Google Messages to Add Popular Samsung Feature
▼ Summary
– Google Messages is developing new customization options for RCS chats, found in a recent beta version of the app.
– The new features may allow users to set personal images as chat backgrounds and mix-and-match elements like bubble colors.
– This development follows Samsung phasing out its Messages app, which had more customization, leaving users wanting similar features in Google’s app.
– Currently, Google Messages only offers limited customization, letting users change background and bubble colors together in a single option.
– The code strings suggest a dedicated “Custom” theme section with options to upload photos and preview changes before applying them.
The default messaging experience on Android is poised to become significantly more personal. Recent discoveries within the latest beta version of Google Messages point to a major expansion of its visual customization tools, directly addressing a key gap left by the sunsetting of Samsung’s app. Code strings reveal an in-development “Theme UI” section that would allow users to upload personal photos for chat backgrounds and independently adjust bubble colors, moving far beyond the current limited palette options.
This development arrives at a crucial moment. Samsung recently confirmed a clear timeline for phasing out its own Samsung Messages application, solidifying Google Messages as the default on Galaxy devices. While this shift ensures better support for modern RCS chats, it displaced users who valued Samsung’s robust theming capabilities. That app allowed for decorating chat rooms with gallery images and, through modules like Theme Park, offered deep control over visual elements. The impending loss of these features has been a point of frustration for many.
Currently, personalization in Google Messages is minimal. The “Change colors” menu in a chat’s settings only lets users alter the background and bubble colors together from a small selection of presets. The new code, however, hints at a far more flexible system. Strings such as “Upload photo,” “Your photos,” and “Custom” suggest a forthcoming Google Photos integration for setting custom wallpapers. Other references like “Backgrounds” and “Bubble Color” as separate options indicate users will likely be able to mix and match elements freely instead of being locked to bundled themes.
The presence of “Theme Preview” and “Apply” buttons within the code further points to an interactive customization panel, giving users a chance to see their selections before confirming them. This planned “Custom” theme section represents a meaningful response to user feedback, aiming to deliver the personalization options that have been notably absent. While these features are still in development and their public release is not guaranteed, their emergence signals Google’s intent to make its messaging platform not just functional, but visually expressive for its growing user base.
(Source: Android Authority)
