I turned off these Google Messages features to bring back simpler texting

Published Nov 15, 2026, 12:00 PM EST A tech writer who enjoys exploring new gadgets, trying out apps, and capturing moments through photography. He likes getting hands-on with technology and sharing what he learns with readers. Texting used to be simple: someone sent a message, I answered, and that was it. Emojis and stickers were there, but conversations didn't have all the extra effects and suggestions Google Messages offers now. Google Messages now does a lot more than handle everyday conversations. Some additions help, while others make the app feel busier than I want it to. I wanted to know whether I was better off without a few of them, so I turned off a handful of features and kept using the app the way I normally do. For each one, I asked myself something simple: does it help me understand or answer a message, or is it just one more thing on the screen? Google Messages has its own Gemini shortcut You can access Gemini without leaving Messages There's a Gemini icon on the main screen of Google Messages. One tap opens a dedicated Gemini conversation, where you can ask questions, brainstorm ideas, or get help with other everyday tasks. I use the standalone Gemini app, so a second way in didn't do much for me. I rarely tapped it. I turned off the option under Messages settings > Gemini in Messages. This removed the icon and archived my existing Gemini conversation, both of which returned when I switched the setting back on. I don't need suggestions in every conversation Smart Reply and Suggested stickers offered help I rarely needed Google Messages suggests things in a few different ways. Smart Reply offers possible responses when someone messages you, and even a plain greeting brings up suggested replies and emojis. Suggested stickers watch what you type: write congratulations or thanks, and related GIFs show up. Nudges does something else. It brings birthdays and unanswered conversations back to your attention. Once it reminded me about a contact's birthday, and another time, it prompted me to follow up on a message that never got an answer. Those reminders were useful, so I kept Nudges enabled. You can manage these reminders through Nudges settings. I see why people use Smart Reply and sticker suggestions. A suggested reply saves a few seconds when you're in a hurry, and a sticker suggestion helps when nothing comes to mind. I don't use them, though. I'd rather type my own replies and pick a GIF or emoji myself. So I turned both off, and sending messages worked exactly as before. Link previews stayed; animations went One gives me context about a message, and the other only adds movement Link previews were harder to give up. I noticed the difference as soon as I turned them off. A shared link appeared without the preview card, so I had to open it to find out where it led. That's not always helpful, particularly when someone sends a link without explaining what it contains. I tried restricting previews to web links, but that didn't make much difference in my conversations. Turning previews off only affected new links, since the ones already in my conversations stayed in place. I switched them back on because a preview gives me an idea of where a link leads before I open it. I wasn't particularly attached to Expressive animations. When the feature is on, certain emojis, phrases, and reactions move on screen. With it off, I can still send the same emojis and react to messages, but they appear without the animation, and phrases are no longer animated. I didn't miss the extra movement. Voice message transcription and Bubbles are worth keeping Both make everyday conversations easier to handle Voice message transcription was one thing I definitely wanted to keep. I can read an incoming voice message without playing the audio, and the transcripts were clear and accurate when I used the feature. This is useful when playing audio is awkward or when I want to skim a long message. Bubbles solve a different problem. A bubble lets me reply while I'm in another app, without going back to the full Messages screen. I can keep my place in whatever I was doing. That helps most when I'm busy with something else and want to reply right away. I kept two other settings enabled. Pinch to zoom lets me enlarge text in conversations, though how much it helps depends on how you use your phone. Actions come in handy. It picks out dates, phone numbers, and addresses in a message, and when someone texts me a phone number, Messages offers to call it, message it, copy it, or share it. Simpler texting doesn't mean turning off everything Keeping useful additions and removing the ones you don't need can change how Google Messages feels Google Messages feels simpler now, though I use it the same as before. I still send and receive messages as usual. The Gemini shortcut, the automatic reply and sticker suggestions, and extra animations are gone from my conversations. Link previews, Nudges, voice message transcription, Bubbles, Pinch to zoom, and Actions stayed because each one gives me information or makes a conversation easier to reach. I didn't go back to a bare-bones texting app. I just stopped leaving every option on because it was there, and now I choose additions that fit how I communicate. Your list will probably look different from mine. If you open Gemini from Messages often, keep the shortcut. If suggested replies save you time, keep the shortcut. If suggested replies save you time, keep those too. Google Messages will keep adding features, so it's worth asking the same question of each new one: Does it help me understand or answer a message? That's what made texting feel simpler for me.