meta executive David Singleton later clarified that Muse only accesses Messages data after a user explicitly opts in, and that the assistant's own explanation of its capabilities was simply wrong.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-19
Google is quietly expanding its chat themes feature in Google Messages beyond RCS conversations to include standard SMS texts, according to a Reddit user's discovery confirmed on a Pixel 6a. Users can access the feature through the three-dot menu or contact info page, though Google hasn't published official documentation about the rollout.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-18
Google is rolling out a business chat feature in Google Messages that automatically texts users about new app features and updates. A poll of over 1,800 Android Authority readers found more than half consider it unwanted bloat, while roughly a fifth called it a promising addition and the rest are withholding judgment until they see how it works.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-18
A Show HN project called Die With Me packages Claude and Codex API rate-limit notifications into nostalgic AIM-style away messages. Users install a desktop app and use an invitation code to enable the feature, which surfaces usage limit warnings in a retro chat-client format instead of a plain error message.
diewithme.co
· 2026-09-17
Some iPhone users are encountering a 'Not Delivered' error when sending messages through Apple's Messages app. The issue can stem from the app juggling three separate messaging protocols—iMessage, RCS, and SMS—which can cause confusion when a message fails to route correctly between iPhone and Android users.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-13
GrapheneOS has shipped version 13 of its Messages app, rebuilding the interface with Jetpack Compose and Material 3 design. The update adds conversation management tools like pinning, snoozing, archiving, and multi-select actions, plus support for large-screen two-pane layouts and a redesigned recipient picker.
github.com
· 2026-09-11
Apple is set to release iOS 27 next week, introducing a completely rebuilt Siri experience including a dedicated Siri app that syncs conversation history across Apple devices via iCloud. The update also adds one-tap contextual suggestions in Messages, letting users quickly create reminders, notes, or find relevant photos without typing out requests.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-11
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