Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Landscape mode in Google Messages is getting a tweak that makes the width of the chat screen and chat list equal.
- Text has been added for the call, video, contact info, and search buttons.
- The app is also adding previews for PDF files in RCS messages.
Whether necessary or not, Google loves to tweak the UI of its products. For example, YouTube recently started testing out a new UI for the media player. The company’s latest target, however, is Google Messages, which should see a few handy improvements.
An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
While exploring the Google Messages app (version messages.android_20250427_01_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic), we discovered three UI changes to be on the lookout for. The first change we found makes a small adjustment to the chat screen and chat list. Previously, the width of the chat screen was larger than the width of the chat list when in landscape mode. Google is working on changing this so that the width is even on both sides.
AssembleDebug / Android Authority
The second change we noticed is related to how RCS messages handle PDF files. Currently, if you send or receive a PDF in the Messages app, you won’t see a preview like you would for a video or a link to an article. We have found code that shows Google is working on a preview feature that would show you a preview of the first page in the PDF. This preview would not work on PDFs that are password-protected. We believe the feature will look similar to the PDF preview you see in WhatsApp.
The final change we spotted is already available if you have the beta version installed. This change adds text next to the call, video, contact info, and search buttons. Previously, no text accompanied these icons.
AssembleDebug / Android Authority
Ultimately, two of these adjustments should prove useful. Meanwhile, the tweak to the chat screen and chat list will make things a little more aesthetically pleasing.
