Google Messages Just Got A New Look And A Ton Of New Features

Google’s blog post detailing all the new features on Google Messages prominently discusses the ability to respond to an individual message as a key feature addition. This feature is designed to let users catch up on a conversation they missed, and respond to a particular message without breaking the flow of the entire conversation. 

One of the coolest feature additions to Google Messages this time around is its newfound ability to auto-transcribe a voice message into written text. This feature is powered by Google’s powerful machine learning capabilities, but it is limited to a handful of smartphones as of now, including the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 lineup, the Galaxy S22, and the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

The updated version of Google Messages can now help users remember important events without opening a dedicated app. The app can, for example, remind users about an anniversary or a birthday if the information is fed beforehand into contacts. Folks sharing YouTube video links using Google Messages can now watch the linked content directly within the message box without needing to open YouTube.

In addition to this, users can also choose to star an important message that they can quickly access later when needed. Another feature made possible thanks to Google’s advanced AI and ML capabilities is the ability to understand the context of a message and predict the next course of action. For example, if you send a text announcing the time of a meeting for next week, the app will automatically prompt you to add a calendar event for the same.