- Google Messages is finally getting a mentions features, similar to the one in WhatsApp and Telegram
- It was first spotted in March, but Android Authority has managed to get the feature working
- Though it works for the most part, it’s not quite ready for an official rollout
Google Messages has been getting some major upgrades in recent weeks, and the latest looks to be a new mentions function for group chats that would catch Messages up to the likes of WhatsApp and Telegram.
Speculation that Google was working on a mentions feature was fueled when the feature was spotted in an APK teardown by Android Authority in March, and now another teardown by the same outlet appears to have confirmed that it’s in the works.
While Google hasn’t confirmed that a mentions feature is coming to Messages, Android Authority managed to enable the feature and has given us a first look.
Based on this new teardown, the mentions feature works much like the one we’re familiar with in WhatsApp, letting you draw attention to any member in a group chat. When you enter the @ symbol in a chat, a list of members’ names will appear, and you can select the person you want to mention.
When you send a message that includes a mention, the name of the person will appear bolded and highlighted, and other members in the group chat will be able to tap on the name to access their profile with DM and call shortcuts.
While Android Authority has got the feature up and running, it did encounter some issues that suggest Google still has some work to do on the feature before it can be rolled out.
Mentions in Google Messages has a long way to go
The main issue the outlet discovered was that while the mentions feature worked normally, the member that was mentioned in the text didn’t receive a notification on their end, as they usually would with other messaging apps.
It seems, then, that the feature is still being tested in beta, and there’s no indication of when it’ll be rolled out – but Google Messages users have a few new features to explore in the meantimes.
More recently Google Messages has been testing more new functions that are set to roll out soon, including a feature that allows you to join group chats via links and its long-awaited ‘Delete for everyone’ option.
