Google Messages - Send & receive messages

Google Messages, the official messaging app by Google, allows users to communicate via Rich Communication Services (RCS) with a fallback option to SMS/MMS. Enhance your messaging experience with features like one-tap calendar reminders and emoji responses while ensuring secure conversations through spam protection and end-to-end encryption across different devices. Stay informed about your friends' activity, send high-quality images and videos, effortlessly create group chats, and enjoy an enriched communication process.

The end-to-end encryption provided safeguards your messages from being accessed by anyone other than the intended recipient. Features such as warning notifications for suspicious links and the ability to block spammers contribute to a safer messaging environment.

Share high-resolution videos directly from Google Photos library and seamlessly continue conversations on various devices including phones, computers, Android tablets or smartwatches using RCS in the Messages app.

Access convenient functionalities like suggested replies, instant calendar reminders, link sharing within the app itself without interruption. Facilitate quicker responses and interact more intelligently during conversations through predefined actions like suggested replies or use of gifs and emojis for engaging interactions.

Additionally accessible on Wear OS platforms for extended usage convenience.

How to use Google Messages on the web

Google Messages has a web browser akin to the likes of WhatsApp Web. It’s easy to set up and makes typing out longer messages from your computer much easier. Here’s how you get started:

On your PC or laptop, navigate to the Messages by Google website.

Click Messages for web. You’ll be presented with a QR code and some instructions.

Click "Messages for web"

Scan the QR code

On your mobile device, tap your profile picture at the top-right corner of the screen.

Select Device pairing.

Press the Switch to QR pairing button.

Tap QR code scanner.

Use the scanner on your device to scan the QR code on your computer screen.

Select "Device pairing"

Press the "Switch to QR pairing"

Tap the "QR code scanner" button

You’re in, and you’ll see your messages on the screen, with various features from the mobile app also available. One of the first things you might be interested in adjusting is the theme, depending if you’re a Light Mode or Dark Mode type of person.

It’s worth remembering that both your phone and computer need to have an active internet connection to use the browser version of Google Messages.

Swipe actions

You can change what happens to a message in the app when you swipe it left or right. While the only options are to delete or archive the message, it might save you time if you find yourself wading through a batch of messages. You can also turn off swipe actions if you’re prone to accidentally swiping conversations into the archive.

To customize or disable the swiple actions, go to Profile picture > Message settings > Swipe actions and choose an action for left and right swiping.

Tap "Messages settings"

Select "Swipe actions"

Customize the swipe actions

OTP deletion

You might find your inbox filling up with one-time passwords (OTPs) that become redundant soon after you’ve used them. Google Messages has a feature that deletes all OTP messages automatically 24 hours after receiving them, uncluttering your conversation list.

To enable OTP deletion, head to Profile picture > Message settings > Message organization and hit the toggle for Auto-delete OTPs.