Single-line Google Messages text field redesign rolling out [U]

As we enabled in April, Google Messages is redesigning the compose/text field in Messages to return to a single line. It follows Messages widely rolling out the audio recorder redesign and Selfie GIFs.

Update 5/22: In recent days, Google Messages has more widely rolled out the single-line text field for beta and at least some stable users. People appreciate the cleaner design, which is a bit more compact.

(On stable, some still have the old UI with the right-aligned text field and the ‘plus’/gallery buttons outside the box at the left. With the new design completely updated, Google will hopefully move all users to it.)

Old vs. new

Original 5/10: Google widely rolled out the double-line design in January. (It remains somewhat odd that the text field is left-aligned when your messages appear at the right.) Upon opening the Text or RCS message field, Google Messages would move the shortcuts for emoji, Magic Compose, gallery, and more/’plus’ into a second row so that you could still access them when typing.

Some people really did not like this design, and Google heard the feedback.

The default state before your text interact with it is unchanged. Once you start typing, gallery and Magic Compose disappear, with Emoji and the ‘plus’ left. Some people might appreciate the visual consistency and reduced animation.

Meanwhile, this change makes the text field narrower, with the ‘plus’ and emoji buttons taking up their own columns. I prefer the current design in that regard, while you’re still limited to four lines of text before having to scroll.

This single-line text field not yet widely rolled out in Google Messages. We’re only seeing it on one phone running beta version 20240506_04_RC00.

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