Google Messages Overhauls User Interface With New Gestures and Menu

Google Messages is receiving significant updates to its user interface and functionality. The changes aim to simplify interactions within conversations by introducing new gestures and a revamped menu system.

The most noticeable change is the long-press menu, which now displays a floating menu next to the selected message bubble. This menu provides quick access to various actions, including replying, forwarding, copying, starring, deleting, selecting more text, and viewing information about the message or conversation.

Another significant update is the ability to drag selection handles to grab specific snippets of text within a message. This feature was previously discovered through an APK teardown and has been confirmed by Google. The new touch-and-hold actions work on various types of content, including text, images, videos, links, files, locations, and contact cards.

The rollout includes changes to swiping gestures as well. Swiping left anywhere in a conversation will now show message timestamps and the RCS encryption status, while replying requires a right swipe directly on the message bubble.