Google Messages rolls out enhanced sharing feature
▼ Summary
– Samsung Messages is shutting down, moving users to Google Messages, which is rapidly adding new features.
– A new sharing feature in Google Messages offers two sending options: “Send to a group” or “Send separately.”
– The “Send to a group” option instantly creates a new group chat for selected contacts not already in one.
– Google Messages can detect if selected contacts already have a group chat and will open that existing chat instead.
– The new feature is currently in a server-side test or rollout and is not yet available to all users, including some beta testers.
With Samsung officially ending support for Samsung Messages this week, a significant wave of users is migrating to Google Messages. In response, Google is accelerating improvements to its messaging platform. A new enhanced sharing feature has now appeared, streamlining how users send messages to multiple recipients.
One user recently spotted that when sharing content to Google Messages and selecting contacts, two distinct sending options now appear at the bottom of the screen: “Send to a group” and “Send separately.”
The purpose is straightforward. If you want to send a message or photo to several people who aren’t already in a group chat, this feature lets you instantly create that group as part of the sharing process. The option to send messages individually has been available in Google Messages for a while, but this update adds a convenient new path for group creation.
Google Messages also shows some intelligence here. If the contacts you select already belong to an existing group chat, the app will direct you into that chat instead of creating a duplicate group.
This is a clear sign that Google is actively refining the user experience.
If you’re eager to try this feature, don’t rush. As with many Google updates, this appears to be a server-side rollout or test. There is no manual way to enable it in the app right now. I’m enrolled in the Google Messages beta program, and even I don’t have access to this feature yet.
(Source: Droid Life)
