Google Messages rolls out quality-of-life upgrades that'll change how you text

Published Sep 25, 2026, 4:11 PM EDT Timi is the news and deals reporter for Android Police, who has been reporting on technology since 2008. He has worked in tech retail and also the IT space, providing hardware and software support, which gives him a unique perspective on the tech that he covers. This allows him to effectively break down complex subjects into easy-to-read pieces that even casual readers can enjoy. Before joining Android Police, he was a news writer for XDA, where he eventually transitioned to covering deals. He also worked as an editor and reporter for Neowin, where he covered news and attended major tech events like CES. He also reviewed phones, tablets, PC products, and other devices. In addition, he also created video content for the Neowin YouTube channel. Sign in to your Android Police account If you download the latest Google Messages update you might not notice anything different at a first glance. However, the brand has introduced several new redesigns that should make the experience more seamless with day-to-day use. Timestamps are now easier to see Credit: 9to5Google 9to5Google shared the changes, giving users a heads-up that it's now even easier to gain access to timestamps in Messages. While you used to have to tap each chat bubble, you can now swipe left across the chat screen to reveal timestamps for all the messages. It will also show the status, whether it's been delivered or pending, and whether it's secure or not. In order to reply to a message, you will now have to swipe right into the chat bubble. This might take some getting used to, but once you get it down, it should make the overall process much smoother. Long press brings another level of interaction In addition, Android Authority shared news about a new long-press command that's now available to experiment with in Messages. While you used to have to tap the menu at the top of a chat to access expanded features, that all changes today. Going forward, users can long-press a message to open the same menu. The menu will provide quick access to Replay, Forward, Copy, Star, Delete, Select more, and Info. You can also long-press to highlight parts of a message if you want to copy and paste specific text. Users can now update the app to see whether they have access. Although it's rolling out more widely, it doesn't appear to be available to everyone. For the most part, these two changes are very welcome, providing quality-of-life improvements that we can all enjoy. Google Messages is still one of the best messaging options. However, that doesn't mean that it can't be improved. We love when Google pushes out changes, and more so when the changes are impactful. Of course, we've discovered that some tweaks need to be done on our own. If you're looking to refine the Google Messages experience, we highly recommend checking out our in-depth guide, which will quickly and effectively clean it up. You can always try an alternative if you're looking, but those seem to be hit or miss.