11 hidden Google Messages options, suggestions, and methods

Google Messages is the default SMS and messaging possibility on many Android phones. If it isn’t on the telephone by default, it is shortly downloadable from the Google Play Retailer. It not solely presents you with a clear, unobtrusive UI for sending messages however features a library of non-compulsory options that may make gentle work of your messaging wants.

A number of of us have certainly gravitated towards apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and even Discord for some of us. Nevertheless, SMS remains to be the default for a cause, and it is one that everybody has entry to with only a telephone quantity. So, it is nonetheless price giving Google Messages a attempt to listed here are some neat suggestions and methods to make your expertise higher.

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1 Allow RCS messaging

Ship your texts over information as an alternative of over SMS

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From the primary display screen in Messages, faucet your profile icon on the correct aspect of your telephone and choose Messages settings. From there, faucet RCS chats and tick the Activate RCS chats possibility. There are additionally a number of extra choices like learn receipts, typing indicators, and different choices. Anybody eager to migrate to Google Messages ought to use RCS chat because it’s one of many app’s largest options.

RCS chats, to place it merely, ship your texts over information as an alternative of over SMS. Thus, you not have the 160-character restrict or the MMS measurement limitations. It’s also possible to react to messages like you possibly can in iMessage and also you get entry to extra options you do not see in SMS. Plus, with iMessage adopting RCS, it behooves you to get used to the function.

2 Confirm your end-to-end encryption

Examine for this on a chat-by-chat foundation as effectively

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One of many most important advantages of RCS on Google Messages is end-to-end encryption. So long as you and your textual content recipient are each on Google Messages and RCS, your chats shall be end-to-end encrypted. You possibly can examine for this on a chat-by-chat foundation as effectively.

Open any chat you are interested in and faucet the 3-dot menu icon within the high proper nook of your chat. Choose Particulars. On that display screen, you may see the end-to-end encryption part. If it says Standing: On, congratulations, your chat is encrypted. If it says off, then it is not. There are additionally another choices like power sending messages with SMS/MMS as an alternative of RCS in case you choose. Nevertheless, it will disengage encryption.

3 Allow or disable chat bubbles

Shortly faucet the bubble to open up the chat

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Fb Messenger launched the chat bubbles perform a few years in the past, and it will definitely grew to become a regular function on Android. Messages helps chat bubbles, and you’ll allow it fairly shortly. From the primary Messages display screen, faucet your profile image and choose Messages settings. Within the subsequent menu, faucet Bubbles. From right here, you possibly can choose to show your entire chats into bubbles or solely those you choose.

When enabled, Chat bubbles will present up as, effectively, bubbles on the aspect of your display screen. You possibly can shortly faucet the bubble to open up the chat and reply. This can be a little bit of a polarizing function, as many people do not like having additional stuff on their display screen. Thus, if you wish to flip it off, comply with the directions above and easily flip it off.

4 Ship images in full decision

Images will take a bit longer to ship

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By default, Google Messages reduces the picture high quality of belongings you ship in order that they ship quicker. When you do not thoughts an extended ship time, you possibly can ship your photographs in full decision. To take action, we’ll as soon as once more head to the primary Messages web page, faucet your profile image, after which choose Messages settings. As soon as there, discover the Ship images quicker possibility and untick the choice.

Your images will take a bit longer to ship, however the recipient will get the full-size image as an alternative of 1 with lowered high quality. When you discover that your photographs are taking means too lengthy to ship, you possibly can at all times head again into the settings and reverse the change to ship quicker photographs once more.

5 Make use of the Suggestion options

Work smarter, not tougher

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Google is working to make its apps smarter on a regular basis. One such instance is Suggestion options. To seek out these, head to the house web page of Messages, faucet your profile image and choose Messages settings. Scroll down till you discover the Recommendations possibility and choose it. From right here you have got 4 choices that we’ll run via shortly.

1. Good Reply – Suggests fast replies when somebody texts you. It is helpful if you wish to acknowledge one thing somebody mentioned however you do not have the time to sort out a full message at that second.
2. Steered actions – This selection integrates Google Messages with different Google apps, similar to Google Maps, Google Meet, and Google Calendar. So, for instance, if somebody needs to make plans with you subsequent week, Messages could counsel making a calendar occasion to remind you about it.
3. Magic Compose – Magic Compose is an AI-drive function that checks your message draft and provides alternate concepts for what you typed. It is in beta, but it surely does assist in case you’re caught on what to say.
4. Steered stickers – A extra enjoyable and fewer sensible function that may counsel emotive stickers based mostly on what you say. So, once I textual content my spouse “I like you”, it’s going to present me an animated sticker of a bear blowing kisses. It is a good means so as to add some character to your messages.

Every of the above choices is individually obtainable. Thus, in order for you one or two of them, however not the entire batch, you possibly can allow and disable them as essential to customise your expertise.

6 Assign your swipe actions

Archive, delete, and mark a message

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Swipe actions work fairly effectively in Google Messages once you get them arrange. By default, swiping a message on the primary web page left or proper sends it to the archives. Nevertheless, you might not need that, or it’s your decision completely different swipe instructions. Altering it’s fairly simple.

As per the norm, head to the primary web page in Messages and faucet your profile image. Choose Messages settings and scroll down till you discover Swipe actions. As soon as chosen, you are introduced with the flexibility to customise your left and proper swipes. The choices embrace archive, delete, and mark a message as learn or unread. It’s also possible to flip the swipe capabilities off if you don’t need them.

I swipe proper to delete and swipe left to mark as learn. It is useful for shortly coping with texts that I do not intend to maintain long-term, similar to two-factor authentication texts or textual content updates about shipped packages after I obtain my supply. As soon as executed with them, I swipe them away so they do not clog up my inbox.

7 Use Google Messages in an internet browser

Textual content out of your PC without spending a dime

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Google Messages is considered one of solely a few methods to textual content out of your PC without spending a dime. To do that, use the next steps.

1. Navigate to messages.google.com in your PC.
2. There are two strategies to attach your telephone. For this one, we’ll use the QR code because it does not require a Google account. Faucet the Pair with QR code possibility.
3. The web site will generate a QR code.
4. In your telephone, scan the QR code utilizing your digital camera app or a QR code scanner of some type.
5. As soon as authenticated, the webpage will reload with your entire texts.
6. Notice – If you wish to use your Google account to authenticate, it’s going to present you an emoji on the web site. Faucet the corresponding emoji in Google Messages to attach.

As soon as executed, you possibly can safely and shortly textual content out of your internet browser freed from cost. The great factor is that you just solely must do the setup course of as soon as per gadget. As soon as it is arrange, you possibly can navigate to messages.google.com on the identical internet browser to instantly load your messages once more.

8 Schedule a textual content to ship later in Google Messages

You will have 4 choices

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The power to schedule texts is constructed into Messages by default, you simply must know the way to entry it. Fortuitously, you already know the place it’s. Open any chat and sort out the message you wish to ship later. From there, lengthy press the ship button. A window will seem that may allow you to schedule the textual content.

You will have 4 choices. The primary three are predetermined instances and the ultimate possibility allows you to choose your date and time. As soon as executed, merely ship the message. Google Messages will present that you’ve a scheduled textual content on the backside of your textual content historical past to remind you that it is there.

To unschedule the textual content, faucet the place it says Scheduled messages to point out the upcoming textual content. Faucet the ship icon to the correct of the textual content to replace the message, ship it instantly, or delete the message.

9 Save essential messages in Google Messages

Save, pin, or in any other case mark a message as essential

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It’s doable to save lots of, pin, or in any other case mark a message as essential in Google Messages. To take action, discover the message you wish to save. Faucet and maintain the message to pick it after which faucet the star icon on the high of the display screen to “star” the message. The message will present up with a star icon within the backside proper nook in your textual content to indicate that you just did it efficiently.

To view your starred messages, open your chat with that individual and faucet the 3-dot menu icon. Choose the Starred choice to view the checklist of messages. This works very equally to pinned messages in Discord, so you need to use it to save lots of data you might want later.

To take away a star from a message, go to your starred messages and faucet on the message you wish to un-star. When it is pulled up in your message feed, long-press the message and faucet the star icon alongside the highest once more to un-star the message.

10 Pin essential conversations in Google Messages

Will stay on the high of the checklist

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Very like particular person messages, it’s also possible to pin essential conversations to the highest of your message checklist. Pinned conversations will stay on the high of the checklist, even in case you get textual content messages from different individuals. You possibly can pin a number of conversations as effectively to maintain your most essential contacts on the high.

The method is kind of simple. Merely long-press any dialog you wish to pin. As soon as chosen, faucet the pin icon on the high of the display screen to pin it. Pinned conversations have a pin icon in the correct margin to let you understand which of them are pinned. To unpin a dialog, repeat the method once more verbatim and it will unpin the dialog.

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11 Different Google Messages suggestions and methods

Smaller options

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Google Messages has quite a lot of different, smaller options that may make your life a little bit simpler when enabling them. We’ll rapid-fire via just a few of those smaller options under.

1. Auto-delete authentication codes – Faucet your profile image, then Messages settings. Scroll right down to Message group and choose it. Tip the field on. Now, any time a website sends you a textual content for two-factor authentication, Google Messages will auto-delete them after 24 hours.
2. Voice or video name somebody from inside the chat – Whenever you go into any chat, there’s a telephone icon and a video digital camera icon within the high proper nook. Tapping the previous will provoke a telephone name in your dialer and tapping the latter will provoke a video name by way of Google Meet. Notice that each events must have Google Meet for video calls to work.
3. Assign per-conversation notification tones – Open the chat you wish to customise and faucet the 3-dot menu button. Choose Particulars, then Notifications. On the following display screen, you possibly can choose a customized notification sound for simply that contact. Repeat for any contact you need customized tones for.
4. React to SMS and RCS texts – Lengthy-press any message you obtain in Google Messages and you’ll react to a message with an emoji. Notice that SMS and iMessage customers will obtain a separate textual content letting them know you reacted to a selected message, however Google Messages (and apps that assist this function) customers will see the response on the message itself.

With the above suggestions and methods, it’s best to be capable to use Google Messages like an professional. Glad texting!