5 options I wish to see on Google Messages as a very long time person

I’m a creature of behavior — after I discover one thing I like, I are likely to keep it up. I’m not ashamed to select favorites, whether or not it’s primarily conserving a Google Pixel in my pocket (after I can) or a Garmin GPS watch on my wrist. The identical goes for apps — particularly ones I exploit every day for issues like messaging and checking the climate. Whereas I’m at present deciding on a brand new favourite climate companion (because of the debut of Google’s Pixel Climate), I’ve trusted the identical messaging platform for years: Google Messages. It’s been my mainstay throughout Google Pixels, Samsung Galaxy units, and even my time on the Motorola Razr and OnePlus Open.

And but, I do know that Google Messages isn’t excellent. I do know that it’s a must to surrender a couple of options if you happen to swap from Samsung Messages to Google Messages, and I do know that it merely doesn’t work on iOS. However, within the spirit of progress, I believe that my favourite messaging app may stand to study from its rivals. Listed here are 5 issues I believe Google Messages ought to copy and paste.

First, I’d love for Google to drag sticker creation from Apple’s iMessage. Sure, it’s a foolish function, however I’ve discovered it to be a helpful one. If a pal sends you a picture over iMessage, you possibly can merely press and maintain on the topic, look forward to a wave-like impact to run throughout the display screen, and switch it right into a sticker — it’s that straightforward. Then, it can save you that sticker and add an impact, like a thick define or a shiny end that appears just like the reflective stickers academics handed out in class.

When you’ve constructed up just a little library of stickers, you can begin utilizing them to answer messages, very similar to if you happen to had been laughing at or liking a message. I’ve switched nearly fully from emoji reactions to stickers — there’s simply one thing funnier about reacting with the likeness of somebody you already know. Granted, it doesn’t should be somebody you already know — Apple will allow you to make stickers out of memes, cartoons, and absolutely anything else, and it has fairly good edge detection, too.

For what it’s price, Google Messages helps a Photomoji function — I simply assume Apple’s model is healthier. Google Messages will allow you to choose a photograph out of your library and choose a topic to ship, however it doesn’t save its stickers fairly as properly. The place iMessage will save your sticker with its authentic define for reactions, Google appears to compress its stickers right into a small circle, making all of them uniform in form however rather more difficult to see.

If I had been Google, I might at the very least contemplate copying Apple’s freeform sticker borders and possibly including the non-obligatory results, too. It’s much more fulfilling to create and ship a sticker in iMessage than in Google Messages.

I’ve additionally realized that regardless that Google may be my go-to search engine, it doesn’t have the perfect method to looking out by means of your outdated messages. Proper now, if you kind in a key phrase to seek for it in Google Messages, you possibly can solely see a small a part of every message containing the time period, making it a lot tougher to select the context you’re on the lookout for. Certain, you’ll get loads of outcomes, however you would possibly spend simply as lengthy tapping backwards and forwards between them.

So, I believe Google must revamp its search function to match Samsung Messages. It may not present as many outcomes at anybody time, however Samsung Messages pulls up every message in its entirety so you possibly can examine the context of what you’re trying to find. In any other case, the 2 messaging platforms provide the identical searchability — placing a search button inside the settings of every chat — Google simply must refine its outcomes. And, now that Samsung is shifting away from its personal messaging platform in favor of Google Messages, I’d prefer to see a few of these options dwell on and make life higher throughout different variations of Android, too.

After all, any search function beats Apple’s present method to go looking inside Messages — you simply can’t do it.

Up subsequent, Google must earn its digital inexperienced thumb. Each Apple and Samsung at present retailer your deleted messages in a digital recycling bin, and I might love for Google Messages to do the identical. In spite of everything, I prefer to preserve a clear inbox, which regularly means unintentionally deleting a recipe I requested my mother for or purging occasion info like the place to be and when to be there within the identify of managing my messages. Whereas the straightforward reply might be for me to study not to do this, I’d prefer to see Google give me some digital backup, too.

And sure, I do know which you can already archive conversations as a part of Google Messages, however I seldom assume to take action. They both exist in my inbox or get deleted — I’m certain to overlook a few third location like an archive. A recycling bin, nevertheless, exists in a not-quite-deleted capability, so I’d solely be capable to rescue messages for 30 days or so. It’s the identical method that Google’s rivals take, and I’ve to think about that if I don’t want one thing inside that month-long interval, it in all probability wasn’t that vital to begin with.

Heading again to iMessage, I believe Google ought to reclaim its rightful place because the king of extensions. Proper now, Google Messages is fairly easy, permitting you to connect GIFs, photographs, information, and different issues when sending a message. It’s a very good setup that pales in comparison with Apple’s non-obligatory extensions. Because it stands, you possibly can connect all the above when sending an iMessage, however you can even ship polls to your mates whereas planning an occasion, ship flight info out of your airline of alternative, and even play video games with fellow iPhone-toting mates.

Actually, I by no means thought that final one — the flexibility to ship video games backwards and forwards — could be the function to push me over the sting, however right here we’re. I used to be pushed into putting in GamePigeon by a couple of mates, and it’s grow to be a simple method to cross the time with head-to-head variations of Cup Pong, 8 Ball Pool, and a naval warfare sport that appears suspiciously like Battleship. Is it a helpful extension in my every day life? Not likely, however it makes sitting on the DMV ready for an appointment go by a lot sooner.

Maybe I’m so shocked Google Messages doesn’t at present assist extensions as a result of I all the time consider Google because the king of add-ons. It’s really easy so as to add totally different extensions to fine-tune your Chrome expertise, whether or not fixing your writing with Grammarly or managing logins with LastPass, that it solely appears pure for Google to make them extra moveable. In reality, Google doesn’t provide extensions as a part of its cell Chrome expertise, both, so perhaps it simply must embrace them throughout the board. It will definitely give Google Messages extra flexibility — hopefully with extra helpful options than my favourite little video games.

And eventually, Google must lean on one in every of its outdated taglines — be collectively, not the identical. Because it stands, each dialog you will have in Google Messages appears the identical. The app will comply with your default gadget theme — both gentle or darkish — however that’s about as enjoyable because it will get. I’d prefer to see Google embrace just a little little bit of coloration and choose up the totally different coloration choices you get in Samsung Messages.

See, Samsung doesn’t simply allow you to select between gentle and darkish — you possibly can customise your conversations with a couple of totally different coloration profiles, change the opacity of your chat bubble, and even set a singular picture for the background of any dialog. Doing that in Google Messages would make life a lot simpler, just because I may put somebody’s face because the background of their dialog and by no means have to fret about texting the improper particular person once more.

Sadly, Samsung Messages doesn’t allow you to change the colours of the chat bubbles themselves, which signifies that each message comes from a inexperienced bubble. I’m undecided if I’d prefer to see Google add that flexibility or if it’s safer to belief it to select a coloration that’s seen throughout all of its backgrounds. Nonetheless, altering from a boring black or white background is a should.

On the finish of the day, perhaps Google will take heed to me and breathe new life into Google Messages, however then once more, perhaps it gained’t. Both approach, it has me locked in because of its place because the default messaging app throughout many of the Android panorama.