Updated

Updated · Computerworld · Oct 12

Google Messages Adds 16 Android Features, Including 30-Day Trash and RCS Text Editing

Updated

Updated · Computerworld · Oct 12

Google Messages Adds 16 Android Features, Including 30-Day Trash and RCS Text Editing

Q: How will Google's new message deletion feature actually appear when you text an iPhone user?

If you text an iPhone user, Google’s new “delete for everyone” feature generally will not unsend the message on their device. In practice, it will usually look like the old delete behavior: the message disappears only from your Google Messages app, while the iPhone recipient still sees it. That is because Google’s remote deletion relies on Google Messages’ RCS implementation and support for the newer RCS Universal Profile features on both sides. Current reporting indicates this works reliably in supported Android-to-Android RCS chats where both users have updated Google Messages. It does not currently translate cleanly to iPhone conversations, even though iPhones now support some RCS messaging features. So in an Android-to-iPhone chat, you may still be able to tap delete, but the iPhone user will typically continue to see the original message. There is no guarantee they will see a “message deleted” placeholder or any visual sign that you tried to recall it. From their perspective, the text may simply remain in the thread unchanged. The same caution applies to edits: cross-platform RCS behavior can vary, and advanced features work best when both participants are on Google Messages with full support. Even in supported chats, deletion is time-limited and does not prevent someone from reading, saving, or screenshotting the message before it is removed.

2 articles · Updated · Computerworld · Oct 12

Google Messages now highlights 16 advanced Android features, with newer additions including a Trash folder that restores deleted threads for up to 30 days.
RCS-based tools also let users edit recently sent messages and, in some chats, delete them for everyone, extending Google’s push to make Messages its main Android texting platform.
Customization features include contact-specific notification icons, custom sounds, conversation themes and profile controls, while thread snoozing and pinch-to-zoom aim to reduce clutter and improve readability.
Google also points users to link previews, Gemini-powered image editing, optional removal of the Gemini shortcut, and built-in spam protection as part of a broader effort to make Android messaging more polished.