Summary
- A subtle Google Messages UI tweak, now rolling out to stable versions, changes how message bubbles appear, expanding from small to full size instead of simply sliding up, differentiating it from WhatsApp’s style.
- The new animation, first seen in the January beta (20250115_03_RC00), is now live in stable version 20250212_01_RC00, enhancing the visual flow of both SMS and RCS messages.
- Google is also working on a “Read by/Delivered to” message information screen for group chats, similar to WhatsApp, which will provide more granular details on message delivery and read statuses.
If you’re a Google Messages user and have an eye for fine details, you might have noticed a simple tweak in the way messages, both sent and received, pop-up in your chat window.
We’re referring to the minor tweak that first made its way to Google Messages via the 20250115_03_RC00 beta back in January, which is now making its way to stable.
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As pointed out by Android Authority, the new message animation is rolling out in stable now, and we have it live on the latest stable version — Google Messages 20250212_01_RC00.
Previously, both sent and received messages would slide up to fill the chat window. This is how messages currently appear on WhatsApp. With the new tweak, message bubbles now start out small and then expand to take their designated spot. While not a major change, it does help Google Messages stand out with some added flair, potentially creating a more visually appealing conversational flow.
The change is consistent across SMS and RCS messages, with no option to toggle to the old animation.
In order from left to right: Send old, send new, receive old, receive new.
This comes soon after Google was spotted working on a WhatsApp-like view message detail screen. Currently, with group chats, there’s no way to check which members have read your message and which ones haven’t. It’s an all-or-nothing approach where the double-filled-in checkmarks only appear when all participants have read your message. With beta version messages.android_20250223_01_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic, Google appears to be testing out a full-fledged message information screen that will highlight Read by and Delivered to, complete with participants’ full names and profile pictures.
Similar to the new message animation, the detailed information screen should likely arrive on the stable channel in the coming weeks.
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