A trio of new features is coming to Google Messages although one might already be here
Three new features are coming to Google Messages although one of them has already hit my Pixel 6 Pro.
Currently, if you create a new group in RCS (Rich Communication Services), you are given an icon for the group that is created in the Google Messages app by your Android phone; you have no say over what it looks like. But that is going to change in Android 16 as Google will offer Android users custom icon support in RCS group chats. This will allow you to change the icon for RCS groups already created, and select a custom icon for new groups created.
The icon will be based on a photo stored by you on-device or illustrations sent by Google. Two tabs above the icon options are listed as Device Photos and Illustrations. Google also has added another new feature to Google Messages called notification snoozing. This feature will allow notifications to be temporarily muted for specific chats. These notifications can be muted for 1 hour, 8 hours, 24 hours, or always.
Select custom icons for groups created in RCS. | Image credit-Google
Chats with snoozed notifications enabled will have a clock icon on the home screen and inside the chat, a pop-up will appear showing the length of the snoozed notification within the chat. Users will be given the option to allow notifications from snoozed group chats they are tagged (@mentioned) in the chat.
You can snooze notifications in an RCS chat in Android 16. | Image credit-PhoneArena
Lastly, to make it easier to see if you're starting a new SMS text or an RCS chat, the RCS tags feature will add to a person in your Google Messages contacts list an RCS tag when the enhanced messaging feature is enabled. If a contact has multiple numbers in your contacts list, the number that has RCS enabled will have the tag. In the list, RCS users' names will be tinted in a Material You shade while those not using RCS will have their names shown in white. You can see the difference a lot easier in dark mode.
RCS users will be tagged in the Google Messages contact list. | Image credit-Google
Google says that all three features will be rolling out over the next few days. Snoozed notifications already appear on my Pixel 6 Pro running Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2. Long press on a chat and on the toolbar at the top of the display you'll see an icon that looks like an alarm clock with a "z" in the middle of it. Tap on that icon and you'll see a screen titled "Snooze notifications?"
You will be able to select the duration of the notification snooze. As we've previously mentioned, the options you can choose from are 1 hour, 8 hours, 24 hours, or always. On the bottom right corner you can choose to cancel the Snooze notification setting or choose to Snooze.
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